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My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

  • Healthy Building
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    • How to Test Materials
  • Healthy Interiors
    • Flooring
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    • Decking Materials
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  • Tiny Homes and Trailers
    • List: Simple Homes & Shelters
    • List: Trailers & RVs
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    • Cargo Van Conversion
    • All Metal Tiny Home
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    • Flooring for Vans, Trailers
    • Composting Toilets
    • How to Offgas that New Car Smell
    • Building for Chemically Sensitivity
  • Mold-Free Building
    • A Detailed Mold Preventative Build
    • The Causes of Mold in Tiny Houses
    • How “High Performance” can Help Prevent Mold
  • Mold-Free Interiors
    • Mold Testing Overview
    • Air Purifiers for Mold
    • Ozone to Kill Mold
  • Mold Avoidance Paradigm
    • Decon your Car
    • Camping Gear
    • Planning a Sabbatical
    • Traveling with Environmental Sensitivities
    • Locations Effect Ebook
    • The Locations Effect โ€“ Canadian Locations
    • The Locations Effect – Caribbean Campsites
    • Interview: Healing MCS with Mold Avoidance

Mold Avoidance Paradigm

How to Choose a Hotel When you Have Chemical Sensitivities (And Mold Sensitivity)

January 6, 2022 by Corinne Leave a Comment

Choosing a hotel, some tips

This is what I have used to find good hotels, especially important when you are booking something in another country and need your first bet to be a good (enough) one.

Never override your own senses/reactions with “the rules” but this has been helpful with knowing where to start. Lots of fails and trial and error for me.

– Go as new as you can. In tropical countries, it’s even more important to choose new. Brand new if you can find it. Buildings do not hold up well in the tropics.

– In countries I really want to go to, I’m watching for opening dates of hotels I have my eyes on.

– Big brands can be better. Marriot, Hilton, and Hyatt, and some European brands too can be better built. Though I would not choose an older big name over a newer local hotel.

– High-rise buildings bring in more experts like engineers and architects. Very small buildings may just be built to more local standards which can be poor in developing countries. Look for something that looks like it took some engineering.

– Concrete high rises are usually better than wood built. It helps to know the building types and styles that are used locally and how they hold up to the local climate. This may not be the best building style around.

– Heating and cooling is necessary for concrete to not go musty.

– Ducted AC usually goes moldy. Mini splits do get some mold in them too if used a lot and not maintained. Two years is often the limit on mini splits for me. Mini splits are less likely to have been kept on when the room is empty.

– True indigenous-style buildings can be good but often the traditional building styles are lost or this type is hard to find. Usually you can find these locally and not so much online.

– Have a few places picked out so that if the first option is really bad you have multiple backups. Camping backup, car to sleep in and a list of hotels and bnbs that look good that are very close by.

– The bet for the first stay should be the safest bet possible, whether that’s a place to camp, a car or van you can sleep in, or a brand new hotel. Once you are there you will learn more about what will work.

– I do not spare any expense on that first landing place, otherwise you can lose a lot more money from things going wrong, you crash out or you don’t get better. All of that costs far more than a safe first bet and then taking the time to check out local options in person before committing.

– A tent in a yard, balcony, the rooftop is not good enough in high mold which is far more potent in the tropics. It was a huge shocker to me that this was so hard to find. The building needs to be close to good enough to camp outside of. If camping is your safest bet you need a large yard of a new house.

– Ask the taxi driver to wait for you to see if it’s good especially in remote areas or where it takes a long time to get a taxi.

– Check out multiple rooms if allowed during COVID before ditching the first option. 3 rooms is usually reasonable to see, more than that they might get annoyed but you can try, depending on the country and area.

-I don’t walk away if the lobby is moldy. It’s extremely common for lobbies to be moldy.

– Ask about pesticide spraying (inside and out). Tropical countries also sometimes use pesticide plug ins

– Ask about fragrance if it affects you. I only ask about febreeze type sprays and “signature scents” sprayed throughout vents. I very rarely see scented laundry. And general cleaners are not usually strong (for me). There is no brand of hotel that is consistently scent-free. Highly scented is very unlikely (I have never seen it) in developing countries), pesticide spraying is more likely than in the US and Canada.

– Bring your own blanket, pillow and tarp for the bed so that a bad bed doesn’t ruin the whole thing for you. The bed could be moldy in the tropics, it could be fragranced or sprayed with pesticides. It’s far more likely to encounter a bad bed in the tropics and developing countries. This is not something I do in the US and Canada as that is not really likely here.

– Find local people from the country you are going to, you can pay them to help you check out buildings beforehand, learn about the different neighborhoods, ask about things that are not obvious online.

– If booking a specific room like in a bnb, I never choose the top floor or bottom floor if I can’t see it first. Top 1/3 of the building is usually way better. It’s had less time in the rain and is newer.

– I don’t choose the floor with a pool or above the pool (for indoor pools). You only get three tries usually so ask for different floors. You often need to ask to see higher-up floors.

– The ground floor/slab is usually really bad in the tropics as well as the Mediterranean. In North America, I usually avoid the ground floor as well unless it’s super new.

Trust your instincts. In Cuba I helped someone new to mold avoidance to unmask really quickly. He was not able to choose buildings but after I ruled buildings out or we got stuck somewhere bad for a night or more he did start to notice that he did have symptoms there.

It’s not unusual to check out every rental in the area. 95% of buildings are too moldy for me, in every part of the world I have been to. It can take going to see lots of them. There are also areas that don’t have good enough housing to choose from at all. I have ruled out many towns, cities and even countries due to not having enough reliable housing to choose from. Multiple options that look good is a requirement for me now that I don’t camp. Choosing a good building is really important. Many people try good locations but pick moldy buildings and don’t feel the full results. Some time spent camping can really help to get the full benefits of the location and can help to choose buildings.

Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm, Mold-Free Interiors

Treatments that helped folks heal from HT

October 21, 2021 by Corinne

HT Recovery Stories – The Main Treatments that Helped

Person 1: Fasting

Person 2: Using targeted macro and trace minerals, silica, detox, sweating, showers, Epsom salts baths, ACV baths, CDG, DIM, charcoal, mold avoidance. 

Person 3: Metal and parasite detox (Microbe Formulas), daily enemas, weekly colonics, diet change.

Person 4: Chelation, minerals, going after infections, targeted supplements.

Person 5: Chelation, binders, parasite killing, etc. Extreme mold and MT avoidance. 

Person 6: Chelation, aggressive parasite killing, IV ozone, extreme mold avoidance, and MT avoidance. 

Person 7: Mast cell treatment, treatments for metals, general detox, mold avoidance/MT avoidance, making clean breaks from HT, antibiotics, Epsom salt baths and ocean bathing, mineral balancing, work on parasites.

Person 8: Extreme mold and MT avoidance, sweating, sauna, hot tubs, exercise, and living in hotels on the move for 2 years.

Person 9, 10, 11, and 12: recovered from brain retraining programs, they also did avoidance (HT and mold avoidance including a mostly clean break for one and tried some treatments). 

Person 13: Ayahuasca and Dr Wilson mineral balancing program, extreme mold, and MT avoidance. 

Person 14: Mineral balancing program, chelation, many of Dr Dan’s treatments (like rectal IMD). 

Person 15: Opening detox pathways with supplements and healing gut. 

Person 16: Targeted high dose probiotics, vitamins, minerals, opening detox, esp liver, extreme mold avoidance. 

Person 17: PK protocol, OSR and c60, treating h pylori with mastic gum

Person 18: Antibiotics, chelation including OSR, Dr Dan’s treatments.

Person 19: Chelation including OSR and c60, zeolite, targeting infections, balancing nutrients and minerals.

Other treatments mentioned as helping:

Detox (liver, kidneys, or natural detox through sweating and exercise), mast cell treatment, mineral balancing programs like Wilsons and Root Cause protocol, EMF avoidance, redox, candida killing, liver flushes, or fasts, killing staph infections.

A tree of life which signifies healing
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm

Non-Toxic Travel Trailers for the Mold and Chemically Sensitive

January 6, 2021 by Corinne 77 Comments

This article focuses on the healthiest trailers. The first priority is that the trailer holds up to mold. If it doesn’t hold up to mold, no amount of natural wood, or wool, or other eco-friendly material really matters.

Conventional trailers are extremely mold-prone. They use wood within the walls, roofs, and floors with a design that is not airtight. Condensation usually forms in the cavities. They are also prone to leaks.

The Designs That Best Hold up to Mold are:

  1. Sandwich construction – Airtight cavities of metal or fiberglass with rigid foam insulation. Ideally laminated together.
  2. Fiberglass shell campers – Solid fiberglass body trailers are single or double hulls. A single hull has no hidden cavity where condensation or mold can form. The double hulls can work well too. I list brands that have minimal wood or where the wood does not become a mold risk.

Low-VOC Trailers:

No well-made trailer is extremely low in VOCs. Some are better than others.

The interiors of all-metal trailers can be lower in offgassing compared to trailers with other wall materials. But don’t underestimate the odors of the glues used in all metal trailers.

There is no getting around the offgassing. The best strategy is to give it some time to offgas or buy a used one if you are highly sensitive.

You certainly can compare models though if you are chemically sensitive since we all are reactive to different chemical combinations. You definitely could find some brands more tolerable than others, even if the total VOC count is the same.

[Read more…] about Non-Toxic Travel Trailers for the Mold and Chemically Sensitive

Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm, Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: mold avoidance paradigm, tiny homes and trailers

A Guide to Non-Toxic Camping Gear (And Keeping it Mold Free) | 2022

January 4, 2021 by Corinne 70 Comments

I have updated this post after having spent two years of close to full-time camping.

The focus is still on avoiding chemicals, but I am adding more unusual camping equipment and techniques for avoiding mold, updating new gear I really like, and some new tricks.

This post contains affiliate links wherever the brands I like have an affiliate program. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Choosing a Tent Style

A Cheap and Easy Start – Pop Up Tents

I bought a pop-up tent as my first tent. I went for one of the cheapest options here just to get started quickly. I was able to use it after one week (with the doors all open at first for air) but it was about 1 month before I found it offgassed the chemical smell, and I could close up the doors. I was super sensitive at that time.

A number of brands have pop-up tents in this style which are super easy and quick to put up and have a decent design in terms of the amount of ventilation (more on the style I prefer with ventilation below).

Mine leaked in heavy rain so I don’t like this style of tent, other than the fact that it is very easy to pop up and if you get a good tarp over it you will be waterproof – I always put a tarp over tents now anyway, more on that later.

Anyone super challenged with putting up tents might want to start here.

My simple pop up tent outside of a cod house
My First Tent CC BY-NC-SA

Rain Fly Styles – Preventing Mold and Avoiding Chemicals

a orange tent with a rainfly that comes all the way to the ground

For heavy rain, a tent with a really good rainfly is needed that comes down almost all the way to the ground like many of the REI or MEC brands and this Backpacking tent (pictured left).

I used the Winterial version of this style for many months and was very happy with it. (This brand claims no flame retardants).

When it comes to tents on the ground, this is the main style I look for because of the good rainfall, which keeps it more waterproof.

Having mostly mesh on the inside also reduces your exposure to chemical offgassing and helps to prevent condensation on the walls.

Technically you don’t need a tarp over it, but I always add one. Water that soaks the tent walls will then soak anything that is touching the walls inside. The tarp is also needed so you can get in and out when it’s raining.

I just don’t trust any tent enough to not put a tarp over top. More on setting up tarps later in the post.

Tent Styles and Offgassing

Sometimes the rainfly smells stronger than the tent and sometimes it smells less. Sometimes a super beefy tent bottom is the hardest part to offgas. It depends on the brand.

Some who are trying to reduce exposure to chemical offgassing wash the tents to remove some of the treatments, but this also removes some of the waterproof coating. That can still work if you have a good tarp over.

The more mesh you have the more airflow and the less exposure to offgassing.

Bivy Tents or One Person or Stealth Camping

For stealth camping on patios and balconies of hotels or Airbnbs I have used a one-person tent like this Winterial brand. I also like this Tenton brand (I like that it comes with straps to strap it to a camping cot below to raise it up).

You can also look for tents called bevy tents.

A camping set up on a balcony that is a rainfly strung up with a camping cot underneath
That’s me all tied up on a balcony CC BY-NC-SA

I have tried just a mat with a mosquito net over it (this one is not treated with pesticides), and I have also strung up just the rain fly (with no tent) over a camping cot and Thermarest if there are no bugs.

Otherwise, you can cut out the bottom. Never put a tent with a bottom right over outdoor tiles, bricks, or concrete for long, you will have a recipe for mold fast.

