How Not To Kill Mold

We hear about toxic mold in the news all the time.

It has been linked with:

* Headaches
* Sinus Infections
* Coughing
* Weakened Immune System
* Dizziness
* Skin Infections
* Ear Infections
* Cancer
* Brain Damage
* ADHD

The toxins (poisons) that the molds create are harmless to humans outdoors where concentrations are low. Indoors, concentrations go up. When the amounts are sufficiently high, the mycotoxins (mold poisons) can make you and your kids sick.

The Arab Oil Embargo of 1972 caused us to tighten up our homes to conserve energy. This has allowed mold toxins to build up even in homes with only a moderate amount of mold colonies.

You often aren't sick enough to go to the doctor when you are infected by mold. You take aspirin for your headaches and decongestants for your sinuses.

But over time these problems get worse. Minor problems with the sinuses turn into inflammatory problems.

Inflammatory problems include:

* Lupus
* Arthritis
* Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
* Blood vessel deterioration

There is a more detailed list of molds and the diseases they cause at

http://www.themoldlab.com

The most common approach to killing mold is to use bleach. Unfortunately, bleach doesn't kill mold. It just bleaches it. It takes the color out. The mold is still alive and producing its poisons but we cannot see it.

The EPA, at one point, said to use bleach to get rid of mold on glass and tile surfaces only. However, as of 2002, the EPA does not recommend the use of chlorine bleach.

(http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/i-e-r.html)

Many chemicals that kill mold will burn people's lungs. This is particularly true for small children. Even EPA approved mold killers do this.

Most, if not all, companies that eliminate mold use these strong chemicals that are very toxic to people with asthma (3 of 7 people according to the American Lung Association). Many people with asthma cannot reenter their own houses if they have been sprayed with commercial fungicides (mold killers). And to add insult to injury, most fungicides are not applied properly so they do not even kill the mold.

There are 100,000's of different molds. Each causes it own problems; each has its own needs. The trick to killing mold is to know what molds you have and deny them their basic needs. This gets rid of the mold but does not poison the residents.

 George Graham

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