Green Mold Cleaner
What's a good homemaker to use for an effective mold cleaner? One thing we can tell you, it won't be any toxic commercial chemical cleaners for us! Not with two family members who suffer from asthma, plus a beloved dog and cat we want to protect from toxic exposure.
So what's the solution? Green cleaning! Environmentally friendly cleaning using natural household products have been around for decades. If you think that these methods work for everyday dirt but not for something as disgustingly scary as mold and mildew, you are mistaken.
As it turns out, there's more than one natural way to clean mold and mildew. These ways are just as effective, and less harmful to the environment, than the widely advertised chemical-based household cleaners touted to kill mold and mildew. Plus, we won't be exposing our family, pets and guests to the inevitable residue that chemical products leave behind. Those chemicals have been linked to everything from skin irritations to asthma attacks to cancer (whoa!).
These mold cleaners are made of products we already had at home. Some we found easily from a local health foods store.
The first recipe we found for a green cleaning solution is something that can work on many things in the home that may harbor mold and mildew, including bathroom accessories such as rugs and toilet seat covers, walls and tile grout. It's surprisingly simple: Mix 2 teaspoons of some aromatic essential oil such as tea tree with 2 cups of water. Put this mixture into a clean spray bottle and shake well. Spray it on the mildewed or moldy area and leave it. Tea tree oil has a very strong smell, but it will dissipate over time.
One of our favorite natural cleaning products is white vinegar. It's amazingly effective and inexpensive; white vinegar comes in gallon jugs at the grocery store! All you have to do is spray undiluted white distilled vinegar directly onto the area and let it sit without rinsing (except for tile grout, where it should be wiped away). Again, the smell goes away in a short while – as does the mold!
This next solution works especially well on bathroom surfaces and in the bath tub, since it rinses away with leaving any annoying grit behind. It's not recommended for use on fabrics.
Mix together 1/2 cup of baking soda with a small amount of eco-friendly liquid detergent (check the label for any potentially hazardous chemicals). Add just enough detergent to turn the baking soda into a paste. Apply the paste using a sponge or a rag to the affected area. Wash and rinse thoroughly, and wipe down.
When it comes to an effective mold cleaner, it isn't enough just to clean away the visible signs of the infestation (mold is a living organism). That's because mold can be a health hazard even when a person isn't allergic. Mold thrives in damp, so when it's found, dry out anything that could harbor it, especially closets, basements and carpets. Fix any leaks in roofs or plumbing and be sure to wipe up spills.
Once again, it's tea tree oil to the rescue! Spray the tea tree solution outlined above on any moldy spots. You should see results quickly, and it can be used anywhere, from ceiling leaks to moldy shower curtains. Plus, the solution will last a long time left in its spray bottle.
Finally, we also found a recipe for a solution that uses odorless citrus seed extract instead of tea tree oil, for those who can't abide the tea tree smell. This extract is usually made from grapefruit seeds. Mix 2 cups of water with 20 drops of citrus seed extract water in a sprayer bottle, shake well to blend thoroughly, and spray wherever mold is seen. Leave it on; don't rinse. This solution also will store indefinitely in its bottle.
Any of these methods work well for mildew and as an effective eco-friendly mold cleaner.
Happy cleaning.