---

1

The Indoor World Must Be Cared For

Don’t Be Like A Child

When we observe children, they demonstrate very little awareness of germs, dust, other dangers — or anything potentially harmful to them. If we watch long enough, we’ll certainly see children playing in the filthiest of places (trash cans, toilets, etc) — without a second thought.

In this way, don’t be like a child! Your indoor environment can become harmful quite easily. This is especially true if your immune system has been compromised due to illness.

Buildings Are “High Maintenance”

Perhaps you aren’t “high maintenance” but the building you live in certainly is. Because buildings cannot maintain themselves, it is up to us — their inhabitants — to maintain them.

Taking care of our buildings is no small task. Buildings have become more complex in modernity — with increasing mechanical automation. Current designs also tend to favor complexity, often to appear more ornate or impressive to the observer, even while creating a structure that is more difficult to “stay on top of.” More moving parts means more to keep track of, and more to understand.

The best ways to stay on top of your home are Steps 1-3 of this protocol. And the most basic step of the three? Step 2: Cleaning.

---

2

Dust Is Very Bad For Health

Keeping dust levels low is an important first step in improving the health of your home.

Mold Loves Dust

Humidity above 60% allow mold spores to begin growing on dust.

Chemicals Love Dust

VOCs are harmful chemicals, and they also collect in dust.  Keeping surfaces wiped down is essential to reducing these carcinogenic and harmful additives to our products.

Dust is a sink for most indoor chemicals, and its ingestion is an important pathway for chemical uptake. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31081622

Dust Mite Excrement

Dust also contains dust mite feces, which is super toxic.  If you’re considering the health ramifications of mold, you need to think about that, too.

When it comes in contact with our skin or lands in our lungs, the enzyme erodes our cells as if they are food. 

https://nautil.us/blog/-a-holiday-guest-is-leaving-dangerous-poop-in-your-couch

Dust mites begin to die when humidity drops below 50-60%. Clean a lot — and control your humidity!

Dust Really Fast!

You can quickly wipe down a whole room — or the entire house — if you know where to focus:

Tops Of Things

Make sure you get the tops of things, where dust collects.  With microfiber, it can be so easy to clean the tops of everything in a whole room quickly.

I consider the floor to be a “top” when I’m dusting, simplydue to the way dust settles on it. 🙂

Bottoms Of Things

Focus also on the bottoms of things (that’s where they touch other surfaces).  Bags, lunchboxes, and boxes that regularly touch the floor are as dirty as shoes.

Handles

Handles are where the hands are. Be sure to wipe them down (and disinfect them) frequently.

---

4

Swiffer

Swiffer Pads = Microfiber

A dry Swiffer is merely microfiber on a stick.  

It can trap a lot of nasty stuff.

With hard floors and a Swiffer, you can remove dust from your floors in minutes.

---

5

Safe & Effective Cleaning “Chemicals”

READ MORE: Cleaning, Fogging & Spraying For Mold (Product Reviews)

Benefect Decon 30

This is truly one of my favorite cleaning products I’ve ever used.

As its namesake suggests, Benefect Decon 30 completely disinfects (99.99%) in 30 seconds. The company claims it is safe to use on food-prep surfaces — without even needing to wipe off before preparing food.

The active ingredient is thymol, the main component of thyme essential oil. Botanically sourced, you get harsh-chemical performance from an all-natural product.

There is only a very faint, pleasant, scent of thyme oil when using this product, and it fades quickly.

Vital Oxide

Vital Oxide is really starting to grow on me lately. It essentially claims everything that Benefect claims: 99.99% disinfection, safe to leave on food-prep surfaces without rinsing, safe to use around people and children.

The label describes this as a hospital-grade disinfectant, and it’s also used on farms to prevent disease in livestock. I’m having really good results with this one, as well.

Vital Oxide has a very, very slight “clean” scent. I don’t think it smells like a fragrance, at all. Having formerly had MCS, myself, I don’t think the scent would bother people with chemical sensitivities.

---

(A Word About Bleach)

Bleach is not great for killing mold — and should never be used on porous surfaces.  

