Effective Microorganisms (EM) and Cleaning Biotoxins
What is EM1?
EM1 is a special blend of beneficial microorganisms that includes lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and phototrophic bacteria.
When we introduce this mix into an environment it will incorporate with the existing microbes and work with them. This will favour fermentation over putrefaction and increase the biodiversity of microorganisms and other organisms, supporting a healthier soil, water and home environment.
You can learn more about EM by watching this short video: What is EM?
EM has been shown to help purify water contaminated with pollution, increase the yields and health of crops and also improve animal and human health.
You can find more detailed information on the official website of the creator of EM1, who started a company named EMRO to develop it: https://emrojapan.com/what/
The official EM representative in the USA is TeraGanix. You can buy it here: Microbial Inoculant.
For other places to buy worldwide search on the “Local” tab on https://emrojapan.com .
Can EM1 help clear mycotoxin contamination?
When I first learned that mycotoxins would contaminate all items that are kept in an environment where mold is present, it seemed like an insurmountable problem: mycotoxins were shown to be resistant to chemicals, heat and UV light and so almost impossible to destroy.
How could we possibly get rid of them? Were all possessions and spaces lost to mold toxins for those of us who react severely to them like I do?
I reasoned that just like molds and other microorganisms have evolved to produce biotoxins that harm other living beings and give them an advantage over other life forms; so there must be microorganisms that evolved to decompose these toxins.
So I was very excited to experiment with EM1 to try to decontaminate my possessions, including cards, clothes, shoes, computer, mobile phone and living spaces.
The results were thrilling.
What is the difference between EM1 and EMA?
EM1 is the product you buy from the manufacturer. It is produced by growing the special blend of microorganisms in a controlled culture.
It is possible to use EM1 liquid as a starting culture and grow the microorganisms using molasses or rice water as their food at home. This fermentation product is called EMA – standing for activated EM.
However, I don't recommend trying to grow your own EM if you live in an environment contaminated with toxic mold or are experiencing bad outdoor toxins, because that might result in your batch growing harmful microorganisms.
EM1 for decontaminating clothes
EM1 is effective for decontaminating clothes contaminated with microbial particulates ("dust") and mold toxins and chemicals.
I use the following procedure for all new clothes and other textiles before they come into my safe space or on clothes that get contaminated with toxic mold when I am wearing them:
Clothes Decontamination with EM
1. use the boiling water protocol to kill any living mold spores/contaminating microorganisms
2. wash with natural laundry product
3. add EM1 to last rinse at a dilution of 1 teaspoon/5L water
4. let dry on a line and leave airing for a few days
The effective microorganisms will digest any contaminating toxins and remove musty odours over the course of a few days
This procedure is the best for items that are not too contaminated. It can be used not only for textiles but also for any other item that can be soaked in boiling water and will result in a good amount of biotoxins being eliminated.
For more heavily contaminated items, it might be necessary to soak with EM1. Use this procedure:
Soaking with EM
1. use the boiling water protocol to kill any living mold spores/contaminating microorganisms
2. wait for the water to cool to body temperature and add EM1 to a dilution of 1:100
- that is 100mL for a 10L bucket
3. leave soaking outdoors without a lid for maximum of 4 days
(warning – toxins released into the air during this time)
4. repeat steps 1 to 3 if contamination is still significant until results are satisfactory
Please note that if your environment is contaminated, there is a risk that something bad might grow in the soaking, though this risk is minimised due to the beneficial effect of EM.
However, it is ESSENTIAL to use boiling water to sterilise the bath before adding EM1 and I also strongly recommend changing the soaking water often as described.
For regular laundry I just wash with laundry soap and then add EM1 on the last rinse, 1 teaspoon/5L water. This helps keep clothes fresh and healthy.
If clothes have been contaminated over a long period of time by being kept in an environment where toxic mold is growing, it will be hard to make them clean enough by any procedure.
If you have lived in a house with toxic mold for more than a few months, your clothes will be likely very contaminated and this contamination will make your healing difficult.
In this case, I recommend replacing your contaminated clothes with new ones and then use EM1 to clean up any contamination that your new clothes might be exposed to when going out.
EM1 for decontaminating plastic, electronics and other items
I have found EM1 to be very effective for decontaminating plastic items, including electronics.
For this purpose I use I use EM1 diluted 1:20 and I put it a small spray bottle that creates a fine spray. I spray items, wipe with a cloth and repeat.
I use this procedure to clean plastic items when I arrive home after I go out, including bank and ID cards, mobile phone and plastic bags.
