CIRS Car Maintenance and Remediation

Maintaining a mold-free car is just as crucial as ensuring a clean home and work environment, especially for individuals with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). Cars are highly susceptible to mold due to limited ventilation, which creates stagnant air, heat, and moisture—ideal conditions for mold growth. Alarmingly, mold can develop within 24-48 hours in these confined spaces, posing significant health risks to susceptible individuals.

 

Proper car maintenance, regular cleaning, and remediation are essential to prevent and manage mold infestations. In severe cases, professional remediation or even vehicle replacement might be necessary. However, with the right techniques, many mold issues can be effectively addressed through small particle cleaning and regular upkeep.

 

Let’s take a closer look into the importance of car maintenance and remediation for those dealing with CIRS, providing practical tips and strategies to ensure a mold-free vehicle, thereby enhancing overall health and well-being. Whether you’re dealing with minor mold spots or severe contamination, understanding how to manage and prevent mold in your car is key to creating a safe environment for yourself and your passengers.

 

What Is CIRS?

 

 

Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) is a complex illness impacting multiple body systems, presenting a range of symptoms. This condition results from significant inflammation triggered by an overactive immune response. Recognized as a legitimate medical disorder, diagnosing CIRS involves comprehensive lab tests and a detailed review of the patient’s medical history.

 

Due to its varied symptoms, CIRS is often misdiagnosed or ineffectively treated. Unlike common immune disorders characterized by abnormal adaptive immune responses, CIRS cannot be detected through standard autoimmune blood tests. Therefore, an in-depth and specialized diagnostic approach is crucial for accurate identification and effective management of this condition.

 

 

What causes the heightened immune response and extensive inflammation associated with CIRS? The primary triggers are biotoxins, which are naturally occurring toxic substances. These biotoxins, responsible for initiating and worsening CIRS, come from several sources:

 

• Water-Damaged Environments: Approximately 80% of CIRS cases are linked to exposure to air in water-damaged buildings. These environments contain mold mycotoxins, bacteria, and other chemical irritants that can trigger inflammatory responses in susceptible individuals. Both living and dead mold components significantly contribute to inflammation in the body and brain.

 

• Insect Bites: Bites from certain insects, such as ticks and spiders, can lead to chronic conditions like Lyme disease. Pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti, along with venom from recluse spider bites, can cause prolonged health issues.

 

• Seafood Consumption: Consuming tropical reef fish contaminated with ciguatera toxin, associated with Pfiesteria and harmful algae blooms such as cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), can result in biotoxin-related illnesses. This toxin accumulates in larger reef fish that eat smaller fish which have ingested dinoflagellates.

 

• Contact with Contaminated Water: Exposure to or inhalation of water contaminated with toxic algae blooms, including Pfiesteria and cyanobacteria, can trigger the inflammatory responses characteristic of CIRS.

 

• Other Biotoxin Sources: Additional triggers for CIRS include exposure to certain vaccines, viruses, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), endotoxins, and actinomycetes. These elements can all contribute to the development and exacerbation of the syndrome.

 

 

Biotoxins are tiny molecules that can penetrate cell membranes, making them difficult to detect with standard blood tests. These toxins typically enter the body through inhalation but can also be introduced via ingestion, insect bites, and contact with contaminated water.

 

Not everyone exposed to biotoxins, such as mold, will develop CIRS. Genetic predispositions and life stressors play a significant role in susceptibility to biotoxin-related conditions. Factors such as severe illnesses, surgeries, high fevers, pregnancies, substantial biotoxin exposure, and other traumatic events can trigger a cytokine storm. This may activate the CIRS gene in genetically susceptible individuals, particularly those with HLA-DR genes, indicating that CIRS can develop at any point in life. It’s important to note that the absence of symptoms does not mean immunity, and genetic testing can offer valuable insights for prevention.

 

While biotoxins might cause immediate illness, most people’s immune systems can identify and eliminate these toxins effectively. However, individuals genetically predisposed to CIRS have immune systems that fail to recognize and clear these toxins, allowing them to persist in the body. This results in a chronic, severe immune reaction and widespread inflammation, leading to a variety of symptoms and long-term health issues.

 

For a more detailed understanding of CIRS, click here.

 

Pro-Tip: If you think you’re suffering from CIRS, start with our White Glove Service for comprehensive care.

 

What Is the Shoemaker Protocol?

