Discovering Mold in Your Home? Here’s How to Go Through Belongings While Prioritizing Your Health

If you've recently discovered mold in your home, especially toxic mold producing harmful mycotoxins, it can be a tough and emotional experience. You have to acknowledge that. But bravely facing it is essential to taking care of your health. Mold loves to grow on porous materials like fabric, wood, and paper, which means that even items you treasure or heirlooms can be at risk. If you are among the 20% of people who are highly sensitive to mold, making decisions about what to keep, toss, or store safely becomes critical to protect your health.

Here’s an encouraging guide to help you navigate this process with practical advice, so you can prioritize your well-being without feeling like you’re losing everything.

1. Acknowledge the Emotional Impact

Let’s start with something important—acknowledging the emotional side of this situation. Letting go of cherished items or heirlooms can be deeply painful, but your health is the most valuable thing you own. The problem is that is you are exposed to mold, it making it hard to think straight and overriding emotion with a rational approach to protecting your health is difficult. We recommend asking for help from a trusted friend or family member. When we had our major leak and mold exposure, it damaged or exposed a lot of things we loved. Here are some of the tips we learned first hand while working through this process. 

2. How to Decide What to Let Go Of

Knowing what to keep or discard can feel overwhelming, but knowing these guidelines will help you decide. You're not looking at everything, you're looking at specific thing that are the most hospitable to mold.

• Porous vs. Non-Porous Materials: Items made from porous materials, like fabrics, paper, and untreated wood, are very difficult to clean thoroughly and are most likely to hold onto mold spores. Unfortunately, this means items like upholstered furniture, old books, and certain clothing may need to be disposed of our stored (more on this in a minute) if they were in a mold-contaminated area.

• Non-Porous Materials: Items made from non-porous materials, such as glass, plastic, metal, or ceramics, can often be cleaned and saved. You can use a combination of water, detergent, and mold-killing solutions like hydrogen peroxide or distilled white vinegar to clean these items thoroughly. Bleach does not work. We actually recommend the cleaners from MicroBalance Health. They are tested to be effective on mold and they helped us save many things we owned. You can use the code SHECHANGES for 10% off your order. It's a brand we whole-heartedly believe in if you are struggling with mold or mold illness. 

• Sentimental Value: Sometimes, emotional attachment can make decisions harder. If the item is mold-affected and porous, it’s safest to discard it. However, you can keep a small number of less affected or easily cleaned items by using climate-controlled storage to prevent further damage if that is a financial option for you. We found it was easier to create a safer environment quickly and side step the emotionally charged decision of what to get rid of while you don't feel well - but storing exposed, porous, sentimental items. More on that next. 

3. Practical Steps for Safe Storage

If you’re not ready to let go of everything, climate-controlled storage can be a good solution for keeping non-contaminated items safely tucked away from your living space. But it’s important to prepare your items properly to enhance the success of storing them.

Here are practical steps to improve the success of storage:

• Clean Everything First: Before placing anything in storage, give it a thorough clean. For non-porous items, you can wipe them down with a mold-killing solution. For clothes or fabric, launder them with hot water and, if possible, use a dryer. If you’re storing leather or more delicate fabrics, you can consider professional cleaning. Clean what you can. 

• Use Airtight Containers: Invest in airtight, waterproof storage bins. This is so important to prevent any residual mold spores from spreading and reduce moisture buildup. Choose bins made from plastic rather than cardboard, as mold can grow on the latter.

• Silica Gel or Moisture Absorbers: Mold thrives in moist environments, so you’ll want to keep the moisture level in your storage containers as low as possible. You can purchase silica gel packets or moisture absorbers to place inside the boxes with your items. These will help control the humidity inside the container and keep your belongings dry. We believe this is a really important step. Load up your bins with absorbers that will make it hard for mold to thrive or grow! 

• Activated Charcoal: Activated charcoal is excellent at absorbing moisture and odor. Consider adding activated charcoal sachets to your storage bins to help prevent mold growth. These are especially useful in tightly sealed containers to ensure mold spores don’t stand a chance.

• Vacuum-Sealed Bags: If you’re storing clothing, blankets, or other textiles, vacuum-sealed bags can be a great solution. These bags remove excess air and moisture, preventing the spread of mold spores and protecting your fabrics.

• Label and Organize: As you pack your items, label each container with its contents and the cleaning steps you took. This helps you track what’s safe and clean and makes it easier to revisit items later.

4. How to Maintain Climate-Controlled Storage

While storing your belongings in a climate-controlled unit can slow or prevent mold growth, it's not foolproof. Here’s how to make the most of your storage unit:

• Regular Checks: Visit your storage unit periodically to check on your items. This is especially important in the first few months, as mold spores may still be present. If you notice any musty odors or moisture buildup, take immediate action to clean and address the situation.

• Ensure Good Ventilation: If possible, ensure that your items are well-spaced and not packed too tightly. This allows for better airflow around the boxes and prevents the buildup of stale, mold-friendly air.

• Monitor Humidity: Invest in a hygrometer to measure the humidity levels inside the storage unit. Ideal humidity for preventing mold growth is below 50%. Many storage facilities control the overall climate, but it’s still worth monitoring your specific unit.

5. Take Your Time with the Process

It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by the thought of losing items you hold dear, but don’t rush. Taking small, manageable steps can help you feel more in control. For example, start with items that are less important to you and gradually work your way to the more sentimental belongings.

Pro tip: Create a schedule and work in stages. It can be less emotionally draining to go room by room or box by box rather than trying to handle everything at once.

6. Explore Alternatives for Special Heirlooms

For certain heirlooms or irreplaceable sentimental items, here are some additional ways to preserve their memory without risking your health:

• Professional Remediation: For valuable or irreplaceable heirlooms like antique furniture, consult with mold remediation professionals who can assess whether cleaning or restoring the item is feasible.

• Digital Preservation: If you're worried about letting go of photographs, letters, or documents, scan them digitally to preserve the memories. You can create an online memory album or back them up on cloud storage for easy access whenever you need a nostalgic moment.

• Write it down: If certain items bring back strong memories, write those memories down in your journal or even record a voice memo about it. Having these stories in writing can provide you with a sense of comfort, even when the physical object is no longer there

• Reframe the decision: This category is absolutely the hardest, so we recommend storage first. If that's not possible, try reframing your decision to let go as a way to actively take control of your health. Every item removed is a step toward reclaiming a healthier living space for yourself and your family. An inanimate object is not worth your long-term health. 

7. Health Comes First—You Deserve a Safe Space

At the end of the day, your well-being is the most valuable thing. Letting go of mold-contaminated items, while hard, is part of creating a healthier environment for yourself and your loved ones. Start with broad strokes and try to contain and seal away anything you're planning to keep of what to assess later. Each step you take to clear out your home is a step toward better air quality, fewer allergic reactions, and a brighter, healthier future.