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My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

  • Healthy Building
    • Insulation
    • Windows & Window Treatments
    • Glues & Caulks
    • Grout & Mortar
    • Drywall
      • Drywall Mud & Wall Texture
    • Showers
    • Doors
    • Pressed Wood Products
    • Sheathing & Subfloor
    • Pipes
    • Alternative Building Systems
    • Non-Toxic Prefabs
    • Building for the Chemically Sensitive
    • How to Test Materials
  • Healthy Interiors
    • Flooring
      • Gym Flooring
      • Flooring Underlayment
    • Kitchen Cabinets
    • Countertops
    • Mattresses
    • Sofas
    • Leather Furniture
    • Desks and Chairs
    • Sealers
      • Paint
      • Mineral Paints
      • Linseed & Tung Oil
      • Natural Wood Pigments
      • Natural Plaster
      • Natural Countertop Sealers
      • Concrete Sealers
      • Wood Finishes
    • Bathroom
      • Bathroom Vanities
    • Rugs
    • Wallpaper
    • Kitchen Appliances
    • Heaters
    • Reduce Flame Retardants
    • Reduce New Home Offgassing
    • Reduce Fragrance & Smoke
    • Air Purifiers for VOCs
    • Cleaning Products & Air Fresheners
    • Personal Care Products
    • Green Certifications
    • Gift Guide
  • Exteriors & Gardens
    • Decking Materials
    • Deck Stains
    • Deck Cleaners
    • Exterior Paints
    • Sealant for Concrete Birdbaths
  • Tiny Homes & Trailers
    • List: Simple Homes & Shelters
    • List: Trailers & RVs
    • List: Emergency Housing
    • Cargo Van Conversion
    • All Metal Tiny Home
    • Simple Insulated Shelter
    • All Aluminum Travel Trailer
    • Cargo Trailer Conversion
    • Teardrop Trailer
    • Tiny House Systems
    • Flooring for Vans, Trailers
    • Composting Toilets
    • How to Offgas that New Car Smell
    • Building for Chemically Sensitivity
  • Mold Prevention
    • A Detailed Mold Preventative Build
    • How “High Performance” can Help Prevent Mold
    • The Causes of Mold in Tiny Houses
    • Mold Testing Overview
    • Ozone to Kill Mold
    • Air Purifiers for Mold
  • Extreme Sensitivities
    • Healing MCS – Interview with Solona
    • How I Recovered from Chemical Sensitivities
    • Emergency Housing for Chemical and Mold Sensitivity

Mold-Free Interiors

Essential Oils That Kill Mold (And How to Use Them Safely)

March 5, 2023 by Corinne Leave a Comment

A lot of essential oils are effective fungicides. It’s no surprise since the plants need to protect themselves from fungi all around them.

You could mix up the oils yourself, but having a calculated mix of oils in a blend can help it kill a wider variety of molds.

You can mix the oil blends into a liquid cleaner or use the products that come pre-mixed in a surfactant to kill mold on hard and porous surfaces in the home. You can also fog to kill mold spores in the air.

We will go over all of these methods in detail.

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

Essential Oils That Kill Mold

1. Fir Oil

Essential oil from Pinus sibirica (Siberian pine) and Аbies sibirica (Siberian fir) are effective against Candida albicans(source). 

2. Lemon Oil

Citrus limon (lemon) essential oil showed inhibitory anti-fungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium spp., Aspergillus niger (source), Aspergillus parasiticus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Eurotium herbariorum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus carbonarius (source) and Penicillium verrucosum(source).

Similar: Other citrus oils like mandarin (Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.) and orange (Citrus sinensis L.) showed anti-fungal activity against the molds Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium verrucosum (source).

3. Cinnamon Oil

Cinnamon oil proved to be a potent fungitoxicant against: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida pseudotropicalis (Candida kefyr), Histoplasma capsulatum (source), Coriolus versicolor, Laetiporus sulphureus (Source), Eurotium spp., Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp. (source), and Botrytis cinerea (source).

4. Rosemary Oil

Rosemary essential oil exhibited anti-fungal activity against Eurotium spp., Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. (source). Other studies show Rosemary’s anti-fungal activity (source).

5. Clove Oil

Clove essential oil exhibited anti-fungal activity against Eurotium spp., Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp  (Source), and Botrytis cinerea (source).

6. Copaiba Oil

Copaiba oil displays anti-microbial action against fungi, such as Candida spp (source and source), Candida parapsilosis, Aspergillus flavus, and A tamarii (source). 

7. Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is effective against Candida albicans, as well as a range of yeasts, dermatophytes, and other filamentous fungi (source).

8. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a potent antifungal agent against C. albicans and its biofilm (source) and Penicillium funiculosum, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus (source).

9. Thyme

Thyme oil exhibited antifungal properties against Aspergillus spp, such as A. flavus, A. ochraceus and Fusarium spp, for example F. oxysporum, Candida spp, for example Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis, Penicillium spp and Cladosporium spp, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria brassicae, and Dermatophytes (source and source).

*Please note that spp means multiple species.

two amber bottles on a printed paper with chemical symbols on it and lavender and a yellow flower too

Essential Oil Blends That are Anti-Fungal

Germ Fighter by Plant Therapy – Cinnamon Cassia, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Clove, Rosemary. This is a well-priced non-MLM brand that is high-quality and legit (they produce GC-MS testing by several third-party laboratories).

On Guard by doTerra – Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf/Flower.