When we spray bleach on something porous (like wood), the bleach can stay on the surface and kill the surface mold, but the solution is mostly water — water that will wind up soaking into the material — and actually hydrating and feeding the mold deep inside the material.  

Only use bleach on hard, non-porous surfaces (if you use bleach at all).  Never combine bleach with vinegar or ammonia. Many folks with MCS are so sensitive to the fumes that bleach is simply not an option for them. Which is fine — it’s not the best option, anyway.

---

6

HEPA Vacuum

Vacuum well and often, in multiple directions.  Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to trap spores — otherwise spores will be spread each time you vacuum.  Always empty Vacuum OUTSIDE the building/home.

Always change or empty your vacuum’s bag and filter OUTSIDE.

---

Be careful not to bring the dirt, spores, and germs you just vacuumed back inside your house.

---

7

---

Ozone

Ozone Is A Super Oxidizer

Ozone machines emit ozone in high quantities, which dries the air, oxidizes toxins and chemicals, and also kills bugs (including bed bugs, lice, and dust mites).  An ozone particle is so reactive that it steals an electron from other particles and alters their identity. It is second only to fluoride as an oxidizer.

Great For Prevention

Mold does not like ozone, and therefore it can be a potent element in the prevention of mold growth.  However, if you have mold growth already occurring, ozone will likely not ever eliminate it entirely. Instead, it will merely slow the spread and proliferation.

Only Decent Coverage

In addition, ozone cannot reach all areas equally; it must be blown around a room.  Even then, it will not reach behind objects, behind books, or other hard to reach spaces very well. Ozone will not get inside walls very much at all.

There is some evidence ozone can destroy mold spores, although it apparently takes high concentration.  

Do not be over-confidant that ozone will “kill all the mold.”  It simply won’t.  That doesn’t mean it isn’t useful to discourage mold growth — especially in prevention or making a bad situation temporarily somewhat more tolerable.  

Ozone also doesn’t change the environment in which the mold developed, with regards to chronic moisture, humidity, condensation, and trapped air (although ozone does have a drying effect on the air when present).

ATTENTION: Be sure to leave the area during treatment and for 60 minutes after an ozone session ends.  When the session is over, open a window to let in fresh air. Ozone can turn harmful chemicals into even more harmful versions of themselves, so be sure to air rooms out after a session.

Wall outlet ozone generators produce very small amounts of ozone.  I recommend having a few of these and using them regularly — especially in bathrooms.

---

8

Your HVAC System

HVAC Filters

Choose Better Filtration (MERV 8)

Dust needs to stay out of your HVAC system. Therefore, better filters are highly important. The higher the MERV rating, the better.

MERV 8 Is Probably Best

MERV 8 seems to be the best solution for most HVAC systems. This filter will trap mold spores without severely restricting the flow of your HVAC system to a crawl. Higher levels than MERV 8 will cause average systems to run 24/7, never getting enough airflow to really heat/cool your house.

Also, your HVAC system removes humidity from the air (in humid climates). A super-high MERV-rated filter could impede this important function. Unless you know you’ve got a system designed for better filtration, don’t choke yours out with super-high MERV filters. A MERV 8 does the job as well as possible for most systems.

The Filter I Use

Nordic Pure claims all of its filters are electrostatically charged for even better performance.

Change Frequently

Everybody knows HVAC filters need to be changed every three months. (Right?). That’s a bare minimum. Change every 1-2 months for even better protection.

Clean The Evaporator Coils

Evaporator coils need to be cleaned every 6 months.

If you’re due (or over-due), call a professional soon and schedule an appointment to have the coils/evaporators of your HVAC system deep cleaned. 

The main methodology: Spraying an ammonia (or other type of) foam that eats through built-up gunk (mold).  If lots of moldy gunk has built up on the coils, it may take several applications to do the job. 

Be sure to inform the HVAC Pro that you want the job done “completely” — even if it takes multiple applications (and extra time on the job).

Best practices are to have all air conditioner coils cleaned every 6 months (including autos).  Obviously, this rarely happens in most buildings and homes. Which should be alarming!

