by Jacquelyn A Close, Copyright 2012, 2013 and 2014
Standard Mold Remediation and The Close Protocol are similar in many respects. Both require the identification of sources of mold, repairing all leaks and eliminating sources of excess moisture, as well as removing mold-infested materials.
How do they differ?
The Close Protocol uses eco-friendly plant extracts called essential oils instead of the Standard Mold Cleaning or Mold Killing chemical compounds. Essential oils are non-toxic and Standard Mold Cleaning or Mold Killing compounds are generally toxic and hazardous chemicals that are not eco-friendly and are known to be potentially damaging to both people and the environment.
Diffusing essential oils addresses mold spores in the air and on surfaces. Standard chemical compounds do one of those but not both.
The Close Protocol also requires before and after sampling to document the effectiveness of the remediation. Most Standard Mold Remediation does not employ before and after sampling because it is known that mold will likely still be present in the air following Standard Mold Remediation procedures. Also the costs for Standard Mold Remediation in a 1200 sq ft home will most often start between $8,000 and $10,000 and go up, while the costs for using The Close Protocol in a 1200 sq ft home are most often between $500 and $3,000. That is more than roughly a 70% reduction in costs. This cost reduction is realized through a number of means, including but not limited to less labor, less material is required to be removed and replaced, and fewer pieces of equipment are required for the same job.
The following table compares the Essential Oil used in The Close Protocol with two of the most commonly used Standard Mold Cleaning Products.
COMPARISON
YL Thieves Oil vs.
Standard Mold Cleaning Products
YL Thieves Oil
|
Sporicidin
|
EnviroCon
|
|
Contains Hazardous
Chemicals
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Kills Mold Spores
|
No*
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Eliminates Mold
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Treats Air
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
Deodorizes Air
|
Treats Surfaces
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Used in Hospitals,
Homes, Restaurants, Office Buildings, Motels, Hotels, and Vehicles
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
People May Remain in
the Building During Treatment
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes**
|
EPA Rated
|
No***
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Can Be Used Even When
Chemically Sensitive Occupants Are Present
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Eliminates odors
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
*Thieves
Oil Digests Mold Spores and does not leave dead mold spores that may cause
allergies.
**Studies
show that this damages wiring, metals, other building materials when used in
concentrations that are strong enough to kill mold.
***
Contains no hazardous chemicals, thus no EPA oversight required.
Wow, I don't think I've ever heard of thieves' oil before. It sounds like it works really well for getting rid of mold. My wife and I just discovered some mold a couple of nights ago. We're not really sure how deep the problem goes though, so it's probably time to contact a mold remediation company to come and take a look. It's helpful to know what chemicals work the best though. Thanks for the information! http://www.sw-restoration.com/mold-remediation/
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow did you learn about us?
ReplyDeleteI have reached out several times and have not heard back
DeletePlease help
Hi TB, I see you never received a response! Please feel free to contact me if you are still needing help! I can help you with steps and information, as well as getting the diffuser, Thieves oil and Thieves Household Cleaner! You may call or text me if you wish! Leave a message, and I’ll return your call! Thanks! MK Zappe 361-798-0253
DeleteHi, you are easy to find online if searching for natural ways to eliminate mold! I was looking for diffusers and also for a non chemical way to work on the mold in our attic that is about 1000 square feet. I was quoted around 4K from a local remediation group and a bit steep for me right now. Found your very interesting information as well as a NEW Therapro Diffuser for a bit more discounted price from eBAY. Right place and time I guess and look forward to starting the process. picking up a copy of your book as well. if you have any suggestions I am all ears! Paula
ReplyDeletehow do I order your book and how do become a distributor in Australia.
ReplyDeleteDebra Galey
galeydebramary1@gmail.com
Hi Debra - Just click on the WHAT TO ORDER page and then select the link for Open Your Account. It will ask you which Country you are located in during the process of opening your account.
DeleteWhich is the best diffuser to buy?
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy - Please visit our 2016 DIFFUSER RECOMMENDATIONS page on this website for the most current information.
DeleteI understand that the oils can kill the mold and take care of the spores but when they are destroyed the put out mycotoxins which are the reason we get sick in the first place. So do the oils deactivate the mycotoxins as well? My understanding is that only ammonia can do that. Am I understanding this correctly? Thank you both for the priceless work you are doing! You are a blessing!!