You can put up a tent on top of a camping cot like in the pictures of the Tenton one-person tent linked to above. But to keep a low profile I prefer to use a camping cot and then string up the rainfly or mosquito net so it does not go higher than the balcony rails.

If you have a stable place and are not on the move, I like these garage/deck tiles to lift you off the concrete. I’m trying them out now.

Choosing a Tent Style if you are Putting up a Tent when Disabled 

Make sure you know how (and that you can) put up your tent alone (as well as set up other supplies like a stove) before you get to the campsite. I have shown up to campsites with tents that are defective or missing parts more than once, so I would do a trial run for that reason as well.

For those who are disabled and limited, I made this video on Camping for Those Who Can’t Camp, to try and give some examples of how camping might still be possible for you.

Brands of Tents that are Low in Offgassing

I like putting tents in the sun to offgas them. Smell them to test, and also touch them to make sure they don’t cause skin irritation. You may have to test them by sleeping in them to test for tolerance.

Moonlight thetentlab.com

Brands that seem to be the lowest in offgassing are:

There is no consensus on which brand is the best for those with chemical sensitivities. Everyone is so different, no tent is perfect, and for some less sensitive there might not even be a big difference between the brands. You have to test them out for yourself if extremely sensitive.

For the mild-moderately sensitive:

  • Lightspeed (polyesters with PU coating)
  • REI (polyester, rainfly, and floor coated with PU) has been used by some very sensitive folks.
  • LL Bean (polyester with PU from what I have seen).
  • Big Agnes (nylon, polyester with PU and some silicone).
  • The jury is out on Coleman, some people tolerate it and others donโ€™t.
  • Some people find cheap Walmart tents especially Ozark brand is more tolerable than ones for hundreds of dollars. I have found Ozark tents to be very tolerable myself.
  • Winterial may work for some folks. I used this as I was becoming less sensitive. I like that it is affordable and doesn’t contain flame retardants.
  • Nemo Aurora

For the moderately to extremely sensitive:

  • Cuben fiber tents – Cuben Fibre is PET, this can be more tolerable for the very sensitive but they are more expensive. Many have said these don’t contain FR, but Zpacks failed to get back to me on that.
  • Moonlight by Tent Lab – All FR-free and coated with silicone on the outside and polyurethane (PU) on the inside. This brand is often touted as being better for the chemically sensitive but I have found there is not enough consensus on this. With many not tolerating it. At a steeper price than your average tent, you should test it out first. They send fabric samples.
  • Six Moon Designs – silicone nylon fabrics, very low odor,.

Silicone-treated tents might be more tolerable for some, others may prioritize avoiding flame retardants.

If you are too sensitive for any of these brands there are more options further down in this post for those who have to go more extreme.

12 Tent Brands Without Flame Retardants 2022 

  1. Mountain Hard Wareย tents made after 2019 are FR-free ($200-310 price range)
  2. TarpTents ($270-500 range)
  3. Fjรคllrรคvenย tents ($500-1000 range)
  4. Diamond Brandย tents ($300-350)
  5. Nemoย Chogori and Aurora tents don’t have FR ($700-850 and $250-300)
  6. Moonlight All FR-free and coated with silicone on the outside and polyurethane (PU) on the inside. ($430-600)
  7. Winterial does claim no flame retardants in discussions, although they don’t have an official statement on this. ($100-300)
  8. NatureHike has claimed no flame retardants in private emails and confirmed by factory reps who sell to wholesalers. ($100-200)
  9. Six Moon Designs none of their tents are treated with flame retardants and they have many silicone nylon options (Silnylon) ($270-340)
  10. TETON Mesa Canvas Tents and the Sierra Canvas Tents do not contain flame retardants. The company has given contradictory info on whether ALTOS Backpacking Tents are FR-free ($100-$600)
  11. The North Face all tents free of flame retardants as indicated by their chat (though it’s not clear that is accurate) ($150-$1000)

Some canvas tents do not have flame retardants.

Cuben fibre from what I have seen is FR-free.

I have not found any evidence that many flame retardants can be adequately washed out, but it can’t hurt to try.

Camping Gear without Flame Retardants 2022

  • Thermarest Camping pads don’t contain FR. Some have the Prop 65 warning (but for chromium).
  • The Exped mats are FR free since the 2015 lot.
  • REI brand sleeping mats are not treated with FR.
  • TETON sleeping bags, camp pads, and pillows have been tested to verify that they do meet CPAI-75 standard without adding any fire-retardant treatment to the materials
  • Wildkin sleeping mats and sleeping bags are also FR free.
  • Other sleeping bags that are FR free are Holy Lamb Organics (but they use cotton), Kelty, Wiggy’s, and the down quilts by Jacks ‘R’ Better.
  • All wool sleeping bags by Lucky Sheep (ask them for all wool with no cotton).

Unconventional Tents for the Extremely Sensitive

Aluminum Insulated Tents

These tents have the benefit of insulation, and the aluminum coating reduces offgassing. They don’t do well with humidity inside the tent if there is a warmer inside.

WeatherHyde tents are insulated and the foil on the inside will also block most of the VOCs from the fabric on the outside. They say you can sleep in them down to 0 degrees Celsius. They are 269 USD. They do not have any mesh for ventilation which I imagine would be quite the problem for condensation and I do not know how you would get fresh air.

The Shift Pod is another version of an insulated aluminum tent made for Burning Man. The benefit to the aluminum on the outside is it’s reflective of sun and heat. I would think it would have similar problems with condensation in most situations. It’s pricey at 1300 USD.

For 18 USD you can get this aluminum-lined small sleeping tent (that might work for balcony sleeping or in an emergency, otherwise it’s difficult with a lack of ventilation). The aluminum on the inside is more tolerable than the usual plastic.

Home Made Tents

Others have made homemade tents with materials they can tolerate like Tyvek, Reflectix or XPS sheets. You can also make a more typical tent from untreated nylon.

More info on that in this post here.

Canvas Tents

Some folks who cannot handle the chemicals in the synthetic tents have tried canvas tents.

Some companies people like are Reliable Tent, Kodiak Tents, Davis Tents.

Are they Mold-Prone?

These do not hold up well to rain and high humidity and I would not use them in rainy or humid conditions nor expect them to last very long at all.

I have seen canvas tents, specifically, Davis tents hold up for quite a long time in a dry climate and with a woodstove inside. It can take rain and even snow, as long as it can dry out. For long-term living a gravel floor or a raised-up wooden platform is best.

Hemp Canvas

For those who don’t tolerate cotton or who want the tent to hold up a little longer than cotton canvas, you can make one out of hemp fabric, like this one. You can expect cotton and hemp to last a short while in dry non-humid climates where you are expecting very little or no rain for a while.

If you are making your own tent out of canvas or nylon you can use the tube structure of a conventional tent and build it around that.

Large Wall Tents

Wall tents can be canvas or conventional nylon/polyester. They have straight walls and are generally larger. Barebones makes a nylon polyester wall tent. Often this type has more weather poofing and will have flame retardants because they are set up for wood-burning stores.

This can be a good solution for a longer-term camping tent. Though you should take care to keep the base dry (cut out or raised up) if you want it to last.

How to Stay Dry and Prevent Mold when Camping

How to Set up Tarps Underneath and Over Tents

I bought a tarp for underneath to keep dew from getting the tent wet from below (also called a footprint), and later I added a tarp for over the tent to stay dry.

At first, the bottom of my tent stayed nice and dry with the tarp underneath. I would take out and turn over the sleeping mat every day.

If the bottom of the tent gets wet you will want to dry it in the sun within 24 hours (flip it and then put it back and maybe move spots).

You can use the footprints made for underneath tents but tarps are generally cheaper (your tent may come with a footprint).

You want the tarp underneath to be a little smaller and tucked in so that it is under the tent. No water should get between the two. Some people tuck it and then raise it a little with sticks or rocks so that no water gets in between. I tried that but in the end tent bottoms still went moldy on me if I had damp soil.

Putting a tarp overtop helped a lot. I found regular tarps from the hardware store has a strong smell but offgassed within a few days.

I now use a silnylon tarp which has a less offensive odor, and is more durable but is more expensive. Over most tents, you need 12 x 10 or 12 x 12.

Some people find they still do have to move the tent every couple of days due to condensation or the earth going funky underneath.

A blue tarp strong up between two trees over my orange tent.
One of my many tarp setups CC BY-NC-SA

Mold Avoiders! Keep a backup tent that is offgassed in case of mold or damage to your primary tent. Keep backup gear especially if you are out in the wilderness, if you need geat to offgas before using, or you cannot easily drive somewhere and buy new gear within one day.

Generally, you string up the tarp up in an “A shape” so that it’s touching neither the tent nor the ground, you can also string it up with a shed slant like the photo above.

Some people dig a small trench around so that the water that drips off does not go towards the tent.

Without a tarp, I had a lot of problems including saturation of the tent and water coming through especially where anything was touching the tent. I would not attempt camping without a tarp overhead again.

In a major storm, a larger tarp overhead helps, as well as a deep trench, and if things are going swampy you need to raise it up. I have used XPS sheets to raise up a tent in a storm before I found the Cot Tents.

The Solution to Tent Bottoms Going Moldy – The Best Tents For Avoiding Mold

A blue tarp strung up on an angle between trees over my cot tent
The Ozark Trail Cot Tent CC BY-NC-SA

After throwing out many tents and then moving on to cutting out the bottoms, I finally found what seems like the perfect tent: the Ozark Trail Two-Person Cot Tent. Unfortunately, it looks like it was discontinued in 2020.

This style of integrated camping cot tent (pictured) is really the most ideal setup in my experience This is off the ground so the bottom will not mold.

This had a very low odor rainfly and a brilliant design with the rainfly coming down way past the cot to protect water from getting in between.

Although I didn’t like the more common style of tent cot (I had trouble with ventilation and even dangerously spiked my C02 levels one night).

A small cot tent for one person

It was the Kamp Rite brand that I tried in this style. The Camp Rite brand does have a two-person version.

I quite like the Tenton tent that is made to strap on to their XXL camping cots.

You will, as always, want a tarp over this whole setup since this rainfly does not come past the cot (though on their website they sell a larger rainfly which would).

These cot tent brands are coming and going. I’m not sure if it’s a lack of demand which is a shame because for mold prevention these are ideal.

Other Raised off the Ground Tents

The tree tents look interesting, as they are raised off the ground, but you have to keep in mind these are really just for sleeping as they don’t look very conducive to hanging out all day. I wonder how much they sag in the middle, and they are not as easy to put up.

For those who are less picky about their sleeping environment resembling a regular bed, the hammocks with nets are interesting options that are affordable and easy to travel with.

Downsides of Cot Tents

Cot Tents are Bulky

While I would never want to go with anything other than the raised off the ground tent again, this won’t work when I travel overseas. When I travel I need to fit a tent, sleeping mat, and sleeping bag into a duffel bag.

The sleeping mats I use are huge and unless I can send a tent ahead I would have to go back to cutting out the bottom. I would use plastic bags to encase the sleeping mat, instead of the thick tarps I mention.

Cot Tents are Colder

It is cooler when you are raised off the ground. But I don’t find it any worse than cutting out a bottom and using a camping cot (in fact I find it warmer than tents with the bottom cut out).

Flame Retardants

Ozark is a very tolerable brand for MCS. I don’t like the flame retardants they use. I have not seen a flame retardant free brand in this style.

Should you Buy a Cheap Tent or Tent that Lasts?

For those doing mold avoidance or living somewhere very damp, you might want to go with the more disposable option.

Expensive tents from REI and MEC tend to pack smaller and lighter and should be of higher quality, however, if they do go moldy it is a bigger loss.

On the other hand, if I am traveling with a tent I want one that’s not going to break unexpectedly as many places around the world do not have stores that sell tents. Check also how much wind and rain they say they can withstand. You pay more for quality wind and rain protection.

But all of that said, I would never spend more than 150 on a tent unless I’m sure it’s going to last me a long time (like the ones raised off the ground).

Camping Mats – Low Offgassing 

Air Mattress

A turquise air mattress made of TPU

I started with the Lightspeed air mattress made of TPU, which is the one the folks most sensitive to chemicals use.

It offgassed quickly (2 days in the sun) and felt comfortable. It’s good quality, but I had back problems with it. This can happen to some people on air mattresses.

Many with chemical sensitivities prefer the Intex polyester air mattresses.

Inflatable Sleeping Mats

a beigh inflatable camping mat

Other very sensitive folks have tolerated the small air mats. I was very impressed with how little this one smelled (less than the air mattress), and it’s a WAY better option to travel with, but I did not find it comfortable enough.

Someone much more sensitive than me recommended the Klymit Static v which comes uninsulated and insulated (with what looks like polyester fiber, not foam).