---

9

UVC Light

HVAC Lights

UVC lights for HVAC Systems are highly recommended.  

Mold does not like UV light — it’s highly sterilizing. You can purchase a light and install it yourself by “Pure UV” (or others like it) at Amazon for about $99, although I suggest having a professional do the install.

A UVC light is lethal to any microbe that flows past it and into the HVAC System.

This will help keep the coils free and clear of mold and other buildups.  UVC lights also release a small amount of ozone into the HVAC ductwork — which I consider a good thing. It’s not enough to really notice, even if you’re highly sensitive to ozone, but it’s enough to keep ductwork a little more sanitized (and ductwork air a little drier, which is good).

UVC Light For Car and Home

You can also purchase UVC sterilizing lamps for your home and your car.  Simply running the lamp a few times per week or month can reduce the load of bacteria, mold, fungus, and viruses in a building.  Many UVC lamps treat an area in 5-15 minutes, and there are larger, whole-room lamps available. UVC Light will only sterilize objects on which it shines.  

It will not seek out mold in all the dark corners and crannies of your building. Instead, only surfaces in direct sight of the lamp will be irradiated.

UVC wands are also a good idea for your home and belongings.  Just remember, UVC mitigation methods are not more effective than avoidance and prevention.

I have not found any UV wands that I can recommend.

---

10

Your Habits

Wear Clothes Once (per wash)

Wear clothes once, and then wash them.  There’s no need to allow clothes to collect more than one wear’s worth of dust, spores, or toxins.

Make The Bedroom A “Clean Room”

Ideally, your home will be as clean as possible, but certainly, think of your bedroom as a “Clean Room.”  

Don’t bring shoes, jackets, dirty clothes, belongings (purses, etc) into the bedroom. Consider cleaning smartphones, laptops, and electronics before bringing them to the bedroom.

Extra Filthy Areas

Door Handles, Light Switches, SmartPhones, Shoes

These items are touched a lot and by dirty hands.  

Every smartphone you see accompanies its owner to a bathroom many times per day.  Most people rarely sterilize their phones.

Clean your home’s door handles and light switches every week and your smartphone many times per week.  Rubbing alcohol, vinegar, Benefect Decon 30, and Vital Oxide all work well to clean electronics.

Keep shoes by the door and wash them frequently.

Shower Frequently

Bathing is essential to keeping yourself clean of the spores, toxins, and dust that you may react to.  

Take 1-2 Showers per day. Monitor the humidity from your shower — always use the exhaust fan.

---

11

Cleaning Automobiles

Not Designed To Stay Clean

Automobiles can become problematic because cars are a trapped space with:

• infinite nooks and crannies
• a built in HVAC system
• (built with) many toxic materials

Maintaining Your Car

• Wipe down surfaces with microfiber multiple times a week and every time you suspect your car has been exposed to questionable objects or even people who live in mold.  
• Change the cabin air filter every 8-12 months
• Use all-weather liners on floorboards and trunk.
• Use this compact shop vac to vacuum your car weekly. It’s so fun to keep it clean.

While Driving

A dashboard automobile ozone unit may help make your auto air more hostile to mold growth, especially in the car’s HVAC system.

Parking a car outside allows fresh air to seep in, UV light to sterilize the exterior, water to rinse, and lets your car avoid possible contamination from moldy garage air.  Garages are notoriously moldy.

Crack or open windows as much as possible while driving.  

Minimize your use of the car A/C.  

Never store containers with liquid in your vehicle, as they are prone to leak.

Is Your Car Already Exposed?

If you suspect your car is contaminated, heavy ozoning may help a little, and weekly deep-cleaning will help to a fairly large extent, but finding a different car may be the only long-term solution — especially as you begin thinking about remediation or moving.

Ozone, vacuum (with shop vac), and disinfect (with Benefect or Vital oxide) the car weekly. This is also what you should do for prevention!

Purchasing A Car

Look for well-kept cars with leather seats and no discernible smell.  Spend at least 30 minutes inside the car, and be sure to test the A/C (both heat and cooling).

Always demand to see the CarFax from dealerships and private sellers (even though they aren’t perfectly reliable).