Thieves Oil by Young Living – Clove bud oil, Lemon peel oil, Cinnamon bark oil, Eucalyptus leaf oil, Rosemary leaf oil.

Diffusing/Fogging Essential Oils to Kill Mold in The Air

Diffusing/nebulizing essential oils is the best way to deploy them to kill mold spores in a building. I would do this when people and pets are out of the room because diffusing creates high levels of VOCs and PM2.5 particulates. 

Fogging to Kill Mold Spores

the aroma ace atomizing diffuser

Dr. Edward R. Close, PhD in Environmental Engineering, diffused Thieves Oil blend (a blend of Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) bud oil, Lemon (Citrus limon) peel oil, Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark oil, Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata) leaf oil, and Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaf oil) in the Aroma-Ace Atomizing Diffuser in homes for a 24-hour period. 

(You could also use the mix by Plant Therapy, which is made with the same plants but is less expensive). 

Dr. Close and his wife, Jacquelyn Close, discovered that diffusing essential oils with a waterless cold air nebulizer was the best solution to address mold spores in buildings. The results of their case studies showed a huge reduction in mold spores and it had residual effect (i.e. the spores did not come back quickly). 

His research showed that the essential oils digest the mold spores that they come in contact with and don’t leave dead mold spores behind.

NOTE! If you have mold growing in the wall this does not address that underlying problem and the mycotoxins and mold VOCs being produced. Putting a bandaid on the situation could cause a false sense of security. 

They recommend that you place one diffuser in each room (one for every 1000 sq ft) and diffuse continuously for a minimum of 24 hours. How long you have to diffuse (24-48 hours or longer) is determined by air sampling or tape-lift sampling. Use a glass plate under the diffuser to protect surfaces from the oil. 

This book by Dr Close and his wife goes into more detail. 

If you prefer to watch a seminar about Dr Close’s methods, this masterclass will be helpful. He is talking with mold-preventative architect Cheryl Ciecko. The other classes in the series will also be helpful in making sure you properly identify the source of the mold and safely clean mold (as you could do a lot of harm cleaning it yourself). Don’t just put a bandaid over it!

the promo banner for Cheryls mold expert masterclass summit. it has her logo and says eduction to dwell well, build well and prevent mold. the summit details say over 5 hours of in depth video eduction hosted by Cheryl ciecko architect FALA AIA LEED AP, featuring mold are guest wellness experts. on the side it shows each class: how to use moisture meters, what to do first when you find mold, cleaning mold safely, duct cleaning basics and essential oils for mold

Cleaning Surface Mold With Essential Oils

“The surface mold is usually being caused by moisture and mold spores somewhere else that is causing the ‘surface mold’ to appear in the first place. If the surface is porous (wood, drywall, grout, brick, concrete or other materials) then cleaning the surface mold can be like cutting down a plant while leaving the roots below the surface. The plant and the mold will grow back.” says Cheryl Ciecko, mold preventative architect.

Make sure you have identified the source of the problem, corrected the problem, dried out the area. Many moldy materials need to be totally removed – like moldy drywall and most moldy wood. But if you truly have a superficial mold problem you can clean it with essential oil based cleaners then dry out the area again with dehumifdifiers, says Cheryl Ciecko.

Cleaners for mold on surfaces:

Thieves Cleaner – is made with Clove bud oil, Lemon peel oil, Cinnamon bark oil, Eucalyptus leaf oil, Rosemary leaf oil and surfactants.

Benefect Decon 30 is an EPA approved fungicide. The product’s active ingredient is natural Thymol (from Thyme) which kills Trichophyton Mentagrophytes which is the representative organism over the entire category of mold/fungi/yeast; ie, the hardest to kill as per the EPA. It is also effective against Candida Albicans and Aspergillus Niger.

Cleaning Mold Off Concrete With Essential Oils

Make sure you diagnose the cause, and correct the problem first says Cheryl. Next up make sure to dry out the concrete before cleaning (if it’s interior concrete, like basement walls).

To clean use diluted Thieves Cleaner with a scrub brush. You can see Dr Close show his experiment with a moldy patio in Cheryl’s recorded webinar with him (I do consider this webinar series essential if you want to learn how to safely clean mold yourself).

You can also use Benefect Decon 30. Wet the surface by sprayer (high or low pressure, hand or power operated), cloth, sponge or mop. Leave for 10 minutes. Allow to air-dry. No rinsing or wiping is required.

Make sure you’re using PPE (respirator, goggles, Tyvek suites). You may want to use a HEPA vacuum as well first to pick up spores.

Dry again after cleaning using dehumidifiers (for indoor concrete).

Cleaning Mold Off Wood With Essential Oils

Make sure you have identified the source of the problem and corrected it. Moldy wood usually needs to be wet sanded or removed. Test it with a moisture meter to make sure the problem is resolved. Remember that structural wood needs to be evaluated by an engineer before removing it (that includes small areas of subfloors).

If you have superficial mold on wood, or after you have sanded it, Cheryl Ciecko recommends scrubbing with a stiff scrub brush using Thieves cleaner only slightly diluted or undiluted to not add much water. Then dry the area well.

The Thieves cleaner will result in some color changes to the wood (as do all essential oils in my experience).

You can also use Benefect Decon 30. Wet the surface by sprayer (high or low pressure, hand or power operated), cloth, sponge or mop. Leave for 10 minutes. Allow to air-dry. No rinsing or wiping is required.

Use protection for yourself (respirator, goggles, Tyvek suites) and a HEPA vacuum as well to clean up spores.