Go with the simplest, most compact option that is still comfortable for you.

Open Cell Foam Self Inflating

A mondo king thermarest (blue)
The Mondo King

I ended up buying the thickest Thermarest instead and LOVING it. This is as comfortable as a bed to me, though many people put Thermarests over a camping cot, that seemed excessive with the MondoKing (though cots can also help you get off the ground which is a benefit when you have cut out the bottom or are preventing mold under the bed).

Iโ€™m not that picky about beds so I was surprised that the airbed hurt. The Thermarest has a decent R-value to keep you warm, the more insulation you have under you in the cold the better.

The MondoKing is very comfortable and I usually wake up forgetting Iโ€™m in a tent. It has polyurethane in it but it offgassed quickly in my experience. I used it after 2 days of airing out (not ideal), in one week I found it to be really good, and one month to be near odorless to me.

This is a super good mat for a trailer or other tiny home as well. It does not contain flame retardants.

I bought the repair kit for the Thermarest as well because this is going to be my main bed in the trailer, I also carry the repair kit when traveling.

I still prefer the MondoKing, but another good and more affordable (but thinner option) I use is the Lightspeed version.

Camping Beds and Moisture

When it was hot and sunny (and I was not self-contaminating) I had no problems with condensation if I turned it every couple of days and some days left it standing up to air out.

You will want to flip or air out your sleeping bag as well in the day to prevent mold.

As it got cold and I moved it into a trailer it became very challenging to keep a sleeping pad dry and mold-free. It needs to have slats underneath and a waterproof cover without a doubt in a cold or damp environment.

I wouldn’t recommend leaving this on any flat surface without a waterproof cover anymore. As I got more sensitive I was not able to keep this clean without an encasement.

If you are very sensitive to mold, very unmasked, or detoxing through your sweat, encase the sleeping mat right away. You can use plastic but I prefer these thick aluminized tarps as they also block the smell.

I used those tarps if I needed to block the smell but if I just needed to encase it I used contractor bags that are thicker than the usual garbage bags. I taped it airtight.

Closed Cell Foam Pads

a closed cell camping mat with silver on one side

For those ultra-sensitive to chemicals, an aluminized Thermarest is the safest camping mat.

People usually go with the solid foam or the small inflatable ones as they pack much smaller than the deluxe one I bought (and these are more affordable). They offgas less as well.

You can wash these unlike many of the other options. Some even pour boiling water on them to clean them and kill bacteria. You can’t do that with all camping mats.

Camping Cots

I like this style of camping cot the best because it packs really small, it is relatively flat, works well with a Thermarest over it, and it’s low to the ground but high enough to have airflow.

I never put a camping mat straight on the ground anymore. I always want that airflow under the sleeping mat (if you are not using an integrated cot tent).

I would not say this style of camping cot is easy to take apart and put back if you are physically disabled.

The Coleman polyester camping cots do not have a water-resistant coating so they may be safer for the very sensitive.

Bedding – Low Offgassing

Sleeping Bags

I’m extremely pleased with this Teton sleeping bag which is warm and offgassed after sitting in the sun for a week or so. I never even washed it.

I used this in the summer and some days it was too warm.

Many who are super sensitive to mold and chemicals use the Suisse Sport Alpine sleeping bag.

Sleeping Bag Liners

Others like a silk sleeping bag liner which keeps you warm and keeps your sleeping bag cleaner. It is much easier to wash a liner than the sleeping bag. I’m using this silk one and it’s quick to dry (surprised by how chemically it smelled, needed more washes than most fabrics).

You can also make a liner by sewing a queen flat sheet in half. You can either use a liner to get inside of first or to encase a blanket. This will keep the sleeping bag good for longer. The polyester liners can work too.

Blankets instead of sleeping bags

In warmer weather, I skipped sleeping bags and used heated blankets as my only blanket. As I started to detox through my sweat things got trickier.

Now I like a warm but washable option like these Pendleton Blankets. But, when it is very cold, a sleeping bag is really the warmest option.

Sheets

I use these AmazonBasics polyester sheets. But there are specific sheets for Thermarests and other brands of sleeping mats. They are also polyester, the only difference is they are fitted exactly for the Thermarest.

You donโ€™t want any cotton in your tent – it doesnโ€™t do well outside for long if it’s humid, and it’s terrible when wet.

Pillows

I bought a polyester camping pillow which is small (and it has cotton on the outside!)

I use waterproof pillowcases to prevent mold which I aired out and washed before using. They do smell at first, but polyurethane coating does offgas (to most people’s standards).

I have tried lots of camping pillows from the air and foam ones to the polyester ones, to just using a towel.

Someone super sensitive recommended the inflatable Klymit Pillow X.

You have to figure out which is the most comfortable for you. Some are very small. The air ones can be easy to roll off of. A towel is easy to wash if you need to wash gear often.

I keep backups of everything.

Staying Warm and Cool

Heated Blankets

I use a heating blanket in almost every climate. I thought the biggest problem for me would be stabilizing my temperature, but that ended up not being that difficult at all.

This is the Sunbeam heating blanket I use. After going through a lot of these, the trick is I want one big enough to cover me and I want the 10-hour shut off not the 3-hour shut-off, to keep me warm all night.

They are challenging in how strong they smell when new and since they can’t go in a dryer they can be difficult to clean in cold weather camping.

I encase my current one in these liners and wash the liner every 3 days.

For those concerned about EMFs, you can use this to heat the tent without putting it on your body. It wonโ€™t be as warm, but it is likely safer than a stand-alone heater in a tent. Or, the fancier and supposedly healthier option is an infrared mat.

This 60-watt heated blanket (the smaller throw size) will run for most of the night off this solar kit. I always have an extension cord running to my tent. A small heated blanket tucked into a sleeping bag provides a lot of warmth.

Using a Heater in a Tent

I have set up many a small heater in a tent. I check the wattage and if it has temperature control (I make sure my tent is big enough, note: read the tent dimensions carefully, they run small).

It’s safer to place the heater up on a small table or round of wood to keep it from knocking over or blowing directly onto something that could melt or burn. I make sure my tent is big enough to accommodate a heater with lots of space around it and it has an auto shut off when it falls over.

I use this little Honeywell heater because it’s super low wattage (250 watts).

I find it easy to accidentally shove this when sleeping and it can turn towards the tent fabric easily. That is just one reason why this is not technically recommended. It is a fire risk. This is what I have done, but I cannot officially recommend it.

If my tent is on the ground and I have a thick Thermarest, I can be warm enough with a heated blanket and that little heater down to 5 degrees C. I don’t sleep well when I’m cold, but everyone is different, so you will have to work out those details.

Other Heating Options

  1. Hot water bottles can be put inside the sleeping bag at night. This thermoplastic one has been reported to be very tolerable by many.
  2. Hand warmers work well when you don’t have electricity. Hand warmers in your sleeping bag can be a big help. The same company also makes sock liners. I have used these in power outages, they seem totally non-toxic.
  3. Heated clothes like battery-powered heated jackets, socks, and gloves can be a huge help as well.
  4. Wood stoves are used by some. I’m getting the Cubic Mini for the cargo trailer but I do not have experience setting up a wood stove in a tent.

Cooling a Tent: AC in a tent 

For the AC you will need to cut a hole for the exhaust and seal with tape around it.

If I put anything electrical in a tent I make sure I have multiple layers of protection from getting wet from above or flooding from below.

Use heaters, heating blankets AC, or woodstoves at your own risk of fire or electrocution. They are not recommended for tents.

Here is the longer version of my Amazon visual list of my Favorite & my Unusual Camping supplies I bring with me on a Sabbatical.

(See the comment box on each image to see my notes on each one).

A few examples here:

  • Pressure Cooker: I cooked everything in an Instant Pot when camping which I could do on my one extension cord.
  • Water Filter: Travel Berkey is still on my wish list, this ceramic filter is ideal for well water or any other water where filtering for biological pathogens is the priority (otherwise I buy water).
  • Towel: Non-cotton fast drying travel towel, I use this one.
  • Earplugs: For really loud situations the “triple down” method of foamย + siliconeย + ear protectors (or noise-canceling headphones). The construction ear protectors do smell quite strong. One benefit of noise-canceling headphones is some noises cannot be blocked without adding white noise.
  • Eyemask: The foam contoured eye masks smell a little and need some time to offgas (I put them in the sun). It is still my favorite mask many years later. The fabric ones can be washed to remove chemical treatments. I always keep a backup mask.
  • Clothes Dryer: I still love this portableย dryer, I got a tonne of use out of that. I used it outside with an extension cord, undercover. If you are in an RV a heated towel rack makes a good indoor dryer.
  • Clothes: Washable wool or silk long underwear, wool socks, and wool hat, gloves to stay warm in cold weather.
  • Hand Sanitizer: Hand sanitizerย (that’s my favorite non-toxic brand) and baby wipes are essential in a tent (unscented of course, for yourself and also if there are bears around).

More Resources:

  • My guide to a mold sabbatical
  • Avoiding flame retardants
  • EI Wellspring Safer Camping – How to choose a campsite with extreme MCS

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 7 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

I spent 2 years living outside in tents in order to bring down my chemical and mold sensitivities and get back into regular housing.

Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!

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Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm, Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: camping, mold avoidance paradigm

Campsites in the Caribbean (A Complete List)

January 3, 2021 by Corinne 2 Comments

It’s oddly difficult to find campsites in the Caribbean by Googling. Though not the most popular camping destination in the world, I did find with a lot of digging, a good number of proper campsites where you can pitch a tent.

The focus is on both dedicated and unofficial campsites where you can bring your own tent. Many of the same spots also have tents that you can rent.

I did not include glamping in this post. I plan to do a separate post on glamping in the Caribbean.

This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Alternative Places to Camp

Camp in a Yard

Of course, you don’t have to have a dedicated campsite to camp. In some countries, it’s perfectly acceptable to camp in a yard, on a balcony or roof.

I did that in Cuba, a country that does not have any official campsites. I set up my casita de campaรฑa in all sorts of places at BnBs.

You can do this just about anywhere, especially if you rent a yard that is big enough to stealth camp.

WWOOFING

WWOOFING is a work trade website. You can find farms or ecovillages where you can volunteer your time in exchange for usually a free stay (lodging and usually food too).

Very often the lodging provided is a spot to tent camp.

The labour required is most often physical labour, but it can be administrative labour too.

I have also contacted many farms (both WWOOFING and other private organic farms) to ask them if I can pay a monthly fee to camp there – many said yes.

HipCamp and AirBnB

HipCamp is a site offering private spots to camp, and since the pandemic Airbnb hosts have listed more private properties on which you can camp.

If you are new to AirBnB this is a discount link for $40 USD or 75 CAD off.

You can get $10 off Hipcamp with this link.

The Locations Effect

For those following the Locations Effect Paradigm, you have to analyze these campsite by campsite. We cannot generalize on a whole country, though there are some islands that are so small that it may make sense to generalize. We don’t have reports from every country/area, though I give my true thoughts on these areas at the bottom of the article.

What you NEED to know before heading to the Caribbean to camp!

  1. Confirm everything – if they are open, what are the rates, do they have wifi, etc. before going with the campsite! Things could change between asking and when you get there too! Don’t depend on the website being accurate. Everything is less official in the Caribbean.
  2. Flexibility on where you can camp – Along with changes for the worse, you are also likely to find flexibility with camping at places that offer simple cabins or anywhere not too formal. Just ask!
  3. Ask for direct pricing (not through the hotel booking apps).
  4. You can’t buy camping gear in most of these areas (though many sites rent it out). Come prepared!
  5. There is a lot you need to know! Get the Lonely Planet book for each country you are considering and do your research. It’s a must! Things are different than in The West/Global North.
  6. If you have environmental sensitivities there is even more you need to know and you can find yourself with very unwelcome surprises like toxic seaweed, excessive charcoal campfires, moldy tents, parasites in food and water…….. my post on traveling with sensitivities covers this.

Campsites in Puerto Rico

Isla De Mona, Puerto Rico
Photo by Ricardo Torres on Unsplas

Because Puerto Rico is an American Territory it has more campsite options than most islands in the Caribbean.

You can also buy camping gear locally, something that cannot be said in most parts of the Caribbean – they have Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Sams, and Costco.

They also are the only island I know of with RV parks.

Government Campsites in PR are closed during the second wave of the pandemic, but they will reopen in 2021.

There are 11 private campsites on HipCamp for Puerto Rico ranging from $12-200 a night.

1. Vieques Island

There is a campsite on Sun Bay Vieques, a beautiful island off the south coast of the big island, in a National Park (Compaรฑรญa De Parques Nacionales).

