Dealing with Mold/ Mycotoxin Cross-Contamination in a Vehicle
One of the difficulties of working in the maintenance field is the lack of awareness surrounding mold. Far too many hotels and apartment complexes opt for the "quick cosmetic fix" rather than addressing the cause of the moisture and seeking proper mold remediation. In many cases this consists of moldy drywall being painted every few weeks, wet floors covered with a new floating floor, or even mushrooms growing in carpet!
Originally posted January 7, 2020. Updated April 9, 2025.
Unfortunately, working in such an industry as my husband does comes with risks, but he has a heart to help others and wants to help put a stop to the recklessness shattering people's lives one building at a time, God bless him!
We offer remote email consultations on this and a variety of topics, and Dave now offers in-person services as well.
One hotel he worked at was so infested with mold and had so much water damage that he quickly became ill. If memory serves me correctly, he only worked there around 3 weeks. While he eventually was approved to go to an outpatient clinic for worker's comp cases, that medical building had obvious mold and water damage. The nurse practitioner erroneously declared that unless one is constantly exposed to specifically black mold for months upon months, one cannot get sick from mold. She didn't even know what mycotoxins were. He was having trouble breathing and a rattle in his chest, but she didn't even listen to his breathing. So that visit was worthless, but that nurse practitioner is doing a great job of protecting the interests of worker's comp companies now, isn't she?
If you've read my book Poisoned, then you know that most "professionals" are in the pocket of industry, whether they know it or not.
Once I helped him recover from the exposures with mullein tincture, goldenseal tincture, lots of healing tea, Vitamin C, holy basil capsules, etc., he started going to interviews for new employment. Every time he came home he would end up sick again though, indicating that his truck had been cross-contaminated from mycotoxins as I initially feared.
Fortunately, it was cheap and simple to save it! I couldn't have been more relieved.
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As always, this is not to be considered to be medical information or advice. I am not a licensed mold remediator nor an aromatherapist, so use caution as you would in regards to anything you read online.
A Note on Essential Oils
If you've read my book on non-toxic cleaning, you may already be aware that I discourage the use of essential oils as most people use them. They really should not be slathered all over one's body and sprayed haphazardly in one's home. Responsible use consists of specifically targeted medicinal use- not a "let's use this on everything and see what happens" mentality.
Essential oils are simply concentrated plant terpenes. Terpenes are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). As with anything else, there are potential side effects, interactions, and risks. Simply because they are natural does not equate absolute safety. Asbestos, radon, and poison mushrooms are all natural but I hope you don't have those in your home!
Treat essential oils as you would medicine, with respect, and you'll be much safer, though a consultation with a good licensed aromatherapist certainly wouldn't hurt.
Personally, since I am chemically sensitive, essential oils are a last resort in our home. We do have clove, lavender, eucalyptus, and a knockoff Thieves oil around, but they very rarely leave their sealed encasements. In fact, the Thieves oil was the only essential oil I used in the house from moving in May 2018 until 2024, when I started experimenting with some essential oils for EHS. Since I used to be allergic to cinnamon, we don't use Thieves oil inside the home at all. One could make their own Thieves oil mixture without cinnamon in it and I would expect it to still be effective, if you are allergic.
Fortunately, we used this protocol recently and I didn't have an issue at all, which means that I've likely cured yet another food "allergy"- cinnamon!
Unlike many who write online in this field, I don't have a preferred brand that I've "researched to the hilt" and declared to be superior to all other brands. You'll note that those who make such declarations are the same ones selling the essential oils.
Use whatever brand you consider to be the best. I've not been impressed by any specific brands, to be honest. I would recommend sticking to brands made in the US or your home country though and specifically avoiding essential oils made in China. If you have a latex allergy, do be sure to avoid brands that have the rubber dropper assembly on them as I have contacted every manufacturer of rubber dropper assemblies that I can find online and all are composed entirely or primarily of natural rubber latex.
Diffusing Thieves Oil in a Car for Mold/ Mycotoxin Cross-Contamination
Please note that all links below are to items that I actually buy and purchase myself, except the measuring spoons.
Since we love to save money, I went with a knock off Thieves oil from eBay for just $7.99. Amazon does sell the original Young Living Thieves oil for $56.81, but we had wonderful results with what we purchased and it all cost us under $10.
You'll also need:
Distilled water
Small funnel, preferably glass
Plastic eyedropper (If you buy the essential oil blend I bought, you won't need this. I haven't found any rubber eyedroppers that are latex-free.)
Cotton balls (optional)
Paper towels (I buy mine via Zoro.)
Vacuum
Directions
Note that you will likely need to make more than one batch of the solution. Don't be stingy with it. It's very affordable and easy to make!
1. Pour into the spray bottle:
- 2 teaspoons of witch hazel
- 50 (ish) drops of thieves oil
2. Fill up the bottle the rest of the way with distilled water.
3. Put the sprayer lid on your bottle and shake well.
4. Spray into the air intake vents on the outside of your vehicle.
5. Spray into the a/c vents inside your vehicle and spray generously into the air inside your vehicle.
5. Start your vehicle and close it up, turning the air on recirculate at full blast.
6. Quickly close up your vehicle and spray more solution into the air intake vents.
7. Leave your vehicle running at least 15 minutes.
8. Let sit in the sun for a few hours.
9. Repeat steps 4 through 7.
10. (Optional) Soak some cotton balls in the solution and toss them into your vehicle, then let your vehicle sit for 48 hours. As our truck was needed the following morning, we did not take this extra step. If you have mold in your vehicle or if you have the time to wait, this would be optimal in my opinion.
11. Spray the solution onto paper towels and wipe down all surfaces, doors, etc. inside your vehicle.
12. Vacuum your vehicle with a vacuum dedicated to outdoor use, preferably a HEPA vacuum. My husband used a Shop Vac. There are no 100% latex-free vacuums. They simply don't exist. Shop Vac is the safest option, however. I have the 2.5 gallon model. (Do note that Shop Vacs are not 100% latex-safe! He sprayed 50/50 water/vinegar inside his truck after vacuuming.)
Other Uses for This Process
Some individuals have reported great success diffusing Thieves oil onto their personal belongings that have been cross-contaminated. It really depends on the duration of the exposure and the specific type of mycotoxins that are in play. Hell Toxin (HT) and Mystery Toxin (MT), to the best of my knowledge, require trashing pretty much everything as they follow mold avoiders from place to place, hitching a ride on anything they land on.
Porous items such as paper and cardboard generally are best to trash (assuming HT and MT are not relevant), while clothing and fabric items are iffy. It's really not a good idea to try to determine what belongings are and are not safe until you have unmasked to mold. Otherwise you will likely cross-contaminate your new living space and continue to experience mold illness symptoms.
The cheapest but probably least effective method of fogging your belongings would be to use cotton balls in a plastic tote with a very limited quantity of items. Placing it in the sun to heat up would be beneficial. Optimally something such as a small garage would be available to use an essential oil diffuser in the closed up space. Be sure you turn it on and leave immediately, bringing your pets and family members with you!
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