Cleaning Mold Off Drywall Walls With Essential Oils

Cheryl Ciecko cautions cleaning mold off drywall. Mold on drywall is often a sign of water damage behind it and if mold is in the paper layers or the gypsum layer it must be removed she says.

It is possible that you have superficial mold growing only on top of the paint. You still need to correct the source of this problem which is high humidity.

But you can clean mold off the paint with a gentle all purpose cleaner, Thieves Oil cleaner or Benefect Decon 30 (Benefect needs a dwell time of 10 minutes).

Cleaning Mold Off Shower Walls and Grout With Essential Oils

Two things to note first about mold in showers/grout. Mold is grout is very common but not “normal”. Cheryl says about her well built shower that she never has mold in the shower area. Mold in grout is often a sign that there is mold behind the grout/tiles.

Keep in mind that the grout is not the water protection layer, there is a layer behind the mortar for water control (which is so often done wrong). Use a moisture meter to test your tiles/grout for possible water damage behind. Grout doesn’t need to be sealed to prevent mold and you don’t need this to be your water control area. You can use a breathable grout sealer, outlined here, which makes it a little easier to clean.

Make sure to keep soap scum off the grout by regularly cleaning it and make sure your exhaust fan is adequate to dry out the room during and after each shower and bath.

You can clean your grout with Thieves oil cleaner, or Benefect Decon 30 (with a dwell time of 10 minutes). You can use hydrogen peroxide with baking soda (mixed together) to remove the leftover mold stains. (Don’t mix essential oils with hydrogen peroxide).

Cleaning Mold Off Soft Items

Using Essential Oils in Laundry to Kill Mold

Those who are extremely sensitive to mold that gets on clothing from the home or workplace use a variety of methods to clean laundry. There isn’t one solution that works best on all molds.

The most popular non essential oil products are borax, ammonia and TSP (separate, not all together!)

Essential oil based cleaning products for laundry that folks like include:

  • EC3 laundry Additive – is made from Citrus Seed extracts, Tea Tree oil, and natural surfactants.
  • Thieves Oil Laundry Soap – contains Clove bud oil, Lemon peel oil, Cinnamon bark oil, Eucalyptus leaf oil, Rosemary leaf oil, Jade Lemon, and Bergamot essential oils, enzyme cleaners, and surfactants.
  • On Guard Laundry Detergent -contains Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf/Flower essential oils, surfactants, and enzymes.
  • Or add essential oils of your choice to your unscented liquid laundry detergent and mix together before adding it to the wash.

Using Essential Oils to Kill Mold on Carpet

For carpet in a car Cheryl Ciecko recommends using diluted Thieves cleaner to clean and scrub, then blot out moisture with towels moving on to using paper towels until no more moisture comes out.

It terms of carpet in a house that is a different story. It depends on where the mold is and how it got there. If you have moisture rising from below then you need to remove the carpet. If a flood caused major mold then I would remove it as well.

If the problem is smaller or more superficial, then you can first HEPA vacuum and then fog essential oils as described in the above section on fogging. You may need to do this every 3 months says Dr Close.

Cheryl Ciecko believes that shampooing is not a good ideas as it adds water which will feed mold spores.

If you do want to shampoo your carpet Benefect Decon 30 is an EPA approved carpet sanitizer. Apply to the pre-cleaned carpet area by wand, sprayer, extractor, spin bonnet or immersion processes until saturated (spot test fibers for colorfastness before use). Scrub or agitate the carpet as needed to ensure the test substance is delivered throughout the carpet pile and backing. Allow the product to remain on the carpet undisturbed for a minimum of 60 minutes. Extract & allow to air-dry. (Use a dehumidifier after if your humidity is not low).

Can You Mix Essential Oils With Other Cleaning Products?

You can mix essential oils into vinegar, or a liquid soap. Mixing essential oils and hydrogen peroxide produces a strange oxidized odor in my experience, so I would not mix those myself.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Filed Under: Healthy Interiors, Mold-Free Interiors

Non-Toxic Waterproof Flooring for Bathrooms

November 1, 2022 by Corinne Leave a Comment

Which type of bathroom flooring is both non-toxic and truly waterproof? There are now tons of flooring options that describe themselves as waterproof that I don’t think are adequate for a bathroom that has a shower or bath. So let’s go through the options that would be safe in a wet room.

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

1. Tiles

a white claw foot tub with ceramic beige tiles on walls and real marble tiles on the floor

Tile Type & Tile Sealers

Tiles may be stone, ceramic, or concrete.

Stone floors should be sandblasted or naturally textured (like slate tile has a natural texture) so as to not be slippery.

Keep in mind from the start the type of sealer that you will use. If you go with a white or light cool-toned tile, most sealers contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances aka “forever chemicals”), especially if used as the shower floor.

Aqua Mix Sealer’s Choice Gold, or Granite Gold Sealer are two options that are based on PFAS, though they are extremely low odor and basically odorless when dry. The PFAS may not be much of a health concern if they only touch your feet but we do have to consider the upkeep and resealing and the effect on the environment. 

If your stone tiles are on the floor (outside of the shower) you can use the PFAS-free, and extremely low-VOC AFM Mexeseal.

(If your tiles are not on the floor, you can seal them with the 0-VOC, non-PFAS sealer SimpleCoat which is slippery on floors).

The next tier of tiles would be warm tones or darker tiles that can be sealed with The Real Milk Paint Company’s Soapstone Sealer which is walnut oil and carnauba wax. This can be used inside and outside the shower (though for wet areas like inside the shower it requires a very long cure time).

Then there are stone tiles, just like countertops stones, that are dense enough to not need a sealer, like dark slate. 

Ceramic/porcelain should be textured. Make sure that the tile is rated for floors (some are only rated for the walls). There is no offgassing from ceramic/porcelain tiles. Some do have antimicrobials in the glaze (which will be listed), and they may contain lead in the colorant/glaze.

Lead in ceramic/porcelain tiles is actually a big concern as many brand-new tiles sold in North America still have high or significant levels of lead in the glaze. It is more common in bright colors like reds and blues, but lead can be found in neutral tiles of major American brands as well. I tested 64 tiles in 2021 and 12.5% contained lead. Here are the full lead test results.

Concrete tiles are highly porous though they can be used on bathroom floors. Floor tiles can be sealed with Soapstone Sealer walnut oil sealer (though this does darken them significantly), AFM Mexeseal, Acri-Soy, or GBS Concrete Sealer.

There are also many ceramic tiles that look like concrete tiles, and these don’t need a sealer which makes them much more practical. 

Grout and Thin-Set

Grout and thin-set should be concrete-based in a healthy home. With thin-set, whether you need modified or unmodified depends on your tile type and membrane type. Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) is a common polymer in modified thin-set. For grout use a concrete-based, powdered grout (not premixed). This grout type is zero-VOC and usually contains EVA. EVA is safe for the majority of chemically sensitive folks. Some brands don’t contain antimicrobials, and some do (and it seems that nano-silver is the common type). See brands in the post on thin-set and grout.

The grout should remain breathable and so sealers are not needed or recommended, generally. An optional sealer option that still leaves the grout vapor open is AFM Grout Sealer. Lighter-colored grout darkens with time as it gets dirty, so starting with a darker grout is a good idea. 

Tile Size

While you can use small tiles as the shower floor, which does help with slip resistance, the pebble tiles are not the most ideal tile type for shower floors since there is a lot of grout and the grout lines are often lower than the pebbles, causing water to pool.

Waterproofing

Under tiled flooring you should have a membrane like Schulter Ditra and behind wet areas you should have Schulter Kerdi membranes or Kerdi Board.

2. Polished Concrete

a rendering with a modern free standing tub on polished concrete grey floors with bricks on all the walls

Polished concrete can work for a bathroom floor when your bathroom is on a slab. You do need to talk to the contractors about adding (or not removing) all the texture, otherwise it’s very slippery.

Safer stains and topcoats include:

  1. SoyCrete – this soy bio-based non-toxic concrete stain is a penetrating semi-transparent non-film-forming decorative concrete stain that integrally bonds and colors porous concrete and masonry surfaces. The company claims this product is breathable. The stain creates natural and variegated effects without the use of acid stains. (Top coat would be AcriSoy penetrating sealer or their Eco Poly).
  2. Acri-Soy is a bio-acrylic (an acrylic made from natural soy oils). This is a partial penetrating sealer. 
  3. GBS Concrete Sealer – a waterborne polyester polymer and polyurethane sealer that penetrates and becomes part of the concrete.
  4. Earth Paint NanoTech Floor Stain/Sealer – an acrylic and polyurethane sealer. No silicones.
  5. More conventional topcoats used in polished concrete are often extremely low VOC and could be acceptable in a healthy home. 

If your bathroom is on a slab, polished concrete or tiles are the best choices in order to allow the flooring to dry to the inside.

3. Marmoleum

a fanned out deck of Marmoleum samples in neutral and colourful colors

Marmoleum is a natural linoleum made from flax seed oil, wood flour, pine rosins, jute, limestone, and pigments with a synthetic topcoat.

Marmoleum sheet is the only form of Marmoleum that should be installed on a bathroom floor in my opinion, and it must be professionally installed. The seams should be heat welded.

You should also “flash cove” which means the Marmoleum is installed slightly up the wall, as a sort of molding, which makes the perimeter seam much less prone to water damage. Where it can’t be flash coved, use a silicone caulk or synthetic cove molding. Cheryl Ciecko recommends waterproofing the subfloor (with a product like WEDI) and waterproofing the seam between the subfloor and the tub before installing the Marmoleum. (May 2023 Q&A Dwell Well) And we are talking here about an upper level of a house, as she does not recommend this as an ideal flooring over a slab.

The toilet should be removed for installation and be sure to caulk around the flange so that if the toilet leaks it leaks on top of the flooring and not under the flooring.

The TopShield2, a synthetic topcoat, is fairly new and is less permeable than the original TopShield, so water is less likely to soak through even if you do leave standing water. However this is still a “breathable” material.

The warranty for Marmoleum is 30 years.

This flooring type feels warm to the touch and is not slippery so it is nice in a bathroom.

4. Bio-Based Polyurethane Resilient Flooring

three samples of bio based polyurethane floors one is a light wood color, the other looks like wood painted in white and the other is plain white

Unlike vinyl sheet flooring which has a very strong off-gassing odor, bio-based polyurethane flooring has virtually no odor and no VOCs. It comes in a solid waterproof sheet flooring, just like vinyl, or glued-down planks.

The polyurethane is sourced from natural oils like castor oil plus minerals. They do not contain plasticizers (which are used in all vinyl/PVC flooring) or any other major chemicals of concern.

One residential (non-commercial) brand is Wineo, their Purline Organic Flooring is pictured.

