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So you’re finally fed up with your damp, moldy home. You want to go outside, and breathe in some fresh, clean, mold-free air. You decide to head to a ball game and enjoy the stadium, peanut-vendors, and camaraderie of the athletic competition. Here, you believe you can enjoy a day without mold. But you’d be wrong.

There is seemingly no escape as a recent review by ESPN found mold, mouse droppings, and cockroaches infesting pretty much all of our nation’s biggest sporting arenas. They reviewed health department inspection reports from 2009 for food and beverage outlets at 107 professional arenas and stadiums, places where we go to watch live baseball, football, and hockey teams.

Sometimes, more than half of those arena concession stands or restaurants were cited for “critical” or “major” health violations. Among other things, mold was found on ice where food and cold drinks are stored. It makes sense; mold loves food and water, so it’s no surprise that these food vendors are creating an ideal ecosystem for mold to thrive.

The worse sports venue? The Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Here every single one of its vendors were cited for violations. So when you watch a Washington Capitals game, don’t forget to order a moldy hotdog with a side of mouse droppings. Yum!

While this study was limited to mold on food, I would also be curious about mold growing in the HVAC systems, bathrooms, and other water-rich places in these arenas. Hockey arenas are probably very susceptible to mold since they are climate-controlled and literally filled with frozen water.

I would encourage these facilities to look into mold removal companies and specialists that can offer an inexpensive mold removal estimate. Guardian Preservation offers a unique approach on mold removal that uses a naturally-occurring enzyme to seek out, break down, and eliminate mold. It’s safe, effective, and cheaper than older alternatives.

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When we think of mothers, words like loving, caring, and selfless come to mind.  With Mother’s Day only a few days away, many of us are scrambling trying to figure out what to get the important women in our lives.  Well don’t fret, I’m going to give you some great ideas that mom is sure to love!

Check out these natural and green gift ideas that will put a smile on her face and help the earth at the same time: 

Customized Tote: Imprint mom’s favorite photo on one of these organic totes and fill it with her favorite goodies: http://www.itsonlynaturalgifts.com/Organic_and_Natural_Mother_s_Day_Gifts_s/28.htm

Give to Charity: Moms understand the value of helping others more than anyone else, so why not honor her by donating to those in need? The International Rescue Committee provides prenatal care for expectant mothers and kits to families who need cooking and hygiene materials in war-torn countries: http://www.fromharmtohome.org/

Organic Bouquet: What woman doesn’t love flowers? These beautiful flowers are all organically grown and gentle on the earth. The packaging is green and biodegradable, but still innovative and stylish:  http://www.organicbouquet.com/c_38/eco-friendly/Mothers-Day-Gifts.html

Green Books: Companies like Chronicle Books provide a wide variety of books that come from in-house recycling programs within their Energy-Star certified building, and they carefully source paper from FSC and PEFC sources to continually reduce and reuse their paper volume: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/

Pamper her with Beauty: After all their hard work day after day, moms deserve a little pampering.  Saffron Rouge provides organic beauty products such as lotions, makeup, and hair products.  All products are safe and made without plastics, artificial fragrances, silicones, or dyes: http://www.saffronrouge.com/

If you’ve read this blog before, you know I believe in the importance of using natural products and protecting the earth. We should all do our part to keep the earth and our families safe and protected.   My company Guardian Preservation Services and I would like to thank all those mothers out there for all they do, and we wish them a Happy Mother’s Day!

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Most companies strive to run their business ethically, following the laws and regulations that are required of them.  Unfortunately, there are some bad seeds out there. Corrupt businesses that take advantage of innocent consumers, break the law, and expect to never get caught.

A bad seed was recently exposed out of Orlando Florida.  A company that provided mold testing and mold removal has been accused of running a fraud scheme.  The owner of Protective Solutions in FL is facing more than three dozen criminal charges, including falsifying testing records, grand theft, and insurance fraud.  

Authorities are saying that the owner was providing fictitious laboratory reports to clients that were extremely technical, when in reality the tests never even took place.  He then proceeded to offer mold removal services, tearing out walls, carpet and flooring to remove mold that wasn’t there.  And if there was mold, it was not being removed properly. 

According to the Department of Environmental Protection, this fraud caused many clients to move or lose their homes.  Authorities say Protective Solutions raked in over $239,000 in fraudulent revenue and hit more than 29 victims in the process.  