Spraying these items often with EM will keep mycotoxin contamination very low.
You can use this spray on anything, including money, books, clothes, and surfaces to clean them up and create a healthy environment around you. Note that paper items might wrinkle and stain.
Spraying is also an effective way to decontaminate shoes and I spray my shoes when I arrive home to keep them clean.
EM1 for decontaminating a computer
Computers and other electronic items with fans are harder to decontaminate due to the fact that the fan will pull toxins in and out of the machine.
I spray and wipe the exterior of the computer daily with EM1 as described above.
To help clean up the interior space of the computer and prevent it contaminating the surrounding environment I put EM1 diluted 1:20 on an organic disposable cotton pad (the kind used for cleaning babies) and place it over the fan.
In this way the pad will act as a filter, and the action of the fan will draw good microorganisms in that will help clean the inside of the computer.
After some time running the computer the pad gets quite full of toxins, so I put it in the compost and substitute for a new one.
EM1 for cleaning surfaces and living spaces
The same 1:20 EM1 solution can be used for cleaning kitchen, bathroom, other rooms and furniture. Wipe with a cloth damp in EM1 and then spray to finish it off.
For cleaning stone, tile or wood floors you can pour a solution 1:500 and wipe, or just let it dry.
Note that when cleaning with EM1, if your house is heavily contaminated with mold toxins those will be released into the air over the next few days to weeks and it might make it hard for you if you are very sensitive.
So it is a good idea to keep the windows open and plan not to use the space you are cleaning for some time until the contamination levels die down.
Over time, regular use of EM1 will populate your house with a healthy biome that will help clean up any toxins that come in and prevent toxic organisms from growing in your home.
EM1 can also be used outdoors to clean contaminated soil, as well as help the plants and animals in your garden! For this purpose I use 1:100 dilution in a watering can.
I have successfully used EM1 to clean difficult toxic mold dust contamination in my outdoor home. It works fastest on living soil, but it is effective for decontaminating wood and stone as well.
Thanks to EM1 I have been able to partially recover my health in a space that was previously so contaminated with toxins that bees and flies were dying when they entered the contaminated zone.
I spray my living spaces often, especially if they accidentally become contaminated with toxic particulates ("dust"). Spraying in itself often provides instant relief of symptoms and contamination will clear within hours or 1-2days.
EM1 for personal care and health
Washing and spraying yourself with EM1 is a good way to help create a healthy biome on and inside your body.
It can be a very effective way to deal with infections – just aptly EM1 either undiluted or diluted 1:5 on the affected area. Repeat several times a day until the infection clears.
EM1 has been reported to have been used effectively to heal skin, ear and sinus infections.
It is also very good to ingest EM1 as it will help balance gut flora and clean up toxins that are excreted into the digestive tract.
It is a good idea to start slowly, with 1 drop in half a glass of water and build it up according to what your body can tolerate comfortably, since abdominal discomfort and diarrhoea might happen when first ingesting EM1. This is the result of the gut flora changing and is harmless.
Tolerance will build up in time. After the adjustment period, I recommend 1 teaspoon of EM1 in half a glass of water for daily use. It is best to take it with food, specially starchy food or fruit, so that the microbes can have a source of food to start growing right away.
When I am detoxing heavily and experience stomach and gut pain as a result, I take EM1 several times a day and it helps reduce the pain and other symptoms of detox.
Now for something radical.
I've had very serious problems with my digestive tract, including ulcers, bad infections and excruciating pain for several years. I tried different probiotics and diets but I was never able to fully restore my gut health until I decided to start ingesting good forest earth.
In studying about the gut microbiome I learned that most of the beneficial microorganisms that we need in our guts in order to be healthy are actually native to the soil!
So, why spend money on pills that can never duplicate the true richness and diversity of the microorganisms present in healthy soil?
I decided to try eating earth. For this I dilute 3 serving spoons of good forest soil in a glass of water, stir well and then strain and drink this liquid. I did this every day for several weeks and it felt very positive to my body. At some point I felt I had had enough and didn't need it any more.
The earth needs to be collected fresh each day, as it dries out and loses its power with time.
Now I still take soil when I have particular bad toxins coming out in my bile that cause damage and pain in my guts – the earth helps to neutralise the toxins and stop the pain.
It is also useful to ingest earth after a stomach bug upset.
So, if you live near an area where you can obtain pristine healthy earth from a forest or other natural environment, I suggest you try this.
Adding EM1 to the soil solution will make it even better, turning it into a powerful healing elixir!