 

 

The Shoemaker Protocol is a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment developed by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker to address CIRS and other biotoxin-related illnesses. This protocol is the only peer-reviewed, clinically replicable treatment for biotoxin illnesses, including mold illness. Grounded in rigorous scientific research and clinical trials, the Shoemaker Protocol ensures effectiveness and reliability in treating CIRS patients.

 

A crucial element of the Shoemaker Protocol is the elimination of biotoxin exposure, which is foundational to the healing process. Continuous exposure to biotoxins can trigger ongoing inflammation, hindering treatment progress. Patients must thoroughly remediate their living environments, relocate to biotoxin-free homes, or create designated sanctuary spaces within or outside their current residences.

 

Importantly, CIRS patients need to be mindful of their cars as potential points of exposure. Vehicles can harbor biotoxins, requiring them to create a safe environment within their cars as part of the treatment.

 

The Shoemaker Protocol provides a structured approach that includes specific medications and therapies to reduce inflammation, correct hormonal imbalances, and restore proper immune function. Each step is carefully designed to address various aspects of CIRS, ensuring a holistic approach to treatment. By following this protocol, patients can achieve significant improvements in their health, often leading to complete remission of symptoms.

 

Determining Sources of Mold in Cars

When inspecting your vehicle for mold, wear personal protection equipment (PPE) such as a respirator with P100 filters. It’s best to inspect outside with all the doors and windows open. 

 

Important places to check for mold:

 

• Interior areas that retain moisture such as seats and carpets
• Seat lining and side seams
• Underneath the seats
• Steering wheel and seatbelts
• Air conditioning system

 

Mold doesn’t have to be visible for there to be an issue– if you’re experiencing any symptoms, see changes in your Visual Contrast Sensitivity (VCS) test after driving, or fail the VCS test after being in that environment, these are all good indicators that there’s mold.

 

Car Mold Testing

Another option is doing a HERTSMI-2 for your vehicle. Both Swiffer and vacuum kits may be used but we generally recommend always using the Swiffer kit for all building and car testing. With the Swiffer kit, collect the dust from the dashboard and other areas making sure you collect as much dust as possible for sufficient testing. With the vacuum kit, vacuum the seats of the car for a total of 5 minutes. It’s best to avoid the car flooring since this can skew the results with outdoor molds. 

 

You can learn more about environmental mold testing here.

 

Mold Inspection

You can also opt to hire a well-versed CIRS mold inspector to inspect your car or do so under the guidance of your trusted CIRS-knowledgeable IEP. If you’re experiencing significant symptoms but want to keep your vehicle, this may be the best option to determine the sources of mold. This is not a common route but is available if finances aren’t prohibited.

 

Remediating Cars With Mold Sources

If you’ve discovered visible mold sources within your car, it’s important that it is carefully removed and replaced. Remember with CIRS, we can’t kill or denature mold– no fogging, no ozone, no zapping, no bombing. In doing so, this only fragments the mold spores, making it much more difficult to remove from your car. The mold fragments are just as inflammatory for CIRS patients and can actually penetrate the cell wall more easily. 

 

We follow the Surviving Mold IEP Consensus Statement for Microbial Remediation as it is the most effective for creating safe environments for CIRS patients. These practices should also be applied to your car remediation as well. 

 

For instance, if there’s a visible patch of mold growing on one of your seats, someone will need to practice the same remediation standards for this as they would a building. Removing the entire affected and surrounding areas, treating the perimeter areas with hydrogen peroxide, then a thorough HEPA vacuuming to remove all crumbs will be necessary. Other CIRS remediation standards will also be required to ensure all mold spores are removed from the vehicle. 

 

Pro-Tip: Bleach should never be used for cleaning or remediating mold. Bleach is about 90% water which means the chlorine evaporates quickly, leaving behind an additional food source for mold. It also softens the protein shell of mold spores, causing them to release more spores. Hydrogen peroxide is used for spot-cleaning mold and used by professional remediators as it oxidizes mold’s cellular structure, breaking it down and inhibiting growth. Having proper filtration and HEPA vacuuming crumbs post hydrogen peroxide cleaning is essential.

 

Vehicle remediations aren’t very common– if mold is growing in your car on porous surfaces, generally the next step is to sell the car and replace it. You’ll have to determine what the best approach is financially for your situation.  

 

Remediating Vehicles That Have Been Cross-Contaminated

Luckily, cross-contamination or even mold growing on non-porous surfaces can be addressed with a thorough small particle cleaning. For example, if there’s mold in your car from transporting moldy items or visible mold growth on the plastic dashboard, this can be cleaned.

