Mold, Indoor Air Quality, and Building a Healthy Home with Michael Rubino Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews mold remediation and indoor air quality expert Michael Rubino of Home Cleanse and the Change the Air Foundation about mold, indoor air quality, and creating a healthy home. Rubino describes entering the field after Hurricane Sandy, observing people remaining ill despite cosmetic restorations driven by insurance limits and cost-cutting, and notes an EPA statistic that people spend about 90% of their time indoors. They discuss widespread water damage in homes, mold and bacteria as linked problems, and how new construction can develop mold from poor material handling and inadequate moisture control. Rubino addresses wildfire-related indoor contamination (heavy metals, VOCs, ash), recommends dust and VOC testing, critiques fogging and bleach-based approaches, emphasizes HVAC maintenance and filtration, and outlines the foundation's education, research, and policy goals.

00:59 Meet Michael Rubino

01:50 Why Indoor Air Matters

03:26 Hurricane Sandy Wakeup

05:40 Insurance Drives Remediation

06:45 Mold Coverage Caps

08:57 Denied Claim Story

11:13 How Common Is Water Damage

12:14 Mold In New Builds

17:49 Dried In Explained

19:09 Fire Smoke Toxins Indoors

22:35 Testing After Fires

27:15 Drywall And Safer Walls

29:14 Mold Inspection Dust Test

30:10 ERMI Confusion Solved

32:48 Ordering And Next Steps

32:57 Mold Plus Bacteria

34:02 Mold vs Bacteria Basics

34:54 Next Wave Testing

35:41 Bleach Fogging Myths

37:00 Porous vs Nonporous Cleanup

40:42 What to Toss or Keep

42:26 Tape Testing Belongings

45:12 Laundry and Air Purifiers

46:37 Filters MERV and Ozone

50:30 Ventilation Fires Humidity

53:02 Change the Air Mission

57:01 HVAC Lungs of Home

01:01:20 Clinician Takeaways Wrap

01:03:21 Where to Find More

Michael Rubino is one of the country's leading experts on mold remediation and indoor air quality. He's the founder of HomeCleanse, Chairman of the Change the Air Foundation, and he is also a council-certified Mold Remediator by IICRC and ACAC and a contributing member, sponsor, and speaker for the Indoor Air Quality Association. He is also the host of the Never Been Sicker podcast.

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.