When dealing with biotoxin illness and hypersensitivity to mold, the worrying doesn’t stop once you leave home. We understand that you must be vigilant about mold avoidance or minimization no matter where you go. Travel is unavoidable; whether it’s for work, vacation, or visiting family or friends, hotel or Airbnb travel will be necessary at some point. This article offers a few tips that might give you peace of mind. After all, I’m sure you want to enjoy your travels!
Things to Watch Out for in Hotel Rooms:
These are the reasons we recommend caution when staying in a hotel room:
- In the bathroom, they usually do not have exhaust fans. This means you can’t evacuate humidity caused by showers.
- Most hotels have wallpaper in the bathroom. Wallpaper acts as a vapor barrier and can trap all the moisture caused by showering.
Checking your hotel room for mold is a great idea, here are some tips
- Most air conditioners in hotel rooms are designed for one specific room and are not always maintained at a certain temperature. This can cause humidity issues which leads to mold growth. They can also be a breeding ground for harboring mold and giving off musty odors. Have you ever noticed that?
- Coffee makers can be a place where mold can grow. Coffee is often moldy, and much moisture is left behind when filters are left sitting in coffee pots.
- Mattresses are porous items. Remember that this is not your home, and many people pass through, leaving wet towels on the bed, coming in from the pool and laying in their wet clothes, or even spilling drinks.
Travel Tips
Now you know what to look out for. How can you make your stay safer?
- Use hard-cased, non-porous luggage – this will minimize the spores/mycotoxins you pick up and take home with you in your travels.
- Pack a travel-size EC3 laundry booster just in case you need to do laundry should you have an unwanted serious exposure. 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 they are not likely to cause a separate reaction. Using a capful of EC3 laundry booster to every load can significantly reduce exposure levels. Another option we love is Branch Basics Laundry Kit. Citrisafe is a good option as well.
- Use the neti pot – Cleaning sinuses is something that can be helpful for those with mold illness. A quality Neti Pot can be a practical daily tool to use before you go to bed or in the morning.
- Consider using a travel air purifier. One option is Air Tamer – another excellent product for small spaces for travel. This is not just applicable to mold but Covid as well. IQ Air also has a few products designed with travel in mind.
- Handheld Travel Essential Oil Diffusor can help clean your airspace in a hotel (or on a plane!). This is also especially handy to help prevent the spread of Covid.
- Bring your non-toxic spray and microfibers cloths to wipe down all the horizontal surfaces on the furniture when you arrive. This can help remove any dust reservoirs and contaminants harboring in the dust the housekeepers missed.
- Pack your pillowcase. This way, you know at least what is touching your head for 8 hours a day is safe and clean!
- Limit your stay to 3-4 nights whenever possible unless you know the place is clean. If possible, do a “trial stay” before a more extended trip to test your reaction to the room.
- Unplug any air fresheners upon arrival unless you can ask the host or concierge ahead of time to remove them.
- Pack extra mold-detox supplements such as charcoal and other binders if you need extra detox on your trip.
- Spend time outdoors and do some grounding. It’s amazing what fresh air and sunshine can do!
- If you can, traveling to drier climates is easier for someone who suffers from mold illness. Be mindful of the region’s monsoon or rainy seasons.
How to Find Safer Hotel Rooms
And what room should you choose?
- One website considers air quality in hotel rooms: Pure Room. While we cannot guarantee that every room is mold-free, the odds are that these rooms are safer.
- When looking for an Airbnb, be sure to look at pictures. Consider units with non-porous flooring (no carpet) and ask the host what type of HVAC they use. Newer builds also might be safer for a short stay, and often listings will clarify that.
- Home2Suites are low-VOC builds, and they will even take air fresheners out of the room for those who are chemically sensitive.
Traveling is impossible to avoid, but it is still essential to remain hyper-vigilant. You can take many steps to minimize any mold, mycotoxin, and VOC exposures on the road. With some planning and a little trial and error, you will travel and minimize mold like a pro before long!
Find Us on Social
Are there any tips you’d like to share that have helped to make your stay more comfortable? Please find us on social and share your best tips with us!
For more tips, or if you are interested in learning how to face life’s challenges with mold sickness, please follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 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 with a mold issue, we look forward to sharing our experience, insight, and resources with you!