 

How to Small Particle Clean Your Car

1. Always wear PPE, preferably a half or full respirator with P100 filters, with eye protection, gloves, and so on.
2. Complete the small particle clean outdoors with the car windows and doors open if possible (Only keep windows and doors closed if there’s potential cross-contamination from neighboring moldy buildings with their windows open). 
3. Remove your air cabin filter (*Important Note: If you’re having an auto shop or dealership change your filters, make sure they don’t spray any antimicrobials into your AC system. This is a common practice and can trigger chemical sensitivities and kill any existing mold, causing smaller fragments that are just as harmful to CIRS patients).
4. Use an air compressor to get all dust particles out of your AC system. 
5. Replace your air cabin filter after air-compressing the AC system.
6. Carefully and slowly HEPA vacuum the entire interior of your car. This may be completed twice for severely contaminated vehicles.
7. Wet wipe the non-porous areas of the interior with a solution of 1 quart water, 6 drops of Branch Basics, and 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar. Use multiple disposable or washable microfiber cloths. 
8. Dry wipe the non-porous areas of the interior with either a disposable Swiffer cloth or electrostatic cloth.
9. Run a high-quality air filter such as Air Oasis with the UV and ion setting off for at least a few hours inside the car to catch any remaining particles.  

 

Car Mold Prevention Tips

Once you’ve small particle cleaned your vehicle, it’s important to maintain it in order to mitigate mold risks properly.

 

• Air Filter: Having an air filter for your car is a great maintenance option. 
  • Atem Car Air Purifier: Filters down to 0.003 microns– the most ideal option but is also expensive.
  • Luftrum Car Air Purifier: Filters down to 0.1 microns– a more affordable option for newer cars with no known mold issues and individuals who don’t drive frequently.
  • HypoAir Upgraded Air Angel Mobile: Controversial, especially for ultra-sensitive individuals and cars with a known mold source. This option uses the same bi-polar ionization technology as Air Oasis but is only an ionizer with no HEPA filtration. If using this option, you must HEPA vacuum the interior of your car weekly since ions pull all mold particles to the ground. With similar pricing as the Atem, we recommend the Atem car air purifier over this option. 

 

• Rubber Floor Mats: Waterproof add-ons such as rubber floor mats are a great way to minimize mold growth opportunities. 
• Seat Covers: Fitted rubber seat covers are ideal so these can be wiped down weekly. Washable fabric seat covers are another option– these should be laundered weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on how much you drive and your specific cleaning needs.
• Regular AC/Heat System Maintenance: Having a mechanic inspect your system regularly can help catch any issues early on. Make sure they don’t spray any antimicrobials inside your vehicle during any services.

 

• Minimize Eating and Drinking: Try to minimize and avoid if possible eating and drinking inside of your car. Make sure to vacuum any crumbs. 
  • Handheld Cordless HEPA Car Vacuum: This is a convenient option to have in your car for vacuuming any crumbs.
• Say No to Wet Swimsuits: Avoid allowing any wet swimsuits that aren’t properly contained in a sealed, non-porous bag inside of your car. Be mindful of any activities that have a chance of bringing unwanted moisture inside. 
• Keep Windows Rolled Up: Always make sure that all of your windows are rolled up to avoid any outside moisture accumulation. 
• Wipe Up Any Liquids: Spills happen all the time– just make sure to wipe up any liquids from your vehicle as soon as possible. 
• Dehumidifiers: Moisture control between 30% and 50% is ideal but not always achievable for a vehicle. Here are some ways to help with excessive humidity:
  • Silica Gel Car Dehumidifier: These reusable silica gel packs can be kept throughout your car to absorb moisture down to 35%. Use a hydrometer to see what the humidity levels are inside your vehicle.
  • Dehumidifier In Garage: If you have access to a garage and can park your car inside, run a dehumidifier in the garage to make sure humidity levels stay below 50%. Attached garages should also have an air filter running inside them.

 

Pro-Tip: If you have an electric car, it is essential to do visual inspections of your car’s interior more frequently while staying on top of mold prevention. Due to the significant EMFs generated by an electric car battery, advanced mold growth and mycotoxin production must be considered. There are many studies that show how EMFs cause mold to produce considerably elevated levels of mycotoxins while also advancing mold growth. Mold prevention is key for electric vehicles.

