| Controlling Mold Without Toxic Chemicals
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| | it's needed to keepyour home dry and
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| Mold can grow anywhere there are damp
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| | safe. Mold can do damage to
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| conditions--from awindowsill to a
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| | materialpossessions and human health, so
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| bathroom, to a whole house. While the
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| | its better to stay warm anddry.
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| healtheffects of most common molds are
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| | If you have just a small area of mold,
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| minimal, the chemicals wecommonly use to
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| | use a hand-held dryerto dry it up in just
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| remove the unsightly growth can harm
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| | a few minutes.
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| ourhealth. Mold cleaners can contain
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| | You can prevent mold from growing by
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| toxic chemicals such aspentachorophenol,
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| | keeping areas dry. Findthe source of
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| which can be harmful through
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| | moisture and control it. Mold in an
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| skinabsorption or inhalation, and
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| | undersinkcabinet, for example, may
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| formaldehyde, which can causecancer as
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| | require fixing leaky pipes.
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| well as irritate eyes, throat, skin, and
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| | Controlling mold in a bathroom may
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| lungs.
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| | involve installing asmall space heater to
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| Many mold cleaners carry the "DANGER"
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| | run after a shower to dry out theroom, or
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| warning label andstate that they should
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| | using a fan for the same purpose. No
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| be used only in a well-ventilatedarea
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| | moisture--nomold.
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| (next time you want to clean mold from
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| | In a closet, hang garments with space
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| your shower,look around for the
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| | between them to allowfor air-flow and
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| ventilation...)
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| | install a small light, both to
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| Fortunately, there are ways to clean and
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| | dispeldarkness and provide a little heat.
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| even prevent moldthat are natural and
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| | If you live in a veryhumid area, a
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| safe for you and your family.
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| | dehumidifier may be necessary.
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| Mold is a living organism that needs
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| | To remove mold from shower tile or other
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| certain conditions tostay alive. A moist,
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| | hard surface, mixborax and water, or
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| dark, environment with little movingair
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| | vinegar and water, in a spray bottle.
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| is perfect. Mold just can't live in an
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| | Spray it on and the mold wipes right off.
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| environment thatis dry, light, or breezy.
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| | Borax inhibitsmold growth, so wash down
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| The solution to any mold problemof any
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| | the walls in your bathroom with aborax
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| kind is to introduce heat (to dry the
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| | solution and just leave it on, or
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| moisture),light, or moving air (such as
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| | sprinkle borax indamp cabinets under the
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| from a fan).
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| | sink. If you need something strongerto
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| I used to live in an old house in a
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| | remove stubborn mold, use hydrogen
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| forest, next to a creek,in an area that
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| | peroxide.
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| has a lot of rainfall in the winter.
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| | Steam cleaners--which clean, sanitize,
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| Oneyear was particularly cold and rainy
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| | and deodorize usingonly hot water--also
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| and so to conserveheat, I closed the door
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| | work great on mold. You can
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| on my extra bedroom, which containedbooks
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| | purchasesmall hand-held steam cleaners in
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| and research papers, a bed, and
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| | the housewares departmentof discount
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| out-of-seasonclothing. By the end of
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| | stores for about $50 or larger units on
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| winter, there was so much mold inthat
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| | the
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| room that it was literally growing on my
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| | Internet.
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| clothing. Mycotton espadrille shoes and
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| | Read more about controlling mold without
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| cloth-covered binders werecovered with
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| | toxic chemicals inmy new book Home Safe
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| blue fuzz. What to do? Mold was
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| | Home: Creating a Healthy Home
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| coveringliterally everything!
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| | Environment by Reducing Exposure to Toxic
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| In my situation, I opted to use heat. I
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| | Household
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| put a portable spaceheater in the room
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| | Products, at
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| and closed the door. After several hours
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| | Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New
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| I peeked in and steam was rising. It was
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| | York Times, Debra
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| like a sauna. Aftertwenty-four hours,
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| | Lynn Dadd has been a leading consumer
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| however, all was bone dry and I was
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| | advocate for productsand lifestyle
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| ableto brush visible mold (now a dry
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| | choices that are better for health and
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| powder) from walls,clothing, and other
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| | theenvironment since 1982. Visit her
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| surfaces. The moral of the story: if
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| | website to learn moreabout her new book
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| youlive in a damp environment that
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| | Home Safe Home, to sign up for her
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| doesn't get much sun, makesure your heat
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| | freeemail newsletters, and to browse 100s
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| circulates completely around the house,
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| | of links to 1000s ofnontoxic, natural and
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| andeven though it may take more energy,
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| | earthwise products.
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