Environmental Health Tips

To obtain an air sample fill a clean glass jar or glass container with clean water. Do not cover the container. Place the container in an area of a room or the house which is NOT used frequently. Leave in the area for at least 8 hours. Then, place a clean paper towel into the container long enough to saturate the paper towel with the ‘sample’ water. Remove the paper towel, squeeze out most of the water, then place the paper towel into a sealable bag such as a Ziploc. If you collected multiple samples then place each sample into a separate bag. Label each sample with the room the sample was taken. Either bring the samples to my office or mail them. Once we determine the source of an issue we will discuss the steps necessary to correct the issue(s). Once corrected you may collect a second air sample to be re-valuated. Bring/mail the second sample to my office to review the effectiveness of this process. We will discuss the results and any additional step(s) or procedure(s) which may be necessary.

There are several concerns about addressing mold. If you live in a home with mold then you will possibly develop multiple health issues. If you have ANY chronic health issues consider mold and/or mold spores as part of the contributing factor. Mold can be obvious by presenting itself in a fuzzy moldy covering in a multitude of colors including white, grey, black and/or green. Sometimes mold has an odor. By contrast mold SPORES are colorless, tasteless and have no odor. This elusiveness enables the spores to go unnoticed and undetected. However, the health risk is high. Mold spores/mold can be brought into the home from several sources such as on clothing, shoes, pets, and/or through open windows and doors. Therefore, it is imperative you make lifestyle changes to create and then maintain a healthy home environment. First, start by NOT leaving doors and/or windows open to ‘air out the house on a beautiful spring day’. You will need to clean the home and laundry in the manner described below. There are many cleaning products which will kill mold however I am only aware of ONE product which will kill mold SPORES. That product is ‘EverClear’ grain alcohol. This can only be purchased at most liquor stores. It is made from grain and is bottled at 120, 151, 189, and 190 U.S. proof (60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% alcohol by volume, respectively). You can use any strength for the purposes of killing mold/ mold spores. It is NOT recommended for consumption under any circumstances.

Cleaning your environment and home:

Combine ‘EverClear’ grain alcohol in a sprayer bottle using 1 part ‘EverClear’ to 9 parts clean water. No special bottle is needed for this purpose so a bottle purchased from the local Dollar store is fine. Spray the solution onto ALL horizontal surfaces including but not limited to counter tops, glass furniture tops, appliance tops, floors… To clean wood furniture surfaces spray mixture onto clean white rag then wipe the surface clean. You can also apply in the same manner onto wooden floors if you are not comfortable spraying directly onto the floor. This should be repeated every time you clean. This is NOT a one-time only procedure.

Cleaning the laundry & other washables:

To eliminate mold AND mold spores from your clothing, linens, towels and other washable fabrics add approximately1 TBS. BORAX to your washing machine using your usual laundry detergent.

Maintaining a clean environment:

Continue to clean the house and laundry as described above to maintain a healthy environment and lifestyle.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everclear_(alcohol)

1. To obtain water samples fill a clean glass jar or glass container with water obtained directly from the faucets and/or water sources per my instructions. Water sources include but will not be limited to refrigerator hose lines, water pitchers, water fountains, etc. Obtain a separate sample for each faucet or water source by using one container per faucet or water source. Do NOT combine the water samples into one container. Cover the container and label the source of the water. Then mail or transport the sample(s) to my office.
2. Once we determine the source of an issue you will need to clean the inside of the faucet or water source by spraying a cleaning product, such as ‘EverClear’ grain alcohol, into the faucet or water source. Let the cleaner stay in place for several minutes then flush out with water. Then obtain another water sample from the source in question. Bring/mail the second sample to my office to review the effectiveness of this process. We will discuss the results and any additional step(s) or procedure(s) which may be necessary if cleaning as instructed above did not address the original issue.