The campsite has a cafe for food and drinks. Tent sites are in a flat, grassy, fenced area just off the beach.

The campsite has bathrooms and outdoor showers. They have security overnight.

$10 per night per site.

2. Culebra Island

The only campground on Culebra is the right on Playa Flamenco. It is managed by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.

This spot looks quite pristine and the beaches are really pretty.

$30 per tent per night. ($20 for senior citizens and people with disabilities).

3. Caguas

Mi Casa Eco Camping is a private camping “resort” inland in central PR. They have tents set up that you can rent.

They have bathrooms, showers, a shared kitchen, wifi, and community activities.

This is a well set up place to camp and I like all the communal activities.

$25 a night.

4. El Yunque National Forest

El Yunque National Forest a USDA Forest Service park has dispersed and group camping sites. Camping is permitted at designated campsites only.

Campfires are only permitted at Molindero and Old Nursery, in designated fire rings. Cookstoves fueled by butane or propane are permitted.

There is limited cellular service in the forest (don’t count on it working), and there are no washrooms.

Some have reported very difficult camping conditions (like severe mud).

Camping is free, but you do need a permit. There are stay limits.

5. Seven Seas Beach in Fajardo

The calm water turquoise Seven Seas Beach allows camping and has washrooms and showers.

The beach has shelters and camping spots (you need a permit prior to arrival). The local police act as security for the beach.

Call first for sure to check up on if they are in operation.

$10 a night.

6. The Toro Negro Forest Reserve

A State Forest, Toro Negro offers camping.

You can only get here in your own rental car and you need to make prior reservations. You can get a permit in the capital city.

Camping facilities include bathrooms and waste disposal.

$4 a night.

7. Isla de Mona

You can also check for WOOFING and other volunteer opportunities where you can camp like Las Maria’s Project Farm on Isla de Mona.

Campsites in Mexico

Tulum, Mexico
Photo by Tanja Cotoaga on Unsplash

1. Holbox Island

Balam Eco Camping is a cute little campsite with spots to pitch a tent and little simple cabins. They have shared space like picnic tables, an outdoor kitchen, and simple bathrooms.

On google listings it is showing that they do have wifi.

It’s not clear if the rates are for renting a tent or for bringing your own tent.

$10 a night for one person (as indicated on booking.com)

One Love Camp is another nearby campsite, very similar to Balam Eco Camping. They have tents for rent and I would think that you can bring your own too.

They have little basic cabins, shared kitchenette and shared bathrooms.

Aldea Camping like the two above has tents to rent and little cabins as well as shared spaces. This one is very close to the beach.

Kin Camping is similar to the others. This site has tents already set up, it doesn’t look like they have space for extra tents.

Glamping Holbox sunset, similar to the others but reviews say it’s particularly loud. (All of these packed in campsites in Mexico should be assumed to be fairly noisy at best).

Message them for the prices. (All these spots on Holbox are probably similarly priced).

2. Yucatan

Just across the water from Holbox on the mainland is a campsite Camping del Ritmo.

A site close to the beach. They have a campfire area, shade palapas that you can put your tent under, a well-equipped kitchen with 2 bathrooms, hammocks, tables and chairs, and wi.fi.

Contact them for the costs and for booking.

3. Cancun

There is a full-service RV park west of Cancun if you are traveling in a van or RV. It’s a basic site, but they offer full hook-ups, wifi, a small pool, restaurant, cabins and it seems tent sites as well, an outdoor grill, simple dishwashing area.

The rates are not listed.

4. Xpu-Ha, North of Tulum

North of Tulum in Xpu-Ha there is a full service RV park. It’s also possible to camp on the beach there.

For full hook ups it’s 15 USD a night. Contact them for tent camping costs.

5. Tulum, Playa Roca

If you want to camp right next to the beach, Playa Roca is a good spot. This is a lot more spacious than the sites on Holbox, but it is simple.

It is quieter than the spots on Holbox too which are quite packed. At this site you can definitely bring your own tent, though they do rent them out as well.

They have shared showers and bathrooms and a kitchen. There is no electricity and no wifi.

100 pesos per person per night ($5 US)

Arena camping next door sounds like they share the bathrooms with Playa Roca and they don’t have their own kitchen. Though they do have large tents that are already set up for you to rent.

Rates are not listed.

6. Tulum, Camping Chavez

Camping Chavez south of town is a great spot to camp on the beach. A little more established than the other sites they have a shared outdoor kitchen, bathrooms with hot showers, and electricity in the common areas. The little shelters, and cabanas that look very simple and clean to me. They also have wifi!

Booking.com is showing the price at 37 USD for a single tent (which looks like renting their tents and bedding).

7. South Tulum, Sian Ka’an Ecological Reserve

Lastly, a bit of a hidden gem, El รบltimo Maya, is remote, secluded, and beautiful. It’s within a nature reserve so you can expect to get away from the usual pollution in Tulum.

Personally (for the Locations Effect) I would want to get out of Tulum.

They don’t have a website and there isn’t a tonne of info on them but the photos are beautiful and you can camp there. There is a restaurant, showers, and bathrooms.

Reviews say they do not have electricity.

You can’t cook your own food here so you would be relying on their restaurant which sounds pricey (at least some items). One reviewer says it costs 50 pesos for cold beer, 35 pesos for soft drinks, and 250-300 pesos for a meal.

No bonfires are allowed.

350 pesos a night (around 18 USD) if you bring your own tent.

8. Mahahual (Southern Caribbean Coast)

Eco Camping La Mar is a sweet little campsite in this more remote area.

They use solar energy and collect rainwater. There is a common kitchen in a concrete building, storage area, and bathrooms.

They have a little cabin but most spots are tent spots.

They are not taking bookings as of winter 2020/21, but check back post pandemic.

Further south there is another campsite called El Xahuayxol. Their website is also down but they do have very recent reviews. Contact them for more info and rates.

It was listed on Booking.com as 25$ a night.

9. Lake Bacalar (Southern Mexico)

There are number of campsites in this area including Gris Monkey campground in Xul-Ha, Ecocamping Yaxche, DelMar Camping, Camping Bacalar/Magic Bacalar.

At Magic Bacalar they have cabins and tent spots. You can rent camping gear or bring your own.

This is a well developed site with common spaces, palapas, a kitchen, lockers and wifi.

If you bring your own tent it’s 180 pesos per night. (Currently that’s 9 USD)

What to Know About Mexico:

  • It’s best to know some Spanish outside of high tourist areas.
  • Life is more flexible, be sure to confirm all the details with the site first. You can bargain on rates.
  • Look into health (food and water can make you sick) , mosquito-borne illness and COVID restrictions, sourcing specialty foods and medications, MCS triggers like pesticide spraying, charcoal grills, sargassum seaweed, and garbage burning. You can’t import supplements to Mex.
  • The Lonely Planet has a main Mexico book and one for the Yucatan.

HipCamp has 3 sites in Mexico starting from $2 a night.

Campsites in Belize

A Caye in Belize
Photo by Nathan Shurr on Unsplash

1. Sarteneja Village, Northern Belize

Backpackers Paradise is a cool organic farm with some great little cabins, a communal kitchen, wifi, lockers, and a communal room with hammocks.

I think this spot looks lovely.

You can bring your own tent to camp or rent a little cabin.

It’s a 5 minute walk from the ocean, and is very close to the border with Mexico.

If you are new to AirBnB this is a discount link for $40 USD or 75 CAD off.

Camping is listed at 10 USD.

2. South Water Caye (45 min off the Mainland)

Private island alert! Bamboo Belize is on it’s own 15-acre caye. While you don’t get the island to yourself (unless you are a party of 12), it’s still pretty cool.

A fairly remote island, there is no wifi, no hot water, they say to bring solar chargers.

Camping is 25 USD a night.

3. Saddle Caye South

Another private island! Kayak Belize operates off Saddle Caye South. They can arrange for camping on other islands.

While clearly this is focused on kayaking they do offer campsites for tents.

Camping with no gear rental is $5 per night. Be sure to check in on other charges.

Those are the Belize campsites that are on the Caribbean sea. There are other campsites in the jungle as well like Chateau De Pradines, and quite a few others that don’t have much of an online presence. Belize is a good country to find little simple cabins for rent.

What to Know about Belize:

English is the main language in Belize.

It’s more expensive than Mexico and Guatemala.

Be sure to look out for the same safety and illness concerns as in Mexico.

Belize City is notorious for crime, but if you’re reading this you already probably wanted to get out of there asap.

Campsites in USVI

St John, US Virgin Islands
Photo via campstjohn.com

1. St John Camp

On St John island in the US Virgin Islands, Camp St John is a beautiful campground up the hill looking over Caneel Bay.

The campground has a community power source, bathrooms with running water, an outdoor camp shower (not heated) stocked with toiletries, a stocked coffee station, an electric griddle, silverware, and dishwashing supplies, potable water, and a cooler for community use.

This is USVI, nothing there is going to be cheap. But if you want an American Territory and a more economically developed island (and everything that comes with that from less disease to safety) this is the cost of that.

$55 per night if you bring your own tent.

2. Cinnamon Bay Resort & Campground, St John

In St John, this campsite is still be rebuilt from the last hurricane (as of winter 2021).

They used to offer simple cabins and tent spots.

They plan to reopen at the end of 2021.

3. Mt Victory Camp on St Croix

An 8 min drive up the hill from Rainbow beach is Mt Victory Eco Camp. They offer bungalows and tent camping.

For the tent camping option, you bring your own gear. Tent sites are in the open air and within the forest.

Campers can have access to open-air showers (with hot water), bathrooms, an outdoor kitchen with a fridge, gas stove, sink, dishes, and cookware, outdoor areas like a campfire pit and shaded picnic tables.

Wifi is available (and included in the price).

They also offer workshops that look interesting.

$30 per night

This US territory has three main islands – St John, St Thomas, and St Croix.

There isn’t much camping in the USVI so don’t count on having many backup options.

If you want a safer location and are willing to pay more, this is one of the only more upscale islands with camping.

Apart from the options above, there is one camping spot (with no amenities) on HipCamp.

You will see the options above plus a couple other options on Airbnb.

Campsites in The Dominican Republic

Samana, Dominican Republic
Photo by Jean Estrella on Unsplash

1. Barahona (South Coast)

Near Barahona, there is a campsite for surfers called Camping surf Bahoruco. They don’t have a website but they do list a phone number. Use Whatsapp to message them.

2. Jaragua National Park (South Coast)

This national park nature reserve has an exceptional true turquoise beach. This is likely the most spectacular beach that you can camp on in the Caribbean.

There isn’t much official information about camping there but many photos and google reviews of folks camping there.

I imagine there are no services, this is camping in the wild. They have a phone number.

The prices (and stay limits) are not clear but one reviewer said it’s $3.

3. Close to Jaragua

If you need to escape to somewhere more comfortable close by, Glamping Cueva De Las รguilas is near the national park.

They only have tents that are already set up, and this makes it a much pricier option than most campsites.

The tents have electrical outlets, washrooms are shared, there is a restaurant (you can’t cook your own food). It doesn’t say if they have wifi but I would expect so.

$53 per night for the least expensive tent.

3. Parque Nacional Francis Caamaรฑo

Further east on the south coast towards the capital, Francis Caamaรฑo National Park does appear to have campsites but there is no further information online.

Call them, contact local people or check guide books for more info.

4. Samana (North Coast)

This is a thatched dome that is already set up on a 4 acre mountain property in Samama overlooking the ocean. Just 5-10 minutes from Playa Coson.

You get the property to yourself other than the owners who live downhill.

There is a camping toilet as well as a outdoor camping shower. No kitchen. There is electricity for charging your devices and for lights inside the dome. There is cell service. Wifi is available only down near the owner’s house.

If you are new to AirBnB this is a discount link for $40 USD or 75 CAD off.

$33 USD a night.

5. West of Semana on the North Coast

There are a couple of other sites on the north coast that might have camping but it’s not very clear and they don’t have websites. Afuera Camping Club, and River and Woods (which isn’t that close to the beach) are two. You would have to contact them to see what they offer.

6. In the Interior Forest

There is a campsite at Spirit Mountain, an organic coffee farm in the interior of the country. It’s secluded and beautiful.

It has a few shelters, outhouses, potable water, sleeping pergolas, and a kitchen with a wood-fired bread oven.

It looks like the pandemic might have been a hit to this campsite but you should contact them to find out if you can still camp there.

There are a lot of similarities to Mexico here.

Spanish is needed outsidee of tourist areas.

The DR is a very popular tourist destination, tourist and expat areas are weell developed, that means you can find many of your North American products.

Unlike Mexico you can import supplements.