Another similar “safer plastic” option is TPE flooring. UPO floors are made from minerals and the plastics TPE and polyolefin. Polyolefin in this case almost certainly means PE (polyethylene) and/or PP (polypropylene). They don’t use any plasticizer and there is no PVC.

5. Click Together Flooring

a fanned out display of vinyl plank flooring in various wood look colors

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) can both be waterproof flooring types if they are thick enough and have a good quality locking mechanism.

Waterproof here means the water won’t make it past the locking mechanism to below the floor.

They are extremely low in offgassing and are often used by highly sensitive folks, though they do contain the plasticizer DOTP which has some big question marks hanging over it in terms of health/safety. Vinyl is also extremely hard on the environment.

I would not use this floor in a bathroom that has a shower or bath because I have seen the planks pull apart. This is likely because there needs to be a space left between the planks and the perimeter wall, so this allows some planks to slide.

The same thing goes for the extremely low-VOC Amorim Wise click-together cork flooring.

However, any click-together water-proof flooring can work just fine in a powder room.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Filed Under: Healthy Interiors, Mold-Free Interiors

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

January 6, 2022 by Corinne

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.

[Read more…] about How to Choose a Hotel When you Have Chemical Sensitivities (And Mold Sensitivity)

Filed Under: Extreme Sensitivities, Mold Avoidance Paradigm, Mold-Free Interiors

Non-Toxic Grout Sealer Options

November 30, 2021 by Corinne 12 Comments

Whether you need a grout sealer depends very much on the situation. A grout sealer could actually do more harm than good.

For that reason, I will list out the non-toxic sealer options by application and then by type of sealer.

The densifiers are the most tolerable least toxic option, they are a very benign product. Topcoats of acrylic or polyurethane do have some odor and offgassing at first, but the offgassing comes to completion in a short time.

There is also the possibility of going with a natural product, some natural penetrating oils can be used on concrete grout.

[Read more…] about Non-Toxic Grout Sealer Options

Filed Under: Healthy Building, Healthy Interiors, Mold-Free Interiors

Mattresses for the Chemically Sensitive | A Complete Guide for 2023

February 21, 2021 by Corinne 176 Comments

This post started out with my journey to find the best mattress that suited my own extreme sensitivities. There are so many more options now. Still, many I don’t think are good enough.

We will look at my top picks for the best healthy spring mattresses (no latex or polyurethane) with price comparison (2023), all wool mattresses, and other futons, and why I don’t use natural latex.

There is no all-around “best” mattress for those with sensitivities. Sensitive folks can have a hard time with any of the following main materials used: cotton, wool, hemp, natural latex, and polyurethane. You will have to find out which materials work for you.

The article includes a look at more unusual options for those who don’t do well with any of those main materials, or who just want something simple.

[Read more…] about Mattresses for the Chemically Sensitive | A Complete Guide for 2023

Filed Under: Healthy Interiors, Mold-Free Interiors Tagged With: healthy furnishings, healthy interiors, mold prevention

Emergency Housing for Chemical and Mold Sensitivity MCS / CIRS

April 2, 2020 by Corinne 25 Comments

Here is a list of some housing ideas for those with environmental sensitivities needing immediate or temporary safe housing.

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

KOA Cabins

KOA cabins are located across the US and Canada. The cabins are made from mostly safe materials (mostly wood) and have been reported to be good places to stay for those who are environmentally sensitive.

Ask if the wood has been stained recently. The bathrooms are separate and may or may not be mold-free, depending on the location.

Recently I’m hearing reports of these having gone moldy. If the foundation or roof is not done right there is a high chance these could go moldy. Often newer is better for mold.

Home Made Tents

Regular tents can be difficult because of the chemicals used on the fabrics, the lack of insulation and the tendency for them to go musty very easily and be a lot of work with the airing out and drying out.

I have a preferred tent which is an off-the-ground tent in my post on camping gear. Here are some alternatives:

Reflectix Tent 

Reflectix provides some R-value and reflects light so that should work in a lot of different climates, though the seams will reduce the insulative value and add more glue and more potential for leaks. There are simpler designs for the structure that will reduce seams.

You can’t buy these – you would have to look online for the metal structure, then buy the Reflectix, foam, aluminum tape, and duct tape and then have someone make it for you. The tape may make this intolerable for some. And this also lacks airflow. 

You would also make at least one triangle out of polyethylene or an EVA Shower Liner so that you have some light. But have a flap of Reflectix over it that you open and close over this “window”.

Plastic Tent

A woman sitting outside of a tent that she made from Tyvek plastic
Kim’s tent via Paradigm Chage.org

Kim was severely sensitive to chemicals. She made a tent out of Tyvek which she tolerated well when extremely reactive. She explains how to make it here. Through extreme mold avoidance, Kim made a full recovery.

This is a plastic used as house wrap.

There are so many options here on what you can build an emergency tent out of. It all depends on what you can tolerate.

It may not last forever but it may give you some time to find another option or even bring down your MCS which will open up options. 

Other materials you could use: polyethylene, tarps, even hemp fabric if you are not expecting rain and don’t have high humidity.

Foam Tent

A A frame foam box that I set up inside my cargo trailer for sleeping in

When Sara was an extreme reactor (also now recovered), she made a simple structure out of XPS foam boards. The two-inch boards of XPS (usually Owens Corning brand can be found easily) have a high insulative value.