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra - Our clients have not been interested in doing mycotoxin testing, so we have no scientific data to substantiate an answer. However, we believe the mycotoxins are eliminated because people feel so much better after diffusing and they have consistently reported this over the past 10 years. If you or others should have mycotoxin testing done, please share your results with others.
ReplyDeleteThe. You may want to edit the thieves oil digests mycotoxins” denoted by the asterisk. Perhaps change it to people report. The way it’s present it sounds as though there’s more than anecdotal evidence. Thx
DeleteHey!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the way you have mentioned useful and valuable information regarding mold remediation as Close protocol.
Mold is a serious threat to mankind and it needs to be cured as soon as it gets identified by the owner .It can be present anywhere in the home where there are wet surroundings.
Toxic Mold keeps on spreading its stinky smell and various disorders.If mold is at small scale you can clean it by your own but if it is widespread then it is highly recommended to go for mold remediation professionals.
Keep doing good work!
Hi. So I buy the oils and diffuser and diffuse for up
DeleteTo 72 hours for initial protocol. Am I purchasing the bottle of thieves household cleaner to wash down my walls, counters, put in washing machine, wipe
Down the floors etc? Thank you.
sorry, may have missed something but what is your dilution or concentration for this protocol.
ReplyDeletewhat concentrations are strong enough to kill black mold. is this blend to be used concentrated as it just pour it out of a bottle on a rag and rub it on the drywall. What about the contamination from that alone? and of course one 30 ml bottle would maybe cover one rage and one 24 x24 space? how often if required to reapply. In all honesty, are all the ingredients required or is this to better selll the product?
Hi -
DeleteThe details of the protocol are spelled out in our book: Nature's Mold Rx, the Non-Toxic Solution to Toxic Mold. That is available on Amazon and elsewhere.
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteJust finished reading your book, Natures Mold Rx - excellent!!
would you think that the same process could be used on a car. I have recently acquired a used car with major mold problem from having sat for three years. The sunroof and engine-bay drains have all been blocked with leaves and the car has got wet inside. The mold is on the dash, steering wheel and leather seats in the front. so, diffuse for 48 to 72 hours and then use the Household cleaner to remove the residue? I have a separate regimen for treating the leather after this. I would really appreciate your thoughts, Thank you so much.
Sounds like a good plan. Diffusing Thieves for 24-72 hours and then cleaning everything with the Thieves Household Cleaner undiluted - be sure to test a spot that isn't visible first because it can damage paints, finishes, and colors as they are almost all hydrocarbon based and the oils break down hydrocarbons -- then diffuse again for at least 24 hours.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCool post, thanks! Anyway, have you heard about online data rooms? It really helps my businesses to keep the documents stored securely online.
ReplyDeleteNo Sun Ivey - Have not heard of that.
ReplyDeleteHey Jacqui, I noticed that in the comparison table, Thieves Oil is listed as No* in killing mold spores? Does that mean that diffusing Thieves Oil is not capable of killing mold spores and the mycotoxins?
ReplyDeleteHi Joel - Thieves oil does not kill the spores, as a herbicide or pesticide or fungicide will do, but actually encapsulates the spores and digests or decomposes them completely. There are no bits and pieces of the spores left over after diffusing. They are not just killed, they are completely gone, no longer present in any form. And there is nothing left to cause or create allergic reactions or mycotoxins. That is one of the major difference between using the Thieves oil and using other treatments.
DeleteHi Jacqui,
DeleteJust playing the devils advocate here. I am curious. Just how does the oil "encapsulate" and "digest" the spore. Is there any scientific data to back this up? One would think that there would always be a by-product or waste associated with "digestion". Just where does it go? And as mycotoxins are gases that are present after mold is gone, how does diffusing deal with mycotoxins in its gaseous state? I am really curious because as a professional in the mold industry, I am always looking for less toxic methods for my clients and operations.
Hi Gary - Ed Close, PhD, PE -- Environmental Engineer, did a substantial amount of testing to determine what happens to the spores and all the testing showed that they were not present in any form after the diffusing. Even when they had been present at high levels prior to diffusing the Thieves essential oil. We don't have enough data to answer your question about mycotoxins, only have annecdotal reports for over 10 years that people who were having health problems before doing the diffusing did not have problems after diffusing, which strongly suggests that mycotoxins are also eliminated. Thank you for your question.
