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3 Ways to Kill Mold Naturally
By Annie B. Bond, author of Home Enlightenment (Rodale, 2005).
A proliferation of mold and mildew can be the hallmark of hot and humid summers. I have a friend who has green mold growing on the shoes in her closet! A humidifier might be the best help for her, but there are also three natural materials that can be used as a spray to kill mold and mildew. They are all an excellent substitute for less environmentally safe bleach.
Learn these three tricks for killing mold and mildew. One of these you most likely already have in your kitchen cupboard.
Over the years I have found three natural ingredients that kill
mold: Tea tree oil (an essential oil found in most health food
stores), grapefruit seed extract and vinegar. There are pros
and cons of each, but all three work. Vinegar is by far the cheapest.
Tea tree oil is expensive, but it is a broad spectrum fungicide
and seems to kill all the mold families it contacts. The problem is
that it has a very strong smell, but that dissipates in a few days.
Grapefruit seed extract is also expensive, but has no smell.
Click here for how to use these three ingredients in your home to
kill mold and mildew.
Mold can be dangerous to your health, even if you aren’t allergic.
Many people react to mold by getting tired and even depressed.
Try to stay on top of moisture and mold as soon as either arises.
Dry out anything that is damp, such as basements (use a
dehumidifier) and carpets. Fix leaks in plumbing and roofs.
Wipe up spills. Make sure water doesn’t escape from shower
curtains. Vigilance will pay off!
Tea Tree Treasure
Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray.
I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof,
on a musty bureau, a musty rug and a moldy shower curtain. Tea
tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note
that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will
dissipate in a few days.
2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem
areas. Do not rinse. Makes about 2 cups, lasts indefinitely.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
The advantage of using grapefruit seed extract instead of tea tree
oil for killing mold is that it is odorless.
20 drops grapefruit seed extract
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem
areas. Do not rinse. Makes about 2 cups, lasts indefinitely.
Vinegar Spray
Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour
some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle,
spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you
can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.
More from Annie B. Bond (3188 articles available)
Better Basics for the Home
Natural living has reached the mainstream: we are now far more concerned about the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the chemicals that surround us, and recognize that government regulations all too often fall short of safeguarding our health. Enter Annie Berthold-Bond, whose Better Basics for the Home is a compendium of practical information -- recipes, tips, and guidelines -- for creating a simpler, cheaper and environmentally safer lifestyle.buy nowrelated stories
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89 comments
add your comment »I live in an apartment that is driving me crazy. the mold is so bad that it has ruined a book shelf, blankets and is making me sick. I can see it on the walls at the floor. there are a few patches on the ceiling too. I use fans to try and keep it dry in here... The humidity is so bad in the apartment the windows are covered in water. When I asked the management to fix the problem they told me to put bleach on it! What should i do?
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Tami, your problem may be a leaky roof! Mold likes warmth more than cold so the lack of heat probably kept it from being even worse. So why is so much mold growing in a cold attic, and from the ceiling down? It has to be moisture. Even if you don't see dripping leaks, moisture could be seeping through, especially if snow/ice/water are sitting on the roof. So long as there's that much dampness, the mold will keep coming back, too, so don't think just cleaning off the mold you have will solve the problem. Good luck!
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i am kinda freaking out. i've had some strange allergies lately. thought it was an acquired seasonal thing. putting together that it may be mold. i work in an old building with mold issues. my old basement has mold. and i just found mold under my mattress. i'll try one of these methods and let you know how it goes.
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Mold is killed by oxydation, the very best natural oxydizer is Hydrogen Peroxide, yet it is very safe. When Hydrogen Peroxide comes in contact with organic materials such as mold a natural burning process begins pure oxygen is relased that is more than the mold can handle and it dies. The wetting process is helpful because it keeps the mold from becoming airborne. Spray 50- 50 solution of 3% H2o2 let the mold die then use a wet vac to remove the mold.
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Mold is killed by oxydation, the very best natural oxydizer is Hydrogen Peroxide, yet it is very safe. When Hydrogen Peroxide comes in contact with organic materials such as mold a natural burning process begins pure oxygen is relased that is more than the mold can handle and it dies. The wetting process is helpful because it keeps the mold from becoming airborne. Spray 50- 50 solution of 3% H2o2 let the mold die then use a wet vac to remove the mold.
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Josie,
I read your question and it made me think of the problem we are dealing with right now. We just bought our house and one of the rooms had a moldy smell that kept getting stronger and we didn't know where it was coming from. There were no visible signs of moisture or mold. I did a "sniff" test and found the smell strong between the carpet and floorboard under a window. Make a long story short, we tore open the wall and there was the mold under the window. If your room is musty smelling, try "sniffing" it out and see if you can pin point it with your nose. It may be in one of your walls. I know, it's a pain, but mold must be dealt with! And, sorry Kim, but ozone is not good to breathe. There's many reports about it causing lung cancer and other problems. It's very unhealthy. Yes, it may kill odors and such, but it may be killing people too. I have an ozone machine and thought it was the greatest thing until I heard all the reports against it. Only use an ozone machine when not in the room, then air out the room before going in there.
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Harry,
Try washing the clothes with white vinegar, about a cup in the wash water with the detergent, then some in the rinse, too. I know this works on mildew.
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I am very mold sensitive. it has driven me out of cars bedrooms and bathrooms. Ozone has never worked. also have bags of clothes that were once good but became moldy. what is good formula to rid clothes of mold?
Harry
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I have a room with a musty smell. There's no bathroom near it and there's no sign of mildew. The carpet is dry, the walls are dry and I don't know where the smell is coming from. I had the carpet cleaned, twice, and the smell came back. Wheat should I do? Thanks.
Josie Garza
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Hi all,
When it became cold outside this year, we closed the attic windows, as we always do. This year we also blocked off the heat to the 2nd story of our home (we don't really need it) and needless to say there are no vents in our attic!! Anyway, I had to go up in the attic a week ago for something and was horrified to see mold all over the ceiling of the attic. It literally looks like it snowed upside down in there!! Did this come from blocking off the heat and have no ventilation up there and does anyone have ideas on how to get rid of it? Will the vinegar to the trick?? HELP!!!!!
Thanks in advance,
Tami
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