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Kill mold with Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide kills mold as it is anti-fungal as well as anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Hydrogen peroxide is a good alternative to chlorine bleach because it is safe to use and doesn’t damage the environment, nor does it leave behind toxic residue or produce toxic fumes like chlorine bleach does. You can buy hydrogen peroxide from drug stores for around one dollar for a bottle of 3% concentration.
Hydrogen peroxide kills mold effectively on many materials such as clothes, floors, bathroom fixtures, walls and items such as kitchen appliances. Since hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent it may also help fade the stain mold leaves behind. Spot test hydrogen peroxide on the material you’re going to be cleaning to make sure it won’t fade the material’s colors.
How to Kill Mold with Hydrogen Peroxide
•To kill mold pour 3% concentration hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle.
•Spray the moldy surface completely so that the moldy areas are saturated with hydrogen peroxide.
•Leave the surface to sit for 10 minutes while the hydrogen peroxide kills the mold.
•Then scrub the area to make sure to remove all the mold and mold stains.
•Finally wipe the surface down to remove residual mold and spores.
You can also use vinegar with hydrogen peroxide during the cleaning to more effectively remove the mold. Afterwards store the spray bottle in a dark place since light diminishes hydrogen peroxide’s effectiveness.
Kill Mold with Baking Soda
Baking soda is well known as a natural and safe household cleaner. But you can also use baking soda to kill mold in your home. Unlike other mold killers which contain harsh chemicