Show #288 – Water Damage, ERMI Testing And All Things Mould With Michael Rubino, The Mold Medic

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S SHOW ON iTUNES, STITCHER OR SPOTIFY OR LISTEN RIGHT HERE:

Love our new show tune in the intro/outro? It’s talented Australian independent artist Melanie Horsnell’s song “Birds”. So proud to support this wonderful Aussie artist and have her grace the show with her wonderful words and song!

Low Tox Club – The place to bring your low tox life to life.

Want to join a community of like minds and enjoy all the perks of being in the Low Tox Life inner circle such as an online membership platform, 50% off all our Low Tox courses, an awesome chat group, my monthly Q&A, and special guest star interviews for just $49AUD ($29USD/28EUR/23pounds) per YEAR? We have created a special place and set of resources to help you achieve your goals and it’s a wonderful place to be – MORE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION HERE.

Low Tox Life Food – Now available!

It’s packed with inspiration and stories from regenerative farmers, checklists for what to ask about the produce you buy, ways to afford better choices, as well as 80 of Alexx’s most requested recipes for budget-friendly, easily adaptable meals without waste.

If you want to feel more certain and more hopeful about the future of food and our planet, this book is for you – Order yours today!


And on this week’s show!

This week we are talking about water-damaged buildings, mould, ERMI testing, remediation and what some of the tell tale signs are for water damage as well as some of the best ways to build to avoid it. My expert joining me on the show is Michael Robino, President of  All American Restoration and a mold remediator with much experience working with families severely affected by mold. Michael’s passion extends beyond remediating homes, as he has now put the wheels in motion advocating for the right to clean air and a tightening up of building codes, materials used and waterproofing techniques to ensure healthier homes in the future and a greater level of rights for people experiencing issues now. On today’s show, Michael also takes us through 2 of my past ERMI test results, pointing out various aspects of the reports that show alarm bells for mold-sensitive people living there. If you want to watch that part of it, I’ve included it as a video section over in the show notes. I hope this show supports you if water damage has been something you’re grappling with and if you want more on mould, head to the show notes over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast and click on today’s show, to find a post link where I’ve listed all of the resources we’ve shared over the years on mold, mold illness, water damage and healing. 


Questions I asked Michael:

  1. Why mould for you as a profession?
  2. How do you stay well and safe spending so much time in contaminated homes?
  3. Is there a rhyme or reason to which types of homes are more likely to be affected by water damage?
  4. What percentage do you do an inspection and they actually just have an indoor humidity problem rather than a water damage issue?
  5. Are some moisture sources harder to find than others?
  6. Can a home that’s been flooded be saved if one acts fast and how do people get around the fact that insurance assessments take way more time to wait for than we have when urgently dealing with flooding/big leaks?
  7. What is your favourite testing? (I’m assuming ERMI given you’ve mentioned it in the pre-Q’s)
  8. What is an ERMI score and how can we make the most of such a report? Are there common mistakes people make interpreting the results?  (I’ve shared a couple of our past ERMIs in attachment so you can maybe reference those for a relatable story thread as my listeners know my story so well – Randwick interestingly was the worst result and the newest build (only 3 year old and stunning penthouse apartment and very close to a cluster of phone towers. and Darling Point was the lowest but worst neurological symptoms for me. All were awful but that one was particularly inflammatory to the brain)
  9.     What is the difference between mold remediation and mold removal? 
  10. Metrics every homeowner needs to use to assess the health quality of their home
  11. Prevention is the best medicine and I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I’ve been asked so many Qs about ‘cleaning mould’ after all our rain here on the East Coast of Australia these past 5 months and last year’s summer as well: What do you wish everyone would do on a regular basis to put you out of a job?

About Michael Rubino:

Michael Rubino is an air quality expert who helps bridge the gap between the air in our homes and its direct impact on our health. Rubino works with over 100 doctors globally to not only raise awareness but also provide solutions to correctly identify and remove the pollutants causing

this global health crisis. As President of All American Restoration, Rubino specializes in working with people who are immunocompromised or have acute and sustained reactions to mold exposure and has helped heal over 1,000 families—including celebrities and athletes. He is also a council-certified Mold Remediator by IICRC and ACAC and is a contributing member, sponsor, and speaker for the Indoor Air Quality Association. He is the author of The Mold Medic and a contributor to MindBodyGreen. Rubino has been featured on Gwyneth Paltrow’s The goop Podcast and goop’s website, Brandi Glanville’s Unfiltered Podcast, Luke Storey, Forbes, USA Today, and Bloom TV, to name a few. 

He hosts the YouTube series, Mold Talks, where guests include medical experts as well as mold recovery patients, including media icon Atoosa Rubenstein.


This week’s sponsors:

Ausclimate’s highly recommended range of WINIX Air Purifiers is the ideal solution for cleaner, healthier indoor air. Easy to use, reactive features and settings with a truly comprehensive 4-5 stages of purification, including Hospital Grade True HEPA Filtration and Winix’s unique PlasmaWave® technology. Perfect for smoke, dust, pets, viruses, bacteria, household odours, and allergies (covering a variety of allergens). Breathe easier, sleep better and feel better. Winix; the most complete air-purifiers on the market!

Offer: Ausclimate is now giving all Low Tox Life followers an EXTRA 10% OFF their already discounted prices on Ausclimate.com.au – Simply enter the discount code of LOWTOXLIFE on check out. This discount can also be redeemed for over-the-phone orders verbally.


Complete Home Filtration is Australia’s number one whole-home water filter, reducing harmful chemicals from all the water in your home. Enjoy fresh filtered water from every tap of your home and treat your body to water as nature had intended it to be… free from harmful chemicals like chlorine and chloramine.

The Complete Home Filtration product range has expanded over the last year to include a larger filtration system for bigger homes, rainwater systems, and more!

 

Offer: Get 20% off the RRP when you use the discount code LOWTOXLIFE


Other helpful links:

Here’s the link to our blog post for all stuff Mould: https://www.lowtoxlife.com/so-you-think-youve-got-mould/

For an Aussie EMRI option: NSJ Enviro Services

Watch here for that part of the show when we discuss ERMI tests for mould:

Website: https://www.themoldmedic.com/

Grab a copy of his book “The Mold Medic” HERE.

You can also find him on Facebook and on Insta @themoldmedic

X X

Enjoy the show,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *