One of the challenges of living with CIRS, MCS, and Lyme disease is that it is essential to minimize toxic exposures where you live, work, or anywhere you go. Overflowing the bucket with too much toxic load can cause additional symptoms or flare-ups when one’s bucket is full.
Dr. Shoemaker’s first step in mold treatment is to get out of mold exposure. Next, minimizing the amount of cross-contamination a patient comes into contact with in daily life is necessary. Everyone’s threshold as to what level of exposure they can tolerate is as unique as the individual. With trial and error, most patients figure out what does and does not work for them.
Here are some of the things that help to minimize mold spores in daily life for the person dealing with CIRS, MCS or Lyme disease:
- EC3 Laundry Detergent – Microbalance Health Solutions offers a series of products that help neutralize spores in the home, including candles, a laundry booster, and a spray. These products are essential oil-based, so not likely to cause a separate reaction. Using a capful of EC3 laundry booster to every load can significantly reduce exposure levels.
- Take off your shoes when you enter your home – Spores are everywhere outdoors, and in buildings we frequent. Dirty shoes are a potential source of mold spores and mycotoxins. It is best for the health of the whole family to take shoes off at the door. In some cases, it is helpful to put them in a bin or container for added protection.
- Store contaminated articles in large sealed plastic bins – Coming in contact with mold spores and mycotoxins is unavoidable. However, an excellent way to keep them spreading throughout your home is to pack anything you think may be contaminated in large bins that seal shut. Retails such as Walmart, Target, Container Store, Amazon, etc., sell these storage containers.
- Keep your home as dust-free as possible and regularly wipe down surfaces with EC3, ammonia, or a cleaner containing ammonia such as Windex. Owning a HEPA vacuum is an excellent investment for the person dealing with CIRS.
- Fog your home with EC3 or Benefect Decon 30 monthly and, in some cases, weekly. While fogging is not a proper form of remediation for serious mold problems, it can be highly effective in reducing mycotoxins in your environment.
- Use a quality air purifier in your home and your car. There are many fantastic air purifiers on the market, but this one is one of our favorites. It helps minimize mycotoxins from mold and VOCs in the air, often released from new building materials. IQ-Air Multi-Gas
- Unpack boxes outside of your front door and discard cardboard boxes immediately – Cardboard is food for certain toxic species of mold such as Chaetomium. The less mold food and porous items in your environment, the better.
- Change your HVAC’s air filter monthly or more frequently when necessary, per the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Consider furnishing with the least amount of porous items possible. Again, the fewer places you have that mold will thrive, the more avoidable a severe problem is.
- Use the neti pot – Cleaning sinuses is something that those affected by CIRS must address. A quality Neti Pot can be a helpful daily tool.
For more tips, or if you are interested in learning how to face life’s challenges with CIRS, please follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Also, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in the comments below or on our social media.
And of course, please book your inspection today! While we are always sorry to hear of anyone who has a mold issue, we do look forward to sharing our experience, insight, and resources with you!