*note this article has one affiliate link at the end of travel insurance. If you use the link I will receive a commission at no cost to you.
After a big flight one of the best feelings is checking into the new accomodation, having a shower and a rest on the bed with smooth fresh sheets.
After booking the airbnb or hotel from the other side of the world you can only hope that you’ve made the right choice.
My girlfriend is always happy with a comfortable pillow, bed, a nice shower, a clean place and a bonus is a nice view and a lot of natural light.
When arriving in a new location we always choose a place in a central location to get a feel for the area and for ease of exploring.
Another thing we do is we only ever book for a few days incase there are major issues.
And no matter the reviews, there can be problems. And with 5 years of travel we’ve seen it all.
Loud music, construction, barking dogs all night, people in apartments beside us working late at night in a different time zone, terrible lighting, horrible internet… the list goes on.
Accomodation is the cornerstone of a great experience vs a nightmare. So if we ever find ourselves in a nightmare, by booking only a few days we haven’t wasted our money and can move on. This time with a better understanding of the area as now that we’ve arrived we can see with our own eyes.
But there is one issue I have yet to mention.
This issue can be very difficult to see and can wreak havoc on a persons health. We’ve had friends who have taken years to recover, otherwise healthy friends.
Have you guessed it yet?
It is mold exposure. And even worse, mold poisoning.
Mold is everywhere and it is impossible to eradicate completely. But minimising exposure is so important as it can be debilitating.
I have written this article to bring awareness to my readers so that you can make an informed decision when you travel as so many people have no idea it exists as such a big problem.
The pandemic has accelerated the problem. Many hotels and accomodation shut down for 2 years and with this came a lack of air circulation, dampness and humidity. This is a breeding ground for mold.
Mold can be anywhere. It can be in your air conditioning, spitting mold spores at you as you lay there in bed sleeping.
It can be in your bathroom (and it commonly is).
It can grow on the walls and on the ceiling.
Unfortunately, mold can be difficult to eradicate and often needs to be done professionally and with the lack of income for many accomodation businesses during the pandemic, the simplest thing to do is to just paint over it, making it more difficult to see. However this does nothing for our health, in fact it just makes it more dangerous as people are unable to see it.
How do you know if you’ve been a victim of mold exposure?
There are many signs of mold exposure and I will link an article as I don’t claim to be an expert. My purpose is just to bring awareness of mold sickness.
But if you have been feeling off and can not work out what is wrong with you, have you ever considered it could be the mold in your accomodation?
Click here: Mold in your house to see some signs if you may have been affected.
Become aware of mold and please share this article with your fellow travellers to spread the word. Especially if you are travelling and staying in accomodation for long periods of time.
Mold Exposure over a long period of time can poison you and be extremely dangerous for health.
If you do notice mold in an accomodation, be sure to let the owner know. I don’t leave bad reviews as sometimes people genuinely don’t understand the issues it can cause, but making them aware gives them the opportunity to address it.
Not my most exciting article so far, but after so many chats and an audience of like minded people, this is one I felt was important to share.
Safe and healthy travels everyone,
Brendo
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