She arranged them in a tent shape, the groves in the edges holding them together. Rocks at the base pressing them together. Of course, you could use tape if you can tolerate that or put plastic over the whole thing.

Above is my version made of polyiso foam. This is a “foam tent” used inside a non-insulated trailer that was cold and still offgassing.

I hooked up a Panasonic ERV and ran fresh air into the tent at night via a 4-inch aluminum tube. The opposite end of the tent had a 4-inch hole for air to exit.

This is a highly effective way to deal with offgassing – fresh air is pouring through, though it can be difficult to control the temperature and humidity this way. 

Coroplast Tent

This Youtuber built a foldable shelter out of the safer plastic Coroplast. The downside is the amount of tape needed to form a shelter like this.

Simple Wood and Foam Shelter

The actual wood frame which was the cover of my foam shelter

Inspired by the idea of a foam shelter, I have made two highly insulated shelters with ridged foam, raised off the ground and covered in a tarp.

A wood structure like mine pictured above, may be needed to protect from wind and snow. 

The frame was covered with a tarp and inside on the plywood platform was a box made out of foam. This shelter worked extremely well though there are things to keep an eye on in the long term.

Here are some video tours and here is a post devoted just to this shelter (the second one had no wood framing above, just a tarp).

A digital sketch up of a wood A frame on a platform that my foam shelter went inside.

The whole thing was completed with some volunteer and some paid labor for 1000 CAD. 

Such a robust frame is not always necessary. You can build the plywood platform, with foam box on top and simply string a tarp over this if you don’t have strong winds or lots of snow. 

This is the same structure with a tarp over it and the XPS foam box secured with tape inside. The design can be improved by fixing the tarp, painting the foam structure and using clear tape. Please contact me for details if you want help setting something like this up.  

Here’s another example of a foam box. Just don’t put it right on the ground like they did here, and you want another cover on it. This is polyethylene foam which is much more unusual. 

Insulated/Aluminum Tents

These 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 600 USD.

They look like they would have problems with airflow and condensation inside. As well as being straight on the ground, but they may work for some people. 

The shift pod for 1300 USD is similar but with the reflective layer on the outside.

This will help reflect the sun and keep cool in sunny weather when there is no shade.

But I don’t know how this will perform well with condensation inside.

The best of the typical tents have an internal mesh layer, then a gap with a rainfly on top. If you don’t use that system you usually end up with condensation. 

There are other similar tents cropping up that were designed for Burning Man festival.

For a lot less you can get a simple aluminum-lined small sleeping tent. It’s not insulated but the aluminum on the inside is more tolerable than the usual tent materials and does reflect heat inside. 

Regular Tent

My tent outside an cob house at OUR ecovillage
My first tent CC BY-NC-SA

There is no perfectly chemical-free tent, The most tolerable brands include Ozark, Big Agnes, REI, LL Bean, Colman, and Lightspeed. Everyone is different. 

My post on tents looks at the lowest offgassing options and which ones are free of flame retardants.

In the post, I also discuss canvas cotton and hemp for really dry climates (or temporary use) which may be where the most sensitive need to start.

I would also check out the cuben fiber tents mentioned in the camping post.

Yurts & Huts

A green plastic yurt on a platform at OUR Ecovillage on Vancouver Island
Me at a yurt at OUR Ecovillage CC BY-NC-SA

Yurts are often tricky for a few reasons. They are normally made out of PVC which takes time to offgas.

On top of that they are difficult to insulate, although one could just use them as an uninsulated tent.

The wooden framing can be susceptible to mold if there is a lot of condensation inside or with high humidity inside, which can happen when heating up a small space.

The wood also might be treated and could cause reactions. There are yurts that have metal framing which may be preferable for some people.

Here is an example of a metal-framed yurt.

You can create your own outer yurt cover by using a more tolerable material, although it will not be as long-lasting as PVC.

You can use materials used to make a tent, or polyethylene sheets that are used for greenhouses, or tarps. You could also go truly traditional and use hides.

One really positive design feature of yurts is that they are lifted off the ground on a platform. All metal yurts may work for some. I have looked at those in the post on simple shelters. 

These glamping tents by sweet water bungalows are PVC, with a canvas top (prone to mustiness), but the guide and framing could be used to create a tent with a plastic of your choosing.

Just keep in mind polyethylene is not as durable, but is less toxic. 

I wouldn’t use canvas for anything other than a short and dry camping trip but without the breathable roof these are prone to condensation.

Conestoga huts have a simple design for a little hut/glorified tent. A simple design that goes up fast is a big benefit.

I have not been able to review these plans for mold preventative building, but it’s an interesting design. If you have the plans for these will do a free review.

If you don’t insulate this it shouldn’t be a problem. If you do want to try these with insulation please reach out to me or an expert in building science. I am not presuming these are a mold-safe design.

Simple Metal SIPS Shelter

Two walls going up of the small metal SIPS house

You can easily put together click-together metal SIPs to make a fast, clean and fairly durable structure.

SIPS are structurally integrated panels. Metal SIPS are made of steel-styrofoam-steel sandwiched together. A highly tolerable material for those with severe sensitivities.

Because these are structural you don’t need to build a frame. Pour a concrete slab, and then once you have the panels it’s fast.

To create a long-lasting structure you would add siding but if you need something done fast, just put it up.

This little shelter is made with Structural Building Systems panels.

A small metal SIPS house in the desert

Sheds

Steel sheds can be bought from Amazon or hardware stores for 700-1000 dollars.