This story is so disturbing to me because those innocent clients trusted the company to help them with a serious problem, and in turn their money was taken and the problem remained.  As a consumer, it’s important to know and trust the mold removal company you hire.  Do they inform you on their process and the steps they plan to take?  Do they use a third party laboratory that provides testing reports?  Do they provide you with a warranty?

Protect yourself from business scams.  If you have a mold problem and are looking for a credible, trustworthy mold removal company, check out Guardian Preservation Services.  We use third party labs, provide free educational materials and information on our processes, and we even give a lifetime warranty.

I’ve seen mold eat just about everything; wood, fabrics, plastics, concrete, and even metals. The more organic and natural, the tastier it is to mold. Right now we’re seeing quicker mold growth in our homes because more organic materials, such as gypsum wallboard and dry wall, are being used in home construction. This is costing home owners a lot in mold remediation and mold removal products.

Now, it looks like we found something that not even mold will eat. A New York photographer bought a Happy Meal from McDonald’s six months ago and has photographed its decomposition every few days.

So how does the fried food hold up? Well, it appears to be unchanged and undisturbed by molds and bacteria. It’s a little scary when nature itself does not consider the Happy “Meal” to be food at all. Or, as Mike Adams of Natural News puts it, “There is only one species on planet Earth that’s stupid enough to think a McDonald’s hamburger is food.”

But let’s give McDonald’s a break here. It’s true that many processed foods won’t decompose. For example, margarine never becomes moldy and potato chips can last for decades. Also, the primary reason why a hamburger patty wouldn’t decompose is that it has such high sodium content, and McDonald’s meat patties are loaded with them. Of course, there are also the unnatural chemicals that are put into the food.

Okay, that might cut the meat a break but what about the bun and fries? That’s where things get scary. Bread typically gets moldy within three days, but Mother Nature’s little decomposers haven’t touched this food for over six months. I’m willing to bet even the toy that came with the Happy Meal is starting to show a little mold by now.

McDonald’s defense of this is basically, “Well any fast-food from another chain wouldn’t decompose either. Why are you picking on us?”

So this gives me an idea to put all mold removal specialists and mold remediation companies out of business. Let’s just start building our homes out of fast-food hamburger patties!

Although this story may or may not surprise you, do not be surprised to find mold growing on things on your home. It loves to grow in dark, unseen places. If you suspect you have mold, check out this approach to removing natural mold with a natural mold remover.

It seems like every time I turn around I hear of a school that has discovered a mold problem. It’s most commonly due to buildings not being properly regulated and maintained, or they’ve ignored the problem all together. I have not reported on every incident of school mold since there are literally hundreds. But I am following them to see how school officials deal with the issue since there can be many startling developments with these cases.

One incident that sparked my interested occurred in Pleasantville, New Jersey, where Superintendent Gloria Grantham is taking a lot of heat from school board officials who voted 5-4 to send Grantham on paid leave while an investigation into Leeds Avenue School’s mold removal problems is conducted. Mold was found in the elementary school and Grantham decided to delay classes until mold removal efforts could clean the school.

The opening of Leeds Avenue School was initially delayed for a second, and then a third time, as the mold removal efforts failed as more mold was found. Originally, only the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms were closed on the lower level. Later, mold was found on the second floor as well. Students were shipped off on buses to makeshift classrooms at a local church.

Grantham kept the school closed based on the recommendations of a consultant from Hammonton-based Coastal Environmental Compliance. “I have your children’s best interests in my mind and that is why I closed the school,” Grantham said. A week prior, three board members sent a letter to the governor asking for intervention at the school, citing violated ethics rules and corruption. Grantham herself filed a harassment complaint against another board member with the Pleasantville Police Department.

Some say that blaming Grantham for the mold removal setbacks is just a way to get rid of her for other reasons. Whether this is true or not, building administrators should take note. Even though building maintenance crews are tasked with regular maintenance to prevent mold, you are the person in charge and your job is at stake.

Whether you are in charge of a school, an office building, or a firehouse, you are ultimately the person who is blamed by employees, students, and parents if there is a mold issue. I would suggest you consult a reputable mold removal company if you are concerned with mold. A mold remediation company that uses Oceanic as a mold remover can eliminate mold in about 48-hours. This is a wise way to protect your building occupants as well as your own job.