Precautions when using EM
It is important to keep the EM1 bottle in a cool and dry place, but not in the fridge.
You should squeeze the bottle after using it to let as much air out as possible before closing the lid. This will keep EM1 fresh for longer.
Use within 3 months after opening.
Diluted solutions should be used within 1-2 days, so be careful not to mix more than you will need.
One person has reported having a bad reaction to EM1, so I recommend everyone to test EM1 first by smelling it and see if any reaction occurs. If not, apply a small quantity on the skin on the inside of the wrist and let it dry. Wait to see if any reaction occurs until the next day.
Some people have considered using foggers to apply EM1 in their home, but I don't think this is a good idea for 2 reasons:
the fog is not a very effective way to apply EM1 on surfaces
the very fine mist full of microorganisms might irritate the lungs and cause adverse reactions
I believe it is better to use a spray bottle or a spray tank if bigger volumes are needed.
Also, as discussed before, I think it is safest not to try to grow your own EM.
I hope everybody can improve their lives and the health of the planet by using EM1. Enjoy!
35 comments - Effective Microorganisms (EM) and Cleaning Biotoxins
The fan will actually stir up the air inside the computer and some toxins will be trapped in the pad (it's not a cloth it's a disposable cotton pad/wipe).
If you don't cover the fan you will notice this release of toxins when you turn on the computer. Many computers can come quite contaminated right from the factory.
There are usually also other smaller air inlets in other sites on the computer, but it is not practical to place a pad other those, so I just spray them with EM and wipe them regularly.
I find this method greatly reduces any contamination coming out of the computer and in time it becomes cleaner and cleaner!
It is not necessary to activate the EM1 for it to work for this purpose. Of course, growing your own EMA would make it much cheaper, but it can be very dangerous when dealing with HT-M, like your case.
The EM I use is actually activated EM that a friend grows in a clean environment and sells. But other people have reported similar results using EM1 directly. Someone even called the manufacturer to ask about this and they confirmed that EM1 and EMA could be used interchangeably.
For drinking however, it is best to always use EM1, because it is purer.
You can spray items inside if they are not very contaminated and there is good ventilation. test it for yourself to see what you can tolerate. You will know if an item is releasing too many toxins and needs to be put away from you.
Do you think it would be bad to drink EM1 if you have sibo? My son and I both have sibo and he hasnt been able to tolerate any probiotics at all.
Like I said, it is normal to have some diarrhoea and a bit of bloating and abdominal pain at first, but it should get better after a few days.
I mean that it has happened to someone that they grew HT-M in their EM batch, but they didn't realise it until it was too late.
But if you use EM1 directly from the botle it is safe. The methods I describe here - the boiling water protocol and EM1 - are what I have used (along with being very careful to avoid cross-contamination) to control my own HT-M problem and I have been able to get clear of it without such extreme measures as others have taken.
Sara you helped me understand the burning toxin. I don't know what would have happened to me without your help. You taught me how to stop it from spreading and clean it up. You also told me when it was time to give up on an item and throw it away. Thank you very much. I hope things work out for the best. I may be offline for awhile after surgery next week. I will be thinking of you and sending positive thoughts.
I want to agree with Laurie Patrick's comments above.
Recently, my apartment got contaminated with a toxin that stings my skin. I was able to clean it off my walls, furniture, and plastic items using EM1 according to your instructions. Thank you so much for posting these instructions! If not for you, I would have had to throw everything away.
If you don't have HT-M in your environment it is generally safe to wash your clothes without using the boiling water protocol. It is only important to use the boiling water protocol for soaking things for extended periods of time.
I recently discovered my long term fibromyalgia and meningoencephalitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome are due to mould CIRS too. Very few practitioners here in Australia know about it and finding information has been very difficult. I have just packed most of my house into storage and thrown many things out.
it's been a really emotional journey, like out of science fiction, and the online community especially patient blogs and forums, have been really helpful in sorting it all out.
I wonder which green clay you are using to brush your teeth?
I found Calcium Bentonite Clay and french green clay on Iherb, but I don't know if these clay's contain heavy metals.
Thanks!
I am excited to start experimenting with EM-1 myself. And I may try the baking soda on my hair and skin some time, although it seems a little strange to me. I do use baking soda on my teeth instead of toothpaste and really like the way it makes my gums feel.
I wonder if you could address the issue of wool items shrinking with the boiling water protocol, as well as the ubiquitous 5 % spandex being added to so many leggings and jeans. I usually was my stuff in cold water because I thought hot water damages most fabrics. But your idea that letting the boiling water slowly cool and then rinsing in water of the same temperature is interesting -- could you explain why this prevents shrinkage?