You will also need to build a foundation (you could also just leave it as gravel), pay for labor to set it up, caulk the whole structure and likely put in some insulation.

For everything you need to know about setting up a shed to live in see this post by EI Wellspring.

Sheds are not as easy to take down as you would expect.

There are also wooden and plastic sheds. I have seen some good little wooden shed kits made of solid wood.

Raise them off the ground and cover with a tarp above that is not touching the shed.

I like cedarshed.com for those who can tolerate cedar because it’s a highly rot-resistant wood.

Check out the wood first, see how it was stored and test it for reactions. 

Hard plastic sheds will work for many people. The more flexible the plastic the more it offgasses. PVC should be avoided where possible.

Glass Enclosures 

A greenhouse in the desert used as a shelter
www.buildahealthyhouse.com

A greenhouse can be used for backup shelter, it gets very hot when the sun hits them in warmer seasons and can dip really low at night in colder temps.

But some people have used them successfully. Margaret (another person who used this strategy to heal and make it back to indoor housing) talks about her experience with them here (her greenhouse pictured above). 

Other glass/metal enclosures brands are Handi Hut and Four Season.

Small sketch up for a glass and foam stucture with glass as the interior walls and foam on the outside with a tarp over it.

I designed an all-glass on the interior shelter with insulation on the outside. This was designed for a time that I could not have metal or wood inside touching me.

The walls and floor were glass. The ceiling would be easier to make out of metal.

The shelter was raised off the ground on a platform. Outside of the glass was 2 inches of foam insulation. To hold this insulation on, the exterior framing (outside of the foam layer) was attached by drilling through the foam and glass. The foam needs to be airtight to the glass. A tarp should cover the shelter.

Back of a Pick-Up Truck

Try and find an aluminum canopy for the back of the truck, which is the best-tolerated type.

The bed liner may need to be offgassed or can be covered with Reflectix.

If ordering a brand new truck you can request no liner.

Cargo Trailer

A cargo trailer that I converted into a RV

Details on converting a cargo trailer safe in this post. 

The company WeRoll can customize these and they have more robust roof lines compared to the standard models. 

Ambulances and Refrigerated Trucks

A decommissioned ambulance used as an RV home

The benefit to these two options is that they are already insulated and ready to go.

A decommissioned ambulance is insulated and offgassed since they already have quite a few years on them by the time the government sells them off.

Refrigerated trucks could be found either new or used and they are well insulated and also ready to go.

If you went new you would have to check out the offgassing levels to see if it suits you, but I would expect it to last longer.

Creating a Safe-Room in Your House 

To create a non-toxic room in your home you can use Denny Foil, or heavy-duty aluminum foil on the walls/ceiling/floor.

These materials block VOCs (chemicals/toxins including mold).

Heavy-duty aluminum foil is much easier to work with than the type used in cooking. You may need several layers to totally block smells. 

You want to use green Painting Tape for this as it will not damage the walls and is easy to remove – a healthy person could rip off/take down the whole room is probably 20-30 min (small room). The blue tape is toxic so I wouldn’t use that. You could use aluminum tape but it is very sticky and will leave a residue and will be hard to take off. Aluminum tape also smells and offgasses more than green tape.  

I would not do this where you have colder air inside than outside (AC use). 

Cover outlets. As for light fixtures, I would go around them. 

The only thing in the room should be clean bedding i.e. a new non-toxic mattress or camping cot (etc). New non-toxic bedding and pillow.

Be careful that when you open the window or the door that the air coming in might not be good, so this won’t be a long-term solution. 

If you can’t foil the walls you can make a room within a room and use positive pressure as explained here in this post. The picture above shows how pressurized rooms keep out contaminants.

You can use foam, plastic or any airtight material. Isolate that by using positive pressure which will work to reduce chemicals like offgassing.

That can be a solution for someone extremely sensitive who has trouble with offgassing (when the issue is offgassing rather than mold).

You can find more information by researching isolation rooms. 

Ecovillages

A cob house at OUR Ecovillage on Vancouver Island
A cob house at OUR Ecovillage CC BY-NC-SA

Staying in a cob house (or straw bale, adobe, light straw-clay house) can be a really good option 

Ecovillages may rent out rooms in natural homes and there is a possibility of getting in on the communal meal plan as well. Search for some in your area and ask about monthly stays.

I have seen some natural homes listed on AirBnB as well as on lists of intentional communities/ecovillages. 

Always ask about propane, natural gas, cleaning products, and water damage. I have found that is wet/cold climates cob and similar materials do not hold up to mold after a few years.

Slabs and roofs often have mistakes that lead to mold. Green roofs can be very problematic. Amateur built houses are especially prone to mistakes that lead to mold.

This type of building is best when raised off the ground, or with a simple roof, otherwise, don’t bank on this being safe if more than 1-3 years old. 

Ecovillages are also a good place to set up a tent where you might have access to outdoor bathrooms and kitchens that are more MCS safe than campgrounds.

It may also be a safer environment for those traveling solo. I have used the Intentional Communities website, Google for places near you, and the site wwoofing.

If you have physical energy you can work on a wwoofing site in exchange for free rent (camping or small cabin usually) and often food.

Another option for those who have energy to do work is remote cabins that are advertised on Craigslist where you do some house and yard work in exchange for rent. The cabins might not be safe, but this could be a free spot to camp or live in a trailer. 

Other Emergency Housing

We should have emergency and long-term safe housing for people with MCS, but in reality, there is very little.