 

Car Maintenance and Cleaning Schedule

Ongoing weekly, bi-weekly, every three weeks, or monthly cleanings are another important strategy for keeping your car mold-free. Consider what schedule makes sense based on how frequently you drive and your other cleaning responsibilities.  

 

Practices to implement during your scheduled cleanings:

 

• HEPA vacuuming
• Wet-wipe all surfaces with microfiber cloths and the homemade solution of 1 qt. water, 6 drops Branch Basics, and 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• Dry-wipe all surfaces with Swiffer or electrostatic cloths 
• Launder car seat covers if applicable
• Hose down rubber mats and let air dry outside in the sun 

 

Cabin Air Filters

Changing your cabin air filter more frequently can also help. Invest in a higher-quality HEPA-grade air filter such as:

 

• PureFlow Cabin Air Filters: These HEPA filters offer better filtration than stock cabin air filters. The antimicrobial fibers are copper and silver, and don’t contain any antimicrobial chemicals, making it a safe option for CIRS. 

 

Purchasing Cars

Purchasing a new vehicle is the ideal option but isn’t accessible for everyone. Purchasing new also doesn’t guarantee no mold. Cross-contamination from other test drivers is possible but can be easily addressed with a small particle clean. Running an air purifier with charcoal inside can also help with new vehicle off-gassing which can be problematic for those with volatile organic compound (VOC) and chemical sensitivities. 

 

For those buying used cars, here are some recommendations:

 

• Always test drive: Don’t purchase a vehicle that you haven’t spent any time inside. It’s important to get a sense of how you feel inside that car. Test drives also give you the opportunity to take the VCS test before and after to see if you’re being affected.
• Be mindful of the origin: Purchasing a used car from out of state is very common. Make sure you know the origin of your car. Find out if that state has high humidity, flooding, or water events during the lifespan of the car, and how the previous owner maintained it. 
• HERTSMI-2: If you aren’t able to test drive a car but have your heart set on an out-of-state option, see if the seller is willing to do a HERTSMI-2 test for you. You can also opt to do the test yourself in person if you have the opportunity and want additional data to confirm this is a safe purchase.

 

How to Make a Moldy Car Safe to Drive

Resources are limited and buying a new car isn’t an option for everyone. In these scenarios, there are ways to help make your moldy car safe enough to drive.

 

Consider the following:

 

• If you have mold in your AC/heating system, avoid using the AC/heating system when inside the vehicle
• Keep windows rolled down when driving
• Use PPE such as an N95 mask or respirator
• Invest in an air purifier and keep up with regular cleaning to maintain lower levels

 

If these options don’t work, another idea is to see if a family member, friend, or loved one who doesn’t have CIRS would be willing to swap vehicles with you while you go through treatment. 

 

Closing Thoughts on CIRS Car Maintenance and Remediations

It’s important to acknowledge that managing your vehicle to prevent biotoxin exposure can seem overwhelming at first. However, like any new habit, it becomes second nature over time. Incorporating regular preventive cleaning and maintenance into your routine can effectively manage your car’s environment. Remember, while prevention is key, missing a few cleanings here and there is unlikely to derail your treatment. It’s about finding the right balance that works for you and creating a safe, supportive space for your healing journey.

 

We must also accept that creating a completely mold-free environment, even in our cars, is never possible. The goal is not perfection but making your vehicle safe enough for you to drive without triggering your symptoms. Consistent, mindful care can make a significant difference in maintaining a healthier environment.

 

As you navigate this process, lean on your mind-body tools and self-care practices to manage any feelings of overwhelm. These strategies are invaluable in maintaining both physical and emotional well-being. Fostering a balanced approach and prioritizing your health can support your healing and help regain control over your life. Remember, every small step you take contributes to your overall progress and well-being. You’ve got this.

 

 

Pro-Tip: Are you looking for more in-depth practitioner resources and a like-minded community to support you through your CIRS journey? Join our exclusive CIRS Support Group for the latest research, step-by-step protocol tools, and support to successfully achieve root-cause healing.

 

Work With Our Trusted CIRS Practitioners

The Nutrition with Judy practice is honored to be a trusted CIRS practitioner support serving clients from around the globe. We’re passionate about helping our clients achieve root-cause healing in order to lead the best quality of life possible that’s nearly symptom-free. Our team is dedicated to finding the answers our patients need. We welcome you to explore our free resources and are always available to support you through personalized protocols. If you’re interested in working one-on-one with our CIRS nutritional therapy team to support you through your journey, our CIRS Support Package delivers the support and accountability for achieving root-cause healing.