How to reduce your mold exposure when living in a humid climate

One of the first things we did when we started preparing for our big move from Dubai to Costa Rica was to sell our air purifiers. After all, we were leaving one of the most polluted cities on earth (because of the sand particles in the air) and moving to the rain forest.  

Mold

Little did we know that the risk of mold in this humid climate would become a real one. If your house/rental follows the indoor/outdoor living concept, it is definitely helpful as constant airflow helps get rid of any toxins trapped or released in the house. It is however very likely that the house doesn’t have a proper full house ventilation system. As a matter of fact, overwhelming majority of houses (if not all of them) here in Costa Rica lack any installed ventilators. Without them, air pollutants get re-circulated in closed spaces, and humid areas easily become a breading ground for mold. 

Mold is a type of fungus that can grow on nearly anything, as long as some moisture is present.Unlike plants and animals, molds reproduce and grow through spores, which are lightweight and extremely small “seeds” that can travel through the air. Breathing in these spores is where problems may arise. Getting sick of mold is no joke as it causes anything from allergy-like symptoms, skin issues, respiratory problems, hormonal imbalances, brain fog (i.e. brain inflammation), sleep issues etc.

Getting sick from mold can cause anything from allergy-like symptoms, skin issues, respiratory problems, hormonal imbalances, brain fog (i.e. brain inflammation), sleep issues etc.

Mildew is also a type of mold, and seeing its thin gray, black, or white dusting on upholstery, fabric, or walls may also indicate its presence. Worse, if you notice “black mold,” you may have the toxic Stachybotrysspecies growing in your damp walls or near water damage.This type of fungi can be extremely hazardous to human health, especially with long-term exposure.

These are the non-toxic steps you can take if you notice presence of mold in your home:

1. Renovate or leave your moldy house

Getting rid of mold can be both complicated and costly. Simply washing it off doesn’t kill the spores. 

Like with EMF exposure, the first non-toxic step to take when it comes to mold would be to avoid it: if mold is in the walls, renovate the house, or if you have to – move. It’s that serious of a health hazard.

We do understand however that these measures are not always possible, and that sometimes mitigation (like with EMF) is the best we can do at that moment. 

Here are two other remedies that can help you a lot if you have mold in your house. 

2. Use an ozone generator once in while

Ozone (O3) kills any pathogens, molds, toxins on contact with them disintegrating their molecular structure. For smaller spaces (cars, cupboards, smaller rooms), we recommend using an ozone bubbler. We like it as it has multiple uses: it’s excellent to use to clean your groceries with (all you need is 10mins!), make your own ozonated water for a gentle body cleanse, ozonate your bath or foot bath for better blood circulation.

For larger spaces, you may want to use an industrial grade ozone generator like this one.

CAUTION #1: What is very important to keep in mind when using any ozonator is to leave areas or spaces being treated  unoccupied as non-medical grade ozone is dangerous for people or animals to breath in (or plants to be around).

CAUTION #2. Ozone is very powerful as it kills any air pollutants on contact. This also means that it disrupts the biome of your space.  Our recommendation would be to be mindful and use it only once in a while and run a proper air purifier for your daily needs instead.

3. Use a lab-tested HEPA air purifier daily

If you know you have mold in your house and cannot move/renovate, investing in an air purifier can significantly reduce your exposure to mold. AirDoctor is the perfect solution to protect your indoor air from mold species. It comes equipped with UltraHEPA filters, which means it is beyond capable of trapping mold and mildew spores.

AirDoctor’s UltraHEPA filters capture the ultra-fine contaminants you can’t see like:

• dust
• pollen
• mold spores
• smoke
• pet hair and dander
• pathogens 
• VOCs/off-gasing: released from craft materials, paint, carpets, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, furniture, pesticides, cosmetic products, and building materials. If you live in a bigger city, VOC concentrations are up to ten times as high indoors as they are outdoors.

The HEPA standard requires that 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns are captured. AirDoctor’s 3000 UltraHEPA filter was independently tested and proven to remove at least 99.99% of particles as small as 0.003 microns—that’s 100 times smaller than the HEPA standard!

AirDoctor is backed by rigorous, third-party laboratory testing to deliver superior performance and peace of mind.

AirDoctor offers best-in-class purification, 3 stage filtration, superior technology, a child lock, a silent fan and much more to provide pure peace of mind for every room in your home.

We hope these steps will help you keep yourself and your family healthy and vibrant!

Con Amor,

Milda & Co