Check out the Environmental Health Association of Québec if you are a Quebecer. 

For housing listings in the US and Canada, join EI Safe Housing on Facebook. 

When I come across AirBnBs, hotels and short-term rentals that look safe I list them on my Pinterest page.

While many turn to Airbnb or other short-term rentals, in the beginning, this can be a difficult and sometimes impossible road if one is super sensitive and/or masked to mold. 

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

I spent two years in tents and small structures in order to heal from extreme chemical sensitivity. 


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Filed Under: Extreme Sensitivities, Healthy Interiors, Mold-Free Interiors, Tiny Homes and Trailers

Dilution Table for Hydrogen Peroxide

March 18, 2020 by Corinne 54 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 method is not perfectly precise, especially at higher concentrations of HP, because we are using the 1 part HP as 1 part water. It still is accurate enough for cleaning purposes.

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

a pair of latex gloves, safety goggles, ear plugs, and a respirator

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 27% Hydrogen Peroxide Down


1 part 27% H2O2 to 1.5 parts water = 10.8% Hydrogen Peroxide

1 part 27% H2O2 to 8 parts water = 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

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

How to get Rid of Mold in a Car, Including AC System

January 8, 2020 by Corinne 9 Comments

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)

a close up of a typical car's manual heat and AC controls

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.

a close up of the digital controls for heat and AC in a newer car

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)

a cooling seat that you can add to a car

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

a cooling vest worn by a man

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)

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).

a small dehumidifier

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.

a man vacuuming 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

a vacuum that can be used in a car

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

a hepa vacuum

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

a little ozone generator

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.

the component inside the car seat area opened up and ready to clean with a fog master junior and bottle of squats

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.

a pick up truck with an ozone generator outside pumping ozone into the car

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.

a close up of the air intake on the outside of the car where the hood meets the window
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.

the hood of the car open, cleaning the evaporator core with fog master
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 Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others 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

How to Size an Air Purifier for Your Home: Calculate the Size of an Air Filter Needed

August 24, 2019 by Corinne 5 Comments

If you are wondering what size or how “strong” or how “big” of an air purifier you need, these two calculators will help.

To properly size an air purifier or filter for your home or room, the main value you are looking for on an air purifier’s specs is how much air it moves. This will be provided by the company as the CFM (Cubic ft/Minute) value. Think of this as the fan size.

I have two posts on air purifiers – one on PCO types and one on HEPA/Carbon to help you compare models once you have sized them with these charts.

The First Calculator: Calculate What Size Air Purifier you Need 

In the first calculator, you will find out what CFM value you need for your room size.

You need to add your desired or ideal Air Exchange Per Hour (ACH). This is how many times you want the unit to overturn (and filter) the air in the room per hour.

This calculator will tell you what (minimum) CFM value you are looking for and then below is a list of air filters that meet that requirement.

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

Air Purifier to Choose based on Result of Required CFM from the Calculator

(Note if the required CFM is over 400 you will need more than one unit, I recommend calculating each room at a time, not the whole house).

PCO Models Best for Mold Reduction:

Airocide CFM 14
Molekule CFM 80
GermGuardian AC4825 CFM 125
Vornado PCO375 CFM 145
Vornado PC0575 CFM 184

Here is the Post with Detailed Comparison of These Models

High Carbon (and other Sorbent Material) Best for High Offgassing: 

Amaircare 3000 225 CFM
Austin Air Healthmate Plus CFM 250
EnviroKlenz CFM 250
IQ Air Multigas CFM 300
E.L. Foust 400 Series CFM 380
AllerAir AirMedic Pro 5 Ultra CFM 400
Airpura C600-DLX 440 CFM

Here is the Post with Detailed Comparison of these Models

The Second Calculator: Calculate How Much Air is it Cleaning

Below, the second calculator can tell you how many air exchanges per hour you are getting from an air purifier you already have, or one you are looking to buy, based on the size of your room.

Most experts recommend a minimum of 4 ACH. ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) recommends a minimum of 4 ACH for patient rooms in hospitals, 5 for intensive care units and 25 for operating rooms.

These two calculators helped you find out your ACH to CFM calculation and your CFM to ACH calculation.


Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

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: Healthy Interiors, Mold-Free Interiors Tagged With: healthy interiors

Using Ozone to Kill and Denature Mold

July 6, 2019 by Corinne 90 Comments

The Effectiveness of Ozone Generators on Mold, Mycotoxins, Fragrance, and Smoke 

Ozone kills and denatures mold on surfaces, and breaks down many VOCs and odors such as perfume. It can also remediate smoke smell in certain materials. 

Ozone has also caused a lot of damage, not just to the breakdown of certain materials in a home, but it seems to exasperate some toxins, causing many people to not be able to return to their house for a long time, or ever.

This post contains affiliate links to relevant products that I use and recommend. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Please take full responsibility for your safety when using ozone. Make sure you read and understand all the precautions in this post. Full disclaimer is here.

This post has been reviewed by Tim David, HVAC professional with 30+ years experience.

Does Ozone Denature Mold and Mycotoxins?

[Read more…] about Using Ozone to Kill and Denature Mold

Filed Under: Mold Avoidance Paradigm, Mold-Free Interiors Tagged With: healthy interiors, mold avoidance paradigm, mold prevention

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ABOUT ME

Hi, I’m Corinne Segura, I hold a certificate in Building Biology, and a certificate in Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, among other credentials below. I have 8 years of experience helping people create healthy homes.

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