Campsites in The Bahamas

The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Paradise Island, Bahamas

The Bahamas don’t have any official campgrounds and you can’t camp on public land but one place you can camp is at a yoga retreat.

Ashram Yoga Retreat, Paradise Island

The Yoga Vacation program is included in their all-inclusive accommodation rates.

This includes vegetarian meals, yoga classes, satsangs, and daily workshops, as well as access to the beautiful beach, ashram grounds and amenities like shared washrooms.

For tent space only: bring your own tent, bedding, and towels.

$65 a night for the tent camping rate.

Campsites in Antigua and Barbuda

Rendezvous Bay Beach
Photo via https://rendezvousbay.com

1. Rendezvous Bay Beach, Antigua

Not an official campsite, Rendezvous bay is part private estate (under development) and part of the Antigua and Barbuda National park.

The 330-acre park is difficult to access either by a long hike or 4 wheel drive vehicle, but it sounds like it’s well worth it.

Locals camp here and there are a few other mentions of camping here. You should connect with the National Park or local people to find out the rules and norms before camping here.

There are no services at the park for camping, but as you can see from the above photo it’s beautiful and looks pristine.

I do not believe there is a fee to enter.

2. Frangipani, Barbuda

This camping and glamping site has one little cabin and spots to tent camp.

You can bring your own tent or rent equipment there (tents, camp beds, ice box, and sheets).

The site has running water and an outdoor toilet.

They have reopened after the pandemic shut down.

Message them for rates.

Campsites in Jamaica

Holywell Park Jamaica blueandjohncrowmountains.org

Holywell Park

In the highlands of Jamaica, Holywell Park is part of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

Campsites feature BBQ grills, water, shower and toilet facilities. You can bring your own tent or rent one of theirs.

At this higher elevation you will have more pleasant temperatures.

$10 per night

Campsites in Barbados

Barbados campsites, photo via http://campingbarbados.com

Camping Barbados

Camping Barbados operates 3 campsites throughout the island.

They operate one campsite on the south coast near Silver Sands, one in a tropical forest site in the heart of Barbados (St Thomas), and one east coast site near Tent Bay.

They also have urban camping spots around the island, ideal for solo travelers and small groups.

All but their Tent Bay site have a live-in host on the property.

You can bring your own tent, rent a ready pitched one, or rent a tent to use off site. 

Their pandemic discount is excellent. If you bring your own tent the rate is $5.00 US per person per night.

Sites with private bathrooms available. They have on-site security and 24/7 on-site personnel. Meal plans are available.

$5 per night during the pandemic

Campsites in Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe Photo via Hamac Camp

Hamac Camp

Hamac Camp Guadeloupe is five minutes up the hill from the beach La plage de Malendure. This place looks so cool!

They provide the little shelters that have hammocks, duvets, and sheets and tables, and chairs.

They also have a little stove, dishes, and coffee maker.

Shared spaces include a campfire area, outdoor toilets and showers.

This is a French overseas territory.

25 Euros per night

St Maartin and Panama camping coming soon!

The Locations Effect

It’s hard to summarise the location effect by country here because we have limited reports especially from experienced avoiders who generally prefer to stick to the US.

But I’m going to try to summarise:

PR

We have some good reports from the islands off the south east coast of puerto rico. Buildings in PR are especially bad for the region though, leaving back up options very very slim.

The DR

We don’t have reports from unmasked avoiders, but we do have some good reports. A fairly large country I definitely expect some good locations here. The campsite in the nature reserve looks wonderful though not practical.

Mex

We have the most reports from Mexico. I feel very confident in saying that the Caribbean coast of Mexico is so-so (esp around the tourist areas). With a few people making substantial recoveries but those unmasked having a hard go at it, I feel quite sure of this being so-so. (Also, I’ve been there). Mexico is a large country though and I don’t think we have any reports from the more remote areas.

Barbados

We do have one bad report from Barbados and personally, I don’t think there would be many good locations there.

Now based only on factors from other countries and my intuitive approach to locations:

Guadeloupe looks like it could be really amazing; the beach in the nature reserve in Antigua looks wonderful; I like the little communal site in northern Belize but the rest of the country I’m pretty wary of.

I think USVI might be better than we think, but I’m not sure. I think if someone has the money and wants the safety and lack of disease (mosquitos, parasites) it could be very worth it. Many of the mountain campsites in the jungles look good to me. There is one is the DR. I’m not sure about the others.

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The Locations Effect – Canadian Locations

June 15, 2020 by Corinne 2 Comments

I’ve been watching reports on healing locations in Canada for ten years. Being Canadian myself, I have kept a keen eye out for anywhere that looks promising.

For a long time, there were not many extreme mold avoiders in Canada who were unmasked. So reports were conflicting, sparse, and hard to make sense of.

I now feel that I have a good grasp on the reports. We have more unmasked mold avoiders healing in Canada.

I myself have been to quite a few of these places, and many of us have met up in person, which helps me corroborate info and compare levels of environmental sensitivity.

I have followed the stories closely of those avoiding in Canada and through triangulation of reports I have put together my take on which locations have good outside air free of outdoor toxins, which are just OK, which ones went bad, and which ones are just no good at all.

If you are new to The Locations Effect, this is my main post explaining the topic of pursuing mold avoidance in locations free of outdoor toxins.

British Columbia

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands have been healing locations for many folks over the years. Dave Asprey healed in Duncan BC, just down the road from where I first made major progress in my tiny house. A couple of other mold avoiders came to visit me and found the area to be good.

Others have reported Vancouver Island to be quite good before the fires in 2018. During that time a lot of flame retardant was dumped all throughout BC, creating widespread FRAT (flame retardant associated toxin).

The waters around Vancouver and Vancouver Island are also dodgy for the toxin known as Mystery Toxin (MT), creating really tricky plumes that can form on the breeze and even blanket Victoria during foggy days. This is very likely due to the sewage dumping into the water around Victoria.

Though a few mold avoiders have found some healing in Victoria and Sooke, it is a very tricky area due to FRAT and mystery toxins. Not for the beginner, unless you are only mildly affected by mold and environmental toxins.

Gulf Islands

We have had two good reports from the Gulf Islands. One was Saltspring Island from someone not extremely sensitive, and one was from another nearby island.

Caution to those very sensitive because the ocean water toxins around that area mean the smaller islands off Vancouver Island are not necessarily better locations.

FRAT in BC

My thoughts on escaping this devastation of FRAT we unleashed on the province was that it was likely necessary to escape to the Yukon to get very clear of this.

That has been confirmed by one of our most unmasked mold avoiders. Though the area is not 100% clear of FRAT, she reports, the area is much easier to navigate than BC.

BC Interior

The interior of BC has mostly bad reports from unmasked mold avoiders, with the Okanagan and Slocan valley usually getting bad reports.

Though we have one unmasked mold avoider citing that skilled avoiders could find good pockets in the Oakanagan.

Nelson has two OK reports from folks who are not as extreme, with one good report on Nakusp. Though reports do indicate the 2018 fires worsened this area, and it is not as good as it was.

Cranbrook, East Kootenay area, was reported surprisingly good – at least for the interior of BC.

The Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains have for a long time been reported as an excellent area in Canada, both on the BC and AB side.

But more recently, since those same fires in 2018, the most unmasked, or most sensitive to the environment, have not found this to be a pristine environment anymore. Flame retardant associate toxin (FRAT) is reported all throughout this area. A big loss.

Those less sensitive may still do well here, but it’s not a world-class location anymore. It is still better for many folks compared to the south coast or interior of BC.

Northern BC and the Yukon

A unmasked mold avoider who has gone into remission has found good healing spots around Whitehorse, YK. In the town (at least in the summer) might not be perfectly clear of toxins. Areas outside of Whitehorse, have been reported as pristine. Pine Lake campground is one example.

I’m sure there are many good areas in the Yukon if you can bear with the weather.

Northern BC may be good for some, if you are not too affected by toxins, as the air did appear to improve further north, with Prince George, and Fort Nelson having areas clear of all major outdoor toxins.

Alberta

The Rocky Mountains AB, as I mentioned, have the same reports as on the BC side.

Calgary and Edmonton, have gotten OK reports from some (and even good reports from those new to mold avoidance). This to me indicates the area is not that great or is patchy based on the area or time of year.

Lethbridge has mixed reports.

The one spot that comes recommended as “clear” in Alberta is Chain Lakes. Two people have had the same assessment of Chain Lakes.

Big Cities in Canada

Most of the big cities have been reported as at least semi problematic for those sensitive to outdoor toxins, with Ottawa usually reported as the worst (I agree!) But other big cities are fairly difficult as well.

It depends where you are in your healing, those not very sick or fully recovered can expect to go back to one of the major cities, as most are not absolutely terrible.

Certainly many less sensitive folks have done well (or well enough) in Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, North Vancouver, and even Vancouver proper.

When highly unmasked I could always feel a dramatic improvement in North Van, especially near the tree line, compared to Vancouver. Though keep in mind Vancouver proper is my ground zero, where I got sick with CFS. That can skew things.

We also have quite a few bad reports from all those areas – controversial areas indicate it’s not that great of an area, usually. There are also differences in which toxin exactly knock folks out.

One very experienced avoider can dodge MT areas in Vancouver and Victoria. Many others get slammed. Toxins in these areas can be inconsistent – dependant on season, weather, wind, fog, snow etc.

I found the Toronto area to be OK when I was less sick, but not a place for recovery after major mold injury.

There is some consensus that the Vancouver area is better than Toronto, however, that was before the fires of 2018. Toronto is full of MT and BC is now more FRAT.

Quebec

The area north of Montreal has been reported good by a couple of very reliable mold avoiders – Sainte-Adรจle and Laurentian Mountains.

And although it’s an old report, I have seen another big improvement even further north, camping in Quebec.

In terms of finding good areas north of Quebec, it’s not a straight line of better and better further from the city. Sainte-Adรจle appears to be a bubble of a clear area. And, just like almost every location on earth, the Laurentian Mountains have pockets of good air and not so great air.

Though it’s great that we have more than one really good report here, this area is of course very cold in the winter.

Ontario

I lived in southern Ontario for 10 years in the middle of my illness. I was not unmasked at the time but I personally did not find any relief from “cottage country” north of Toronto or anywhere within in a few hours of Toronto.

I have seen someone do well north of Toronto, but she was not unmasked.

There are many areas like this that are good enough for those in the early stages. If you are right out of a moldy house and into the wilderness you can often feel a lot of improvement, even if the area is not considered pristine.

This is not where I would head if I had a choice.

The Maritimes

I don’t have any good reports from the Atlantic coast of Canada. I did go to PEI, but it was a long time ago and I don’t consider that report to be very accurate anymore. I didn’t do well there.

For the top spots in the US, I made this booklet. If I make future booklets I will also share those with the mailing list.

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More on – What is a Mold Sabbatical and what you need to bring with you.

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Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm Tagged With: mold avoidance paradigm

Dilution Table for Hydrogen Peroxide

March 18, 2020 by Corinne 39 Comments

How to Dilute 35%, 34% or 29%, 12%, 10%, and 6% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) Down to 3%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.2% and 0.1%

This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Personal Safety Equipment Should be Used!

Goggles, gloves, and protective clothing. (Source & Source).


Dilution Table

Dilute 35% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 1 part water (math is 35/2) = 17.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 2 parts water is 35/3 = 11.7% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 3 parts water is 35/4 = 8.75% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 4 parts water is 35/5 = 7% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 5 parts water is 35/6 = 5.83% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 6 parts water is 35/7 = 5% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 7 parts water is 35/8 = 4.4% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 8 parts water is 35/9 – 3.9% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 9 parts water is 35/10 = 3.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 10 parts water is 35/11 = 3.18% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 13 parts water is 35/14 = 2.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 34 parts water is 35/35 = 1% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 35% H2O2 to 69 parts water is 35/70 = 0.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

Another way to make 1 gallon of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix 1 and a quarter cup of 35% HP with 14 and three quarter cups of water.


Dilution Table

Dilute 34% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 34% H2O2 to 4 parts water = 6.8% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 34% H2O2 to 4.5 parts water = 6% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 34% H2O2 to 8 parts water = 3.7% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 34% H2O2 to 9 parts water = 3.4 % Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 34% H2O2 to 10 parts water = 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

Make 1 gallon of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix just a touch under 1.5 cups 34% HP with 14.5 cups of water.


Dilution Table

Dilute 29% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 29% H2O2 to 1 part water = 14.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 29% H2O2 to 2 parts water = 9.6% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 29% H2O2 to 3 parts water = 7.25% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 29% H2O2 to 4 parts water = 5.8% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 29% H2O2 to 8 parts water = 3.2% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 29% H2O2 to 9 parts water = 2.9% Hydrogen Peroxide

How to Make a Gallon of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix 1 cup, 9 tablespoons, and 2 teaspoons of 29% HP with 14 cups, 6 tablespoons, and 1 teaspoon of water.