DeleteHi Jacqui! The Thieves made a major difference on the spore count in my home but not so sure about the mycotoxins. Could you point me to some research or something to substantiate the dissolution of mycotoxins. I want to be sure my house is safe to move back into. Thank you so much! Sandi
ReplyDeleteHi Sandi - I replied to your request for information on mycotoxins in September last year. Here is that information again:
DeleteOur clients have not been interested in doing mycotoxin testing, so we have no scientific data to substantiate an answer. However, we believe the mycotoxins are eliminated because people feel so much better after diffusing and they have consistently reported this over the past 10 years. If you or others should have mycotoxin testing done, please share your results with others.
ok, this doesn't make sense, and is not clear: dissolves the spores. How? what is the action? and what was the test? lab? air samples? Can you please explain? thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Scott -
ReplyDeleteWe are not certain what action is actually occurring, however, Dr. Ed Close did both air tests and tape lift samples. The tape lift samples and air samples showed very high spore counts prior the diffusing. After diffusing there were either no spores or very few spores in samples collected indoors. Our book which is available on Amazon provides in depth analysis and reporting on sampling done at over 20 sites. The tape lift samples were even cultured to determine if spores were present and none were found. If my explanation is still not sufficient, please review the book, and let me know. I will ask Ed Close to respond personally.
Hi, Ph.D. Applied Mathematician here (also affected by mycotoxin exposure in a WDB at university). Here's an educated guess about how Thieves Oil could work, and my understanding / clarification of what the "digestion" process means for mycotoxins. So, it's been known for a while in the scientific literature that various essential oils degrade mycotoxins (see links below). From what I've found, the degradation process is described as happening "enzymatically". So what does this mean? Essential oils are fat (because it's oil), and mycotoxins are fat soluble, which means that mycotoxins bind to fat molecules. So, diffusing something like Thieves Oil into a mycotoxin-filled environment means that the mycotoxins will bind to the oil particulates like crazy. Now, enter the degradation / digestion / enzymatic process. Once the mycotoxin is bound to an appropriate essential oil, the mycotoxin molecule is digested via "enzymatic activity", and subsequently broken apart into a form that is no longer allergenic or toxic. A good analogy/example of such an enzymatic process would be Lye -- if you apply pure Lye onto your skin, you'll chemically burn the heck out of your skin. However, if you mix Lye with HCl (hydrochloric acid), the HCl "digests" the Lye molecules and produces Salt and water. And so the by-product of this digestion process is now completely harmless. I'd imagine that the degradation or "digestion" of mycotoxins by Thieves Oil is similar. I'm sure there's some kind of a end-product produced, but, as Jacqui said many times here, we know from an overwhelming number of observations that this end-product is harmless (like the Salt and Water). Hope this helps clarify some things!
ReplyDeletehttp://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=jm.2015.222.229&org=10
(The Introduction in this one was the most helpful)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03601234.2016.1191887?journalCode=lesb20
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214799316300959
Wow! Thank you so much Erica Mc. Your input is most appreciated.
DeleteHi Erica Mc.,
DeleteI'm an architect trying to provide education to professionals on this topic. If you see this and are open to connecting to discuss more, my website is www.avoidingmold.com. Please reach out through my contact information there. Thanks for the great response to this question!
Hi Jacqui, thank you for sharing so many great details on how to go about cleaning and diffusing. We have gone through the info in your book as well as your blog and video, have our Thieves oil blend on the way to our home, and are anxious to get started. (our HERTSMI-2 score came back at a 24 " Re-occupancy is ill-advised until further remediation ....") So we will diffuse lots of concentrated Thieves! And in the meanwhile I will be looking for ways to help my body heal from the chronic symptoms that I believe have been the effect of the mold in our home. Can you pass on anything that you have learned in this area. We have tried so many things over this past 6 and a half years. But, not giving up yet. Please share with me if you will. Thank you, and God bless ya, Mommy B.