I am also wondering what would happen if I put a little EM-1 in the washer and let it sit there overnight. The washing machine started smelling like mold; we did a wash with bleach, and now I don't want to open it! I was thinking of using just 1 tsp diluted in a cup of water and quickly closing the door. Then tomorrow morning we could start running the washer to get it to cover everything and go down the drain pipes. I suspect in most washers that incomplete drainage is where mold starts to grow.
It is true that clay can contain heavy metals. When the composition of the clay is not specified on the package, I believe the best is to always trust what your body tells you. If, when you try the clay it feels "wrong" and just tastes very unpleasant, don't use it. This happened to me with another brand of clay I tried.
Many people are ingesting bentonite clay to bind mold toxins, so I assume it is safe for this use and for brushing your teeth.
I don't think the clay need to be green clay, any clay that feels pleasant to taste to you should be good for this purpose.
Thank you, it is good to know you appreciate my work.
Washing wool. I learned how to wash wool when I started buying organic wool clothes and they came with instructions, and also by making many mistakes. What makes wool shrink is not the hot water in itself, it is hot water + agitation. Or a cold water shock.
So if you don't touch the wool after you pour boiling water over it, it shrinkage should be minimal. Wool can be washed in warm water up to 40ºC, as long as the water temperature remains the same throughout the washing and rinsing. The higher temperatures allow more release of dirt and toxins from the fabric!
It is hard to decontaminate an automatic washing machine because they are designed to use little water.
Using lots of lots of water to rinse items is very important to get mycotoxins and mold particulates out.
You can try to do several (at least 4x) empty loads with the maximum temperature and a lot of soapnuts soap.
Then follow up with 2x empty load with 100ml (about half a glass) of concentrated EM1 per load, at a warm temperature (30-40ºC).
Spray the drum with EM1 1:20 and let it sit for at least a week or 2 before trying it out to wash clothes.
If you are using EM1 in your washing machine, it is important not to use borax, or any other harsh chemical or detergent, so that EM1 might colonise your machine and keep it clean. The detergent I have found most compatible with EM1 is soapnuts liquid.
Nancy
10 years ago I survived toxic black mold, got rid of all my belongings and went through a serious trauma over the whole thing.
I work in a school and in one classroom there is toxic mold. The women who have moved into that classroom, I am very sensitive to them. I did warn them, but they moved in anyway. I am now feeling the same reactions I had 10 years ago when I am in the photocopy room, etc. I'm afraid that the mycotoxins will cross contaminate, etc. I'm not sure if it entered my car. In the last few days when I've been putting my hands on the steering wheel, I have felt the reaction in my hands. This morning I just put EM1 on the steering wheel. Do you think this will really kill any mycotoxins that I may come into contact with? I hate feeling like the world is so unsafe. I am debating about moving schools but I am also fearful that it could happen at another school too. Is it better for me to stay there knowing where it is? Thanks for this blog! I feel so isolated again. Some of my friends of course think I'm crazy! I truly hope that this product will armor me against mycotoxin exposure. Also, what is your opinion of bentonite clay?
Can you tell me how often you spray EM around the house? I am having allergic reactions to mold, and would like to rid our home if it. We have tried peroxide, ethyl alcohol, vinegar, and wiped a small amount of mold off of our bamboo sofa, washed moldy clothing, and other personal items.
Am I to spray walls, counters, floors, etc..on a daily basis?
However, if the mold is toxigenic, it is dangerous to disturb it and removing the affected wood can spread mycotoxins all over the house, increasing the problem. So great care and special protocols need to be used in this case. I recommend contacting a professional remediation company to assess the situation.
I recommend focusing on keeping your house very clean and free from this contamination that is affecting you, as well as supporting your detox system with good supplements. This might make it possible for you to endure the contamination you are exposed to at the school without major effects.
I don't feel I can give you more accurate advice without knowing more details about your specific situation. You can contact me to book a mentoring session if you would like to discuss more. See http://beyond-mold-thriving.mozello.com/mentoring/ for info on this.
I am following your tips trying to read my home of mycotoxins after more remediation. Should I expect this will take time? For example if I spray an area where I know there’s a lot of toxins, should I expect it to off gas a bit of more toxins for a few days, or a week? Would you suggest that I spray that area often during this process, and continue until the toxic off gassing subsides? I’ve just tried a few areas, but I can tell that it feels worse rather than better. I’m just wondering if I should continue spraying that area and get it out.