---

12

Showers

Showers can easily become mold central — all it takes is a little neglect.

Be sure to minimize your storage of items inside the shower.

Spray shower with disinfectant cleaner after every shower.

Pull the shower doors or curtain to a position allowing for all surfaces can air out and dry.  

Always run bathroom exhaust fan during and after a shower.  

Clean shower regularly and inspect weekly for mold growth.  

Don’t allow areas to remain perpetually moist.  

Avoid allowing the drain to become lined with sludge and treat your drains with enzyme-based drain cleaner regularly.

Wall-outlet ozone generators are highly encouraged in bathrooms.  

Shower heads can become contaminated — take them apart and clean them with disinfectant.

---

13

Drains

Dark, Wet Tubes

Drains are perpetually wet, dark tubes that easily incubate mold spores.  They are often a secondary source of mold in a building;  Once a building is already inhabited by mold, the drains become the next logical home.

Protect Drains From Organic Matter

Fungus in your drains just needs a food source to go with all the constant moisture. Therefore, don’t let food and other organic matter into your drains.

Garbage disposals are inherently problematic — drains simply should not have organic matter in them.

Drain flies are a clear warning sign that drains are unhealthy.

---

14

Air Purifiers

The Molekule Air Purifier oxidizes pollutants via shining UV light on conductive metal. The Molekule is receiving perhaps the best reviews of all high-end air filters due to superior design, technology, & construction.

Great Idea — With A Catch

Air purifiers are a great idea — for prevention and to improve moldy air.  However, because air purifiers can store and harbor spores and mycotoxins, do not bring them to a clean space after they’ve been in a moldy space.  

They’ll definitely improve air quality in a moldy space for some time.  If you’re okay throwing the unit away when you move or remediate, I suggest using them.

IQAir Medical-Grade HyperHEPA

Super high-quality air filter. I’d only use this one in a clean space due to its price.

Winix 5500-2

I love this air purifier. Very powerful and quite sensitive, but probably not in the same class as the Molekule or IQAir. I still love it.

The Winix PlasmaWave 5500 relies on 2 carbon filters + a HEPA filter.  The air blows out the top of the unit, through an ionizer that emits electrons into the living space which causes particles in the air to drop to the floor.

Can An Air Filter Be Cleaned?

I really don’t recommend even trying. (I did try!).

---

15

Toilets

Toilets Need Constant Attention

Mold is especially likely to grow in the toilet bowl, but it can also grow inside the tank! Toilets need to be sprayed weekly, and deep-cleaned every month (at the minimum!).

---

16

Laundry

Spores

Spores can generally be removed with several washes with:

• Hot water
• Detergent
• Vinegar/borax/EC3 (pick one!)

VOC’s & Mycotoxins

The offensive odors produced by mold can cause neurological symptoms in those who are sensitive. The compounds are often toxic, as well — making their presence more significant than a mere allergen.

Clothes can simply absorb the odors and mycotoxins from the air in your moldy house. They can also be exposed via sweat.

Oftentimes, when “moldy” folks sweat, their sweat includes these toxins — which then become infused in the fabric of their clothes. These nauseous compounds can be irritating to those wearing the garments and people nearby. It can seem nearly impossible to remove the VOCs and mycotoxins from clothes once they’ve been exposed.

Your Best Bet

Your Washing Machine

Washing machines can become clogged and risk leaking. Leaving clothes in a washer is a recipe for permanent mold in the machine.

If You Have The Money…

O3 Laundry Ozone Washer System

Saturate your washing machine’s water with enough ozone that some people choose to wash their laundry without detergent.

Now, I recommend using laundry detergent. But why not increase the cleaning and disinfectant action of each wash?

I suspect this will provide the entire washing machine with an extra layer of protection from fungus growth in the entire wash basin and drain line, as well.

Mold Can Grow In The Drain Line

Dirty water has to leave your washing machine through the drain line, and this line usually has a filter to catch lent and fabric threads before they leave the machine.

It’s a very good idea to get behind your washer and clean/disinfect this filter several times per year.

This completes Cleaning.
To continue, select Reduce.

(return home)