ReplyDeleteHi Mommy B - Thank you for your kind words. We are always glad to hear that someone has used the protocol and felt they benefited from that and our many materials available to support folks looking to address mold in buildings. You will find some additional support in our CD "Essential Oils vs Mold" which is available on our Publications Page. Just click on this link or copy and paste it to your browser and scroll down till you see that. http://www.naturesmoldrx.com/p/books-and-publications-by-edward-r.html
DeleteDo you believe that an item such as a bed should be discarded or it will be treated by diffusing and/or spraying with household cleaner? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am not the person to ask. We are currently using the protocol for the first time. We did an ERMI test, and are diffusing right now. We will wait a few weeks following the diffusing days and then do another ERMI test, which was our own choice of testing, to see what kind of results we get. Right now we are hoping that all of the items in our home will benefit from the diffusing. This is quite an experiment (traveling into the great unknown), though, and I'd love to hear what kind of results others who've used this protocol have found regarding their porous items in their homes (including mattresses, upholstered furniture, books, wall decorations). My understanding is that everything in the room is going to get treated by the concentrated ultra-fine mist of the essential oils. Let me know if you learn anything. ... or if anyone else out there has more info to share.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever get the second ermi
DeleteI have a question about cleaning items. We have moved out of our home and want to clean the things we are keeping before moving back into it. I have used used some thieves cleaner on things undiluted but they feel sticky. Am I not understanding something?
ReplyDeletePrevention is always better than cure! One of the best prevention that you can do is to install sofit vent which releases air from the bathroom. In this way, you can save yourself from unnecessary mold remediation cost.
ReplyDeleteIt may be better to develop an understanding of the early inside your mortgage, so as to stop any feelings of discomfort later. canadian mortgage calculator The type of loan for this eco-friendly option is only presented by calling BMO for even more details. canadian mortgage calculator
ReplyDeleteWill it kill mold in and walls or only what the oil can “touch”?
ReplyDeleteCan I assume by being in the room breathing Thieves in that we can detox the mold from our body? Also after following diffusing protocol in the book, we don’t need to get rid of anything like furniture or Sheetrock, right? The mold is not present after diffusing so the danger is gone yes? Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI am confused. You say it doesn't kill mold spores, it DIGESTS them, meaning what exactly? If it doesn't kill mold, it doesn't kill (get rid of mold.) I need a CLEAR answer and am not finding one. This is far too serious a problem to be vague or cryptic about. Thank you.
ReplyDelete"Unknown", I just read your January 4, 2022 post. I think you are being wise to question the use of these oils and this method as "prescribed". If something seems too good to be true, then dig in and question it until you can figure it out. My husband and I not only did what was recommended by these folks, but diffused three times the amount of oil blend in each area of our home, including the attic, basement, and garage. We were very thorough with wiping down surfaces as well as removing carpet, upholstered chairs, mattresses, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. We wanted this to work! We had done an ERMI as well as HERTSMI tests, prior to and following the Thieves protocol. The mold counts were still high after all this effort. It was a HUGE disappointment! and a huge waste of money! /// After all these years, the thing that has helped me the most is following Dr. Eric Berg and watching his YouTube videos, then getting more info. It's his version of "healthy keto and intermittent fasting" plus getting nutrients from supplements to go along with it. More than 50 percent of my body aches went away within the first three weeks of following his eating and fasting plan. I've lost weight and I have more energy. /// As far as our concern about the mold count in our home - we continue to keep our house very clean, we dry any accidental water intrusion from an open window, etc., or spills. We run a dehumidifier year-round, and wipe any condensation from windows in the winter. We use the following homemade air purifiers in three locations of our house:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH5APw_SLUU. I think mold is something to take seriously, but in our case cleaning and diffusing with Thieves oil did not give us the test results of lowered DNA mold counts. Wishing each of you the best in your endeavors for a clean living environment and good health for each in your family.
Excellent post. I really enjoy reading and also appreciate your work.Mold Solutions & Inspections This concept is a good way to enhance knowledge. Keep sharing this kind of articles, Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThieves Oil offers a natural and aromatic alternative to standard mold remediation, providing an uplifting and pleasant experience while promoting a healthier environment. https://www.metrowaterdamagerestoration.com/rochester-hills-michigan/
ReplyDeleteThieves Oil offers a natural alternative to standard mold remediation, harnessing potent botanicals for effective cleansing while minimizing environmental impact and promoting overall well- Metro Water Damage Restoration Rochester
ReplyDeleteThieves Oil offers a natural, effective alternative to standard mold remediation methods. Its antimicrobial properties make it a safe and pleasant solution for healthier living spaces! Metro Water Damage Restoration Rochester
ReplyDeleteI love how Thieves Oil offers a natural alternative to standard mold remediation! It's empowering to have options that are effective and eco-friendly. Great article! Metro Water Damage Restoration Rochester
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