Dilution Table

Dilute 12% Hydrogen Peroxide Down

1 part 12% H2O2 to 1 part water (12/2) = 6% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 12% H2O2 to 3 part water (12/4) = 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 12% H2O2 to 11 part water (12/12) = 1% Hydrogen Peroxide

Make 1 gallon of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix 4 cups of 12% HP with 12 cups of water.


Dilution Table

Dilute 10% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 10% H2O2 to 0.5 parts water (10/1.5) = 6.6% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 10% H2O2 to 2 part water (10/3) = 3.3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 10% H2O2 to 2.5 parts water (10/3.5) = 2.85% Hydrogen Peroxide

How to make a gallon of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix 4.5 cups of 10% Hydrogen Peroxide with just under 11.5 cups of water.


Dilution Table

Dilute 6% Hydrogen Peroxcide

1 part 6% H2O2 to 1 part water (6/2) = 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 6% H2O2 to 2 parts water (6/3) = 2% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 6% H2O2 to 3 parts water (6/4) = 1.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 6% H2O2 to 4 parts water (6/5) = 1.2% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 6% H2O2 to 5 parts water (6/6) = 1% Hydrogen Peroxide


Dilution Table

Dilute 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (10 Volume)

1 part 3% H2O2 to 1 part water (3/2) – 1.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 3% H2O2 to 2 parts water (3/3) = 1% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 3% H2O2 to 5 parts water (3/6) = 0.5% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 3% H2O2 to 14 parts water (3/15) = 0.2% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 3% H2O2 to 29 parts water (3/30) = 0.1% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 3% H2O2 to 69 parts water (3/70) = 0.04% Hydrogen Peroxide

Non-Toxic Disinfectant for Viruses

In order to kill viruses, the CDC recommends three different options. The least toxic and safest one for most people is hydrogen peroxide at at least 0.5%, left on the surface for one minute. Alcohol is also safe for many people to use. Source

Where to Buy Hydrogen Peroxide During the Pandemic

You can find higher concentrations at hydroponic stores and sometimes at gardening stores and hardware stores.

You may be able to find hydrogen peroxide at 12% on Amazon. If they are not sold out the next place I would look is online hydroponic stores.

You can also find some concentrations at beauty supply stores (usually 12%).

Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm, Mold-Free Interiors Tagged With: healthy cleaning products, healthy interiors

Pandemic Plans for those Homeless from Mold and Chemical Sensitivity

March 14, 2020 by Corinne Leave a Comment

Updated in April 2020

Areas of Concern for those Homeless or on the Road for Mold Avoidance or from MCS

Updates April 25th – Campsites are re-opening in many states: Tennessee, Georgia, Alaska (weather dependant), Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas. Check each state to see if private and or sate parks are open.

May 1st should see another wave of openings.

  • Gyms closed in Italy and highly affected areas. Gyms are closed for the most part in North America now (march). Those reliant on gyms for showers and lockers need to make other plans.
  • Post offices closed for airmail in parts of Italy. This is less likely to happen in North America, however, those in Europe may want to prepare for what Italy has gone through. Those who need really important supplies like supplements and other necessities for mold avoidance should have the basics, especially now (late march). Many supplements and essential supplies are selling out. In Canada the Post office and UPS PO boxes are deemed essential services and will stay open for now.
  • Stores closing, Amazon restrictions – many stores are closing that mold avoiders buy supplies at. Many countries are closing “non-essential stores” like clothing stores and camping supply storse. Amazon is only restocking “essential” (to normal people) items. Nonessential orders are delayed.
  • Govt campsites are closing. Those living in campsites are being hit hard. Here is the current list of closures in the US. Here is another website to double-check. BLM land closed some showers/bathrooms. Campsites in southern Canada closed as far as I have seen.
  • Private campsites closures expect and plan for closures or getting quarantine at the site. It’s also possible the government closes them due to this being a gathering place of sorts. Campsites are closed in Italy. Private campsites are closing in the US (March 22).
  • Airbnb can kick anyone out of a stay in progress (even a long term one) with 24 hours or less notice. The owner only has to say that they need the place for themselves and that’s it. No proof (from what I saw when I was booted) and you’re out. Short term rental sites like Airbnb are being restricted depending on local laws. You may not be able to move after lockdown goes into place, or bookings under 30 days may not be allowed. It may only be open to those health care workers, those in quarantine or those homeless. It depends where you are, but be prepared for both of those to happen.
  • General movement restriction. Italy and China have been especially strict with movement. The US and many other countries will not have the power or resources to restrict movement to this degree. The US and Canada are headed towards if not already in “Shelter in Place” (March 22).
    Hunker down in one location as best you can. In the restricted regions of Italy you have to put in a special request to be able to move apartments. You cannot move outside the area other than for special circumstances, of which mold avoidance will certainly not be one of them. The US is restricting movement between states in some areas.
  • Forced quarantine, especially when crossing borders is too risky for those with high reactivity to indoor housing. I would not move countries at this point (mid March).

Where should you hunker down?

In most of the Western world now is the time to start to secure your location if you are doing mold or HT avoidance, or are homeless from chemical sensitivities.

A couple of people have bought vans and trailers to create a stable (or flexible) place to stay during the viral pandemic.

Though most are simply looking for a stable location where they can stay in one place.

Where to park or camp

If you are on the road I would start to look for places where you can stay for the next three months.

I would not bank on a campsite staying open – I would have another backup plan as well.

With government campsites closing in the US and parts of Canada, I would also expect more or all government campsites to close down.

Some people have moved over to BLM land in the US, however that does not seem like the safest place to be in the long term in terms of accessing resources while on the move. They are starting to shut bathrooms and showers (March 15).

It could be possible to wait it out by camping off the radar on BLM land, especially if you have no other option, but it’s not too clear what kind of complications you might face with movement and getting supplies or if you do get sick yourself.

Check out new sites that have opened to help folks find places to part their RV like NomadParky. There are Facebook groups as well.

My severe flu while camping:

I did get a severe respiratory flu with (and Erichlia at the same time) two years ago while camping in Florida. My tent washed out in a storm the night I got sick and I ended up forced to sleep in a truck that I was reacting to.

Luckily I did have that truck as a backup and I was warm enough.

Make sure you have supplies of food, water and what you need to stay warm if you get sick.

While both my helper and my one friend also had a severe flu and couldn’t help me, I did have a stockpile of bottled water, canned soup, and replacement gear. I had little choice but to wait it out until others recovered and could help me get a new tent set up.

While the situation worked out, it was close to deadly for both me and my friend who had a fever of 105.

Camp/park on private property

This would be the time to start looking at places you could park your RV, car, van, or pitch your tent on private property where you will have some safety, privacy and stability. You can ask around with people you know if you can park or camp there.

You could also look at regular market rental houses that have a parking spot or backyard.

The safest bet right now is a regular market rental now a friend’s or family’s place. More below.

Accessing BnBs During the Pandemic- pros and cons

The final option is of course to rent a BnB. I have been following the price changes that are related to the virus outbreak.

There are a few challenges with Airbnbs but it could be a good option for many.

Pros

One benefit is that prices are coming down in many places. They came down slowly until the area is severely affected by the virus or there is a full travel ban, and only then they are coming down by a lot.

There are few places just outside of lockdown cities where prices have gone up as people try and escape the city lockdown!

If cases are on the rise in your area this may be the time to negotiate a medium-term 1 to 3 months stay with a host. Hosts will start looking for more stability with their rentals and might be looking for fewer people coming and going. In most places right now this would be the time to negotiate a monthly rate and longer stay. Get checked in before your area goes into lockdown.

Cons

There will, of course, be some people that need to come back to their own BnB themselves if things go badly, since some people are actually renting out their own house.

Anyone can be booted with 24 hours notice from a bnb they are currently living in even if it’s a long term rental. They only need to tell Airbnb they need the rental for themselves or their family and you are out just like that.

Be very cautious with a room in a house or any shared property since they may decide (and I think it’s more likely than not) that they do not want to have the risk of anyone sharing their house if things escalate.

I would ask the owner upfront if there’s any chance that they would need the property for themselves if the outbreak gets worse, and how else the outbreak could affect their plans to rent out the bnb. I asked the owner where I was staying this she lied about it and booted me with 3 hours notice (by the time she actually got ahold of me it was only 3 hours).

The most ideal situation, for those living in RVs, cars and tents, would be to afford to rent a whole house where you can safely park or pitch a tent without anybody’s interference.

It appears that some bnbs are being taken off the site and converted to regular long term housing. So you might find them in regular classifieds. Though in many places you cannot view a long term rental before signing a lease.

In some places there are government restrictions on being able to move into a short term rental like the vacation rentals or you may only be able to book more than 30 days. Check into your rental before the lockdown starts.

Back up plans

Now is the time to lock in to a rental if you haven’t already.

If you are relying on a bnb/vacation rental, your rights are not as strong as if you were in a regular market rental. If hotels and campsites close and if you can’t view regular rentals make sure you have an idea for a backup plan.

What about hotels?

Hotels are a little riskier based on what’s been happening in countries with a high infection rate.

It looks to me from what has been happening in China and Europe that some hotels are closing down due to lack of business and it’s possible to get kicked out.

A smaller family-run hotel could find themselves have too many employees ill to continue running it, along with lack of business.

There are of course a few horror stories out there as well, in the Canary Islands one hotel where there was a confirmed infection went under total quarantine.

This means you could get stuck in a hotel that may not turn out to be mold safe for many weeks or months.

Some hotels are being used as quarantine facilities themselves.

In California they are using them to house those who are homeless. Some are used to house health care workers. Some are staying open to both health care workers and regular bookings (look for extended stay rentals you might be able to book something monthly and it might be a place you can stay).

In China many hotels are temporarily shut down. In Italy, it does not look like as many are completely shut. But with extreme restrictions on movement, you may be de facto quarantined to that location.

Should you leave the country for a safer or warmer place?

Although it might be tempting to leave for the Caribbean or a country that does not yet have the outbreak, there is no guarantee that this will be a safer option in the long term.

Update: The window for this strategy has passed in most of the world (March 18). Most countries are canceling travel insurance, you almost certainly have to come home unless you are working overseas.

Although some have left where they were living in order to come back home in February, I would not leave your home country for another location at this moment (mid March) unless there was a specific spot that you know would be safe and you are prepared to stay there until summer.

If you do need to come back home after leaving, it’s possible you could be put into quarantine upon reentry. Most people are put into self-quarantine. If there is an outbreak on a ship or plane you may be put into forced quarantine.

You would also have to see if you have the needed medical and other supports in the country you want to go to.

Risks that are particularly Worrisome for those Severely Ill with Environmental Illness

True quarantine:

The risk of being put into quarantine is a severe risk for mold avoiders, those with high MCS and those with limited functioning.

Those returning from cruise ships have put into military housing which should not be assumed to be mold safe.

Those crossing certain borders are being put into quarantine housing. You would not want to be forcefully quarantined in a hotel or other facility chosen by the government if you are mold and chemically sensitive.

Caregiver shortage:

For those relying on caregivers, expect shortages of caregivers and for all companies to cut back on hours as any sick employees will be mandated to stay home for two weeks.

I would stock up on things that you are able to eat without cooking like soup in tetra packs, baby food, juice, as well as frozen foods. Anything that could help you get by with fewer helpers.

Grocery delivery services are overloaded and they don’t seem to have found a way to prioritize those who are physically disabled, or very sick.

More grocery stores are offering delivery than were before.

Restaurants are expanding to offer delivery, so keep checking call them and tell them your needs.

Check with local groups in your area many people are volunteering to deliver groceries and many people are out of work and looking for small jobs doing deliveries.

As the crisis progressed it actually became easier to get help that before, but there was a blip between those two situations.

Challenges for those HT sensitive:

For those with HT, if there is any chance of post office closures where you are, stockpile your absolute necessities as much as you can

Special cleaning products for HT, clothes, soap and other necessities that HT avoiders need must be kept safe somewhere.

This is of course a huge challenge and it may be worth taking out a storage locker.

Those who were relying on gyms for storage lockers or showers should have other plans in place.

Clothing stores are closing in affected areas, in less affected areas they are cutting back on hours.

Supplement stores are delayed with their orders due to stockpiling.

All non essential items on amazon .com and .ca are delayed.

Those on the move due to HT avoidance should consider a clean break now (mid march, if doing a clean break do it now time is running out for what’s needed to do this).


Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm Tagged With: emergency housing, mold avoidance paradigm

Travel Tips for Those with Chemical Sensitivity & Mold Sensitivity

February 20, 2020 by Corinne 6 Comments

Recently many folks have set out on a Locations Effect sabbatical without enough information on the risks or challenges in developing nations. They have run into many unexpected problems that I’m going to outline in this post.

If you have health challenges or environmental sensitivities and you take off unprepared to a developing country this can lead to very difficult and risky experiences.

This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Me standing next to a catamaran on Playa Ancon Cuba
Pretty pictures of good days don’t tell the whole story! (Cuba) CC BY-NC-SA

A number of folks recently have set out for locations known to have good outdoor air to experience the Locations Effect.

There are many developing countries (the Global South, also known as third world countries) that have great outdoor air and might also be appealing in terms of cost savings.

But there are a number of really important things to know before you take off if you are someone that has health challenges or mold and chemical sensitivities.

If you haven’t traveled to a developing country before, or you haven’t traveled while sensitive, it’s essential that you know what you are going into.

My Background

I have a 5-year degree in International Development Studies, and my area of expertise is Latin America. I also had to study development factors – poverty, disease, access to health care – in all other regions of the developing world.

I worked for a year in Ghana and have backpacked through Morocco, Ghana, and Togo. In Latin America, I have spent about 7 months total in Cuba, Mexico, and Costa Rica, outside of tourist areas.

I have traveled recently with very high environmental sensitivities to mold and chemicals. I am also immunocompromised and physically limited.

A white girl carrying a large bucket of water on her head in a compound in Adaso Ghana
The compound where I lived in Ghana. CC BY-NC-SA

What you MUST consider before doing a Locations Effect Sabbatical In a Developing Country

1.Much higher disease potential

Mosquitoes fogging in the Caribbean to control for mosquito-borne disease (also a MCS trigger)

Almost all of the developing world has high disease potential. All topical areas, other than very high elevations and a few other exceptions, have very risky mosquito-borne illnesses.

Denge and Chik V are the most concerning for those already sick. Malaria and Zika are the next most concerning. There are a couple of others that you should research as well. Vaccines are not available for most mosquito-borne illnesses.

Parasites are rampant in developing nations. They are mostly in food and water, but can also be caught by walking barefoot or swimming in freshwater.

There are many other illnesses transmitted through food and water: viruses, ecoli, hepatitis, etc. Many of us get sick very easily and it is almost a guarantee if you are immunocompromised.

I cook all my food and take pretty extreme precautions with water after a few really rough experiences.

2. Unexpected MCS (chemical sensitivity) triggers

A town with red dirt roads in Ghana with lots of cars and mini vans called tro tros
This is a town in Ghana: Car exhaust is way higher than you might expect in the developing world CC BY-NC-SA

Possible unexpected MCS triggers include: way more potent (less regulated) car exhaust, more cigarette and cigar smoke in public, burning garbage smoke, scented cleaning products, more cologne or perfume use, increased pesticide spraying both inside for pests and outside for mosquitos.

Other unexpected triggers might include, charcoal burning, wood-burning, exhaust from boats, other people’s mosquito repellant and sunscreen, and widely used incense (including in restaurants) or smudging.

These differ by country.

You may not find any unscented personal care or cleaning products in stores.

3. Unexpected level of mold in buildings

A close up of me outside a new concrete house in the canary islands that was unexpectedly moldy
An unexpectedly moldy building led me to set up a tent in this front yard.

In general, in both developing nations (due to poor building standards), and tropical locations (where mold grows faster), buildings are more likely to be moldy.

If the type of construction is different than where you are coming from, you will not be able to predict which buildings might be OK if you haven’t been there before.

There are exceptions, for some people the general mustiness (or even visible mold growth) in concrete buildings in tropical areas is not enough to affect them. Many can still improve, but those already unmasked probably won’t.

On the other hand, there may be simpler structures available that are even better than buildings in the US, Canada and Western Europe.

If you are aiming to stay in a building, this has to be carefully considered.

I also prepare for the possibility of musty or otherwise contaminated beds and bedding by bringing bedding and tarps to sequester beds.

4. Exasperation of symptoms from heat

Heat exhaustion started for me in Latin America in vehicles that didn’t have AC

If you haven’t traveled anywhere hot for a while, this might be an unpleasant surprise.

You also should look at whether taxis, buses and hotels often have AC (likely many or most don’t).

High-end hotels usually have AC almost anywhere in the world, but even then, not always! Some areas are prone to power outages.

If you are reliant on AC in hot weather you have to think this through carefully.

There are tropical countries that are not that hot and there are developing countries that are not hot at all.

Plan ahead if you know this will be a problem.

5. The safety profile of the area

Many people assume Jamaica is too dangerous. Crime is limited to certain areas of the country. Most of the country is relatively safe and I would not rule it out.
“Jamaica ’14” by keatssycamore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 

While many people do assume that some developing nations are more dangerous, do not go based on news reports. Look up actual statistics. I look at whether crime is isolated to certain areas or certain groups of people.

What are the real risks and will they be likely to affect you in the area you plan to go to and the activities you plan to take part in?

There are many guides to safety for travelers out there. Look at those and then look at special circumstances (like is it safe to camp where camping is not the norm).

Driving is often the biggest risk to personal safety. I consider myself an excellent driver and would never drive in a developing country, at least not until being there for a long time and getting used to the norms.

The Lonely Planet outlines things you need to know like which cities are not safe to walk in after dark and whether you should use a money belt or not. This is always my first resource. They have a book for each country.

6. Do they have the foods you need

A brother and sister pounding fufu in adaso Ghana
Food in Ghana was delicious but it was very different than in Canada. It was hard to find imported foods. CC BY-NC-SA

The foods you are used to might not be available in many developing countries. There may not be organic food stores or no distinction made between organic and conventional produce.

You may not find the types of foods you need or expect. Expect less variety and a different variety of foods. It’s possible that imported foods are extremely expensive.

There are some places that don’t have grocery stores (or the grocery stores are just small stores for canned goods). You may find it hard or almost impossible to gather groceries yourself from all the places they are sold.

It might not be realistic to go gluten-free or vegan.

In Cuba it was prohibited to cook in a casa particular (a bnb).

7. Do they have supplements you need or are you able to order them

A pharmacy in Cuba with basic wooden cubbies for organisation
Farmacias in Cuba are limited. Drug availability is limited. Supplements are also very limited.
“Drugstore in Cuba” by Wagner T. Cassimiro ‘Aranha’ is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

The availability of supplements is limited, sometimes severely limited (possibly nonexistent) in most developing countries.

Some countries have high tariffs on imported goods and it may be extremely expensive for the shipping cost as well.

In some countries like Mexico, it is not legal to order supplements from abroad. In Ghana, it was difficult and very expensive to send anything there by Fedex.

8. Is good medical care available

A hospital room in Ghana with two metal beds
This is one of best hospitals in Ghana. I have been hospitalised 3 times in very poor medical facilities.

If you are on any medication you will want to check if that medication exists in the country you want to go to, and how easy is it to get.

You will also want to look at the quality of medical care, both clinics and hospitals. What kind of ailments (including emergencies) can they address? Which ones are not treated there?

How far away are you from a good hospital if something did happen.

How common is it that doctors and nurses speak your language (or do you speak theirs).

Don’t expect alternative health care – look up whether they have the practitioners you need.

Make sure you have travel medical insurance!

9. Is camping allowed or viable

My Airbnb hosts on the balcony of the home that has my tent on the balcony in La Boca Cuba
My tent on a front-facing, very visible balcony. The whole town knew I was camping but it was very safe and no one discouraged me from doing it.

Camping is mostly a first world activity. If you plan on camping as your primary option or backup option, be sure to research the feasibility thoroughly.

If camping outside of a proper campground, check on the legality, safety and general acceptance of doing this.

If camping is non-existent there, it’s most likely there are no stores in which to buy camping gear that may need to be replaced.

10. Are vaccines necessary

A close up of a needle going into someone's arm to vaccinate them
I got a lot of vaccinations for my travels when I was younger.

There are a few countries that have vaccine requirements, but not that many. If that is the case I would suggest looking at whether they have metal-free options and whether the vaccines are tolerated by you.

Many vaccines are likely recommended (though not required). The first thing I do is check on what the transmission routes of those diseases are. If they are food and waterborne, you may be able to avoid them by cooking your own food.

Some depend on the area you will be in and the likelihood of your exposure. I always look at the Lonely Planet books for everywhere I have ever traveled to as they have very good overviews of disease profiles and vaccine requirements.

11. Noise levels!

People dancing salsa on the beach in the Cayman Islands in front of a hotel
The Caribbean and Latin America in general are loud! I stole this photo from Ricky.

It’s possible and likely that developing countries will be noisier than Western countries – whether it’s traffic, roosters, howler monkies, people who get up very early, or a culture of playing music in public places – this is another thing to know about.

If your sleep is highly affected by noise then plan your strategy accordingly. I like a three-step approach to earplugs for worst-case scenarios. Foam, silicone, and noise protection gear. (And note, don’t count on being able to buy these locally).

I bring a borderline insane amount of things with me, including earplugs and any supplement or medication I think I might need, emergency snacks and scent-free products. Here is my packing list.

You may also want to plan carefully where you stay – whether it’s a rental or campground. Find out what it’s close to. Find out when the holidays are.

I got stuck in Cuba’s week-long New Year’s celebration, woken by howler monkeys in Costa Rica, and was right by the community well in Ghana where everyone pulled water at 5 am.

What else!? A lot…

The rooftops of shacks and a concrete building in a dusty town in Ghana
A typical town in Ghana. CC BY-NC-SA

There many other things that could be different in your destination country.

Rocky roads can be painful for many to drive down, they may not be conducive at all to wheelchairs. There may be very different cultural norms that influence clothing you wear. They may not be tolerant of LGBTQ. There may be limited access to ATMs. Credit cards may not work there. There may be many safety precautions you need to take that you would not think of in your home country. Etc etc etc…..

Most of that you can find in regular travel guides and blogs.

Again, I recommend the Lonely Planet as the first place to look. I’ve never gone anywhere where I didn’t carry the local guide book everywhere.


The 11 factors here are not discussed in normie blogs and books, please make sure you get enough advice on the area you are going to.

If you are ill, sensitive to chemicals or mold you will have challenges that you might not be prepared for.

Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm Tagged With: mold avoidance paradigm, travel

Get Rid of Mold in Your Car, Including AC System

January 8, 2020 by Corinne 7 Comments

prevent and treat mold in vehicles

This article covers the sources of mold growth in vehicles – AC system, high humidity storage, spills, leaks, and design malfunctions – and how to prevent them.

I go into detail on the four methods used to clean the HVAC system out, as well as methods to clean mold and cross-contamination in the vehicle as a whole.

The AC is usually the most difficult area in the vehicle to manage microbial growth. While there are certain makes and models of vehicles where this is more of an issue, to some degree it’s a problem in all vehicles due to the inherent design of the AC system.

This post contains affiliate links, upon purchase I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Preventing Mold in Vehicles

Preventing Mold in the AC and Heating System (HVAC)

prevent mold in the car's AC system

The fungi and bacteria grow mostly in the evaporator core and immediate surrounds, due to humidity and moisture that forms when AC is in use. Mold can form in the ductwork as well.

To help reduce mold formation in the AC system, run the fan for the last 10 min after using the AC. (Defrost is also AC, so you need to run the fan for 10 minutes after defrost as well). This helps the evaporator dry out.

Using recirculate can worsen the problem in some situations. Bringing in fresh air (if the outdoor air has drier absolute humidity) as opposed to using recirculate can help the evaporator to dry out.

Another thing you can do is to avoid parking in areas where a lot of debris can enter the air intake.

Similarly, when driving through very dusty areas, you are bringing in dust and spores through the air intake. You may want to turn off the HVAC system completely in those conditions.

Maintenence on the vehicle should include changing the cabin air filter as needed (when it’s dirty).

I would include one of the four HVAC cleaning methods below as a preventative (before you start smelling or reacting to mold) if you do use the AC system regularly.

For those Extremely Sensitive to Mold in HVAC – How do you Turn off the AC?

Many folks who are extremely sensitive to mold do not use the AC system in their vehicle at all. If you refrain from using this right from the start with a new car, you will avoid most of the problems here.

If you want to avoid AC use altogether, using just the heating system should be fine. But, keep in mind many new vehicle models have automatic climate control which will use both heating and cooling under many different conditions (not just when defrosting). If you want to turn off the AC, look for a vehicle where this can be done – new cars have a way to disconnect the AC compressor. Ask a mechanic how to do this.

Does the auto setting on cars use AC and how to turn off AC

If you have already used the vehicle’s AC or you bought a used vehicle that has some funk in the HVAC system, then even the heating setting will circulate the fungi and bacteria throughout the vehicle.

Buying a vehicle with heated seats is a good idea in case you become sensitized to the vented HVAC and need to turn it off for a while (and try and clean it). Some very sensitive folks have had to turn it off permanently if they have not had success with the cleaning methods.

One other hack is that you can externally mount the HVAC system to get easy access to the evaporator. This is a very unusual hack. You can find photos of it in the group Mold Avoiders on the Road.

Alternative Ways to Stay Cool in the Car

Cars that Come with Cooling Seats

Some of these built-in systems blow unrefrigerated air through the cushions. And some use refrigerated air that is tied into the main AC systems. The unrefrigerated air system may be safe in terms of mold prevention.

Safer Cooling Seats (or Heating)

You can also add your own cooling and heating seats to avoid the use of your car’s HVAC system.

Cooling seats that you add yourself work simply by adding a fan that blows unconditioned air which helps to cool you down.

Some use fans and those can be affordable. (Though they might be made of vinyl).

The heated seats use coils, just like a heated blanket or heated jacket. Some models do both.

Then there are gel seats, I like the idea of the ones you put in the freezer first, then you bring it out to the car with you. This is a kids version. If you know an adult version let me know, I think it’s a good idea. You will want to dry those off though, when they come out of the freezer they are probably going to condensate.

Cooling Vests

When I used to have severe heat intolerance, I used cooling vests on my body – both active and passive vests work.

The active vests provide more cooling but are more expensive.

They were life-saving for me until I healed from heat intolerance.

Preventing Mold in the Car (as a Whole)

does mold grow in cars just from sitting in humid climates
Many of us stored our vehicles in the humid winters of the Pacific Northwest, to come back to moldy cars

Why Mold Grows Inside Vehicles

There are a few ways your vehicle can become moldy inside on the seats and upholstery. Sometimes just leaving a car to sit in a very humid place for long periods of time can cause mold to start growing on the seats.

More common though, is a spill or window left open that wasn’t dealt with fast enough.

Other sources of water damage are less common:

  • Debris accumulating in the air intake areas and connected drains (keep your air intake area clean, and change the filter). The cowl intake and drain area can collect debris. Those areas are connected to body cavities that can harbor microbial growth. Thus structural mold is possible in a vehicle, though this is less likely than mold growth in the HVAC and inside the vehicle.
  • Rainwater that has gotten into the HVAC ducts and car interior in some past Ford models – causing hidden pooling of water.

Ways to Prevent Mold Growth in Vehicles

Prevention here is key. Once mold is actively growing and has made it through to the foam in the seats, it’s a huge problem that is hard to fix.

When storing your vehicle for long periods of time in a constantly humid climate, it’s best to leave it in a sunny spot and leave it with a dehumidifier. Climate-controlled indoor storage is of course ideal.

Though generally, a vehicle should be able to withstand a good amount of humidity while being stored, really high humidity for long periods has been a problem. I left a truck in 70-95% humidity for a couple of months and came back to mold growth. No known water intrusion.

Many others in the Pacific North West or in semi-tropical and tropical areas have left vehicles sitting to come back to visible mold growing (and not from leaks).

Both active (electricity-powered), and passive dehumidifiers will help. You can also monitor the outdoor humidity.

I would check on the vehicle (or have someone check on it), both to empty the dehumidifiers and possibly to dry the vehicle out actively with heat and airing every few days if necessary.

When you spill something or leave the window open, just do everything you can to dry it out within a day, which includes the above: usually sun and air, or heat and air. Add dehumidification only if it’s going too slowly.

Decon/Clean Mold or Cross-Contamination in a Car

DISCLAIMER: Some of the cleaning methods discussed in this article, which include ozone, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, and quaternary ammonia, require knowledge of safety precautions for handling the materials, and executing these methods. Please take full responsibility for your health and wellbeing and make sure you understand the risks, precautions, and procedures – not all of which are explained here in full (please research them before proceeding or consult with an expert). Full disclaimer here.

use a HEPA vacuum to decon mold in a car

If you do have some light surface mold in the car or cross-contamination, I would start with a deep clean.

If you had a big spill that didn’t dry out, or you suspect someone else did in your vehicle, you might want to open the seat covers to check on the foam. Some have zippers. If they don’t you would have to cut them open to check.

Mold in the foam cannot be properly remediated other than with replacement.

Deep Clean your Vehicle

You can remove light surface mold or cross-contamination by steam cleaning or shampooing the seats.

Make sure it is dried out quickly after that. Car detailing shops can do this. Just make sure you know which products they are using, as some might not be acceptable, toxin-wise.

A mechanic I talked to near Vancouver BC, does a shampoo of the seats with high temp extraction, then an enzyme spray on the seats instead of ozone to reduce odors. I use natural enzymes to break down odors.

DIY HEPA Sandwich for a Car

If it’s not so bad as to warrant a steam clean or extractor shampoo, use a HEPA vacuum, which you can do yourself. Vacuum the seats, carpet, and upholstery.

For a vehicle, you want a rather flexible hose. I would use a shop vac. I’ve used one before with the HEPA filter and HEPA filter bags.

You can then wipe down all surfaces with quats or the cleaning product of your choice. A proper “HEPA sandwich” clean would involve another round of vacuuming.

Having your car or truck professionally detailed can help, as they do a very thorough clean, though I haven’t seen them do HEPA vacuuming.

Using Ozone on Cross Contamination

If those methods don’t cut it, and you are still sensing mold in the vehicle, you will want to use the methods below.

Many people do use ozone and it does work, but it leaves behind oxidation, which smells quite terrible.

Depending on how long you ozonated it for, it can take a while to die down.

I don’t agree with some who say that you will damage the wiring easily, you would have to use extremely high levels for a very long time to do damage like that.

Many mold-sensitive folks have ozonated vehicles at very high concentrations for 24 hours, many times. I have done a couple of 24-hour treatments on my truck.

Car dealerships use this all the time as well (but normally in much shorter treatments, like 1 hour). Many people only do 2-hour treatments for mold, which should not cause damage to the plastics, and would only cause minimal oxidation odor after.

There is more info below on pumping ozone through the HVAC. If you don’t need to pump it through the HVAC, just see my general post on ozone and run it inside the vehicle. I use many of the little ones from Amazon (like this one).

Please read through the precautions thoroughly, since ozone is a dangerous gas that can be deadly.

Another oxidization method, though it is a weaker oxidizer than ozone, is to use chlorine dioxide gas. That method is explained below, in its own section.

Other Fogging Methods for Mold

If you have another decon method that has worked well for you in decontaminating your house from mold, it’s likely you can use that here – like thieves oil fogging, Concrobium fogging, or using quats.

Silver Hydrogen Peroxide though, is likely too much oxidation for most vehicles, though it can be used in the empty part of metal cargo vans.

Chlorine Dioxide Gas to Treat Mold

Chlorine Dioxide, like ozone is an oxidizer. Like ozone, there is evidence that it breaks down mold and mycotoxins.

Although it’s weaker than ozone, you should take the same safety precautions outlined here. It is dangerous to breathe in and it’s explosive in certain concentrations.

You may not need to be so far away from it like with high doses of ozone, which is an upside. It’s also cheaper and easier.

Keep it simple and buy the ready-made tablets or packets on Amazon. They are inexpensive and work just as well as mixing it yourself. NosGuard is one brand, Reset is another one.

Read the safety instructions carefully on the product and make sure you understand them. Never use a chlorine dioxide product in occupied spaces.

If you want to make it yourself, please take full responsibility for your safety and wellbeing. Here are the instructions:

How to make chlorine dioxide gas treatment for the home or car: 6.5 oz (roughly 3/4 cup) Oxine plus 3-4 tsp citric acid in glass or heavy plastic container, one for each room. Leave it for 3 hours for a shock treatment or 24 hours for a deep treatment.

You can make a smaller batch for smaller spaces with the same ratio. It takes about a minute for the reaction to take place, the liquid will turn yellow, and for about 3 hours it will release chlorine dioxide as a gas. Take similar precautions as with ozone for airing it out and re-entering.

Four Methods for Cleaning Mold from the AC (HVAC) System of the Car

1. Take it to a Dealership – Have them Clean out the System

Skill Level – Easy. Results – Can work, depending on which methods they use.

how to clean mold out of the AC system of a car

There are a number of different cleaning methods used by automotive repair shops to clean out the AC system. Some use ozone and even run it through the HVAC in the same way as described in the next section on ozone.

There are also treatments that are similar to #4 on this list, introducing a product into the system to clean the evaporator.

One mechanic explains: “one is a mist treatment, using a product which foams up. You drill a hole in the case and then introduce the mist to the evaporator core and let it sit, give it time to work, and then flush it out.” (source).

Some of these might have fragrance of other toxic additives but others would be acceptable for many folks who are sensitive to chemicals.

2. Using Ozone Through the HVAC

Skill Level – Intermediate. Results – works on most mold and bacteria.

how to use ozone to clean out a car or AC system

This is a technique used by some car detailers and dealerships and mold-sensitive folks.

The simplest way to do it is to run an ozone machine in the car while the vehicle is running so that the ozone is pulled in through the air intake. Most people would run this through for a couple of hours. Depending on the amount of ozone and the time you run it for, you may need a window open to provide oxygen.

If you are running the machine in the car I would use a small machine like the ones on Amazon for under 100$.

Instead of running the vehicle, you could alternatively, hook up the battery to a battery charger to run through the HVAC settings that way.

For any serious contamination or if you want to blast this more directly through the HVAC, mold avoiders tend to use an external ozone machine that pumps in the gas, giving the machine full access to oxygen outside. Bioblaster is the most popular one.

If you are in the Facebook group Mold Avoiders, you will be able to see an example of a Bioblaster hooked up right to the air intake here.

That machine is overkill for me. But others may need this. I would have no problem running the smaller ones on Amazon that I have used many times and pumping those through the HVAC system with tubing from the outside.

To get it through all the different parts of the HVAC system, the ozone needs to run through it on all settings (heat, AC, recirculate). Run it through each setting for at least 20 min. The next section explains more about how to access the air intake.

This is tricky because of how far away you need to be from the ozone. Let it air out each time before coming close enough to the vehicle to change the settings. Again, ozone precautions are here.

3. Spray Through the Air Intakes

Skill Level – Beginner to Intermediate. Results – May or may not work.

spray in the air intake to kill mold in a car
The air intake is usually right under the front windshield

In this method, hydrogen peroxide or quats are sprayed through the air intake.

Some very mold-sensitive folks have had success with 10% hydrogen peroxide sprayed into the air intake with these video instructions (not with toxic products like scented Lysol). Seeing the process in a video really helps to make sense of it.  

Spray the hydrogen peroxide through each setting for 3 min. You can use this mister.

You will be using 29, 30 or 35% peroxide (depending on what you can source) and diluting it down to 10% (here is the dilution table). Please research and take full responsibility for handling and spraying this concentration of hydrogen peroxide.

Some people found this worked better with quats (a type of ammonia). This ACDelco product was recommended.

4. Greg Muske’s Quats Cleaning Strategy

Skill Level – Very Advanced. Results – Likely to work if you do it right.

how to clean the evaporator core
From http://biotoxinjourney.com/clean-driving-machine/

Greg Muske from Biotoxin Journey has a detailed and more complex method of accessing the entire HVAC system and runnings quats (i.e. quaternary ammonium) through it.

You need some mechanical expertise for this method as it does involve drilling into specific parts of the system, which differ depending on your make and model.

You need someone who can understand the heater core diagram for your car, which you can look up online. You’re going to locate the evaporator core. Then drench the two cores by running about one gallon of quats solution into 3 access holes. Followed by a water rinse.

Greg also misted quats through the ductwork via the vents and the opening for the cabin filter directly above the blower (after removing the filter), and air inlet holes located under the hood next to the firewall. Unlike when cleaning the cores, this was not rinsed out. It was dried out by running the heater and fan on high.

Greg then cleaned out the rest of the car by using a steam cleaner on the carpet with Thieves Oil Cleaner. (You can use the cleaner of your choice). All other surfaces in the vehicle were wiped down with quats.

Full instructions and a video can be found here: Clean Driving Machine. This section was printed with permission from Greg Muske.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 7 years of experience helping people create healthy homes.

This post was written with input from two engineers, a mechanic, and a car detailer.

Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!

Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm, Mold-Free Interiors, Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: mold avoidance paradigm, mold prevention, vehicles

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Hi, I’m Corinne, I am a Certified Building Biologist Practitioner with 7 years of experience helping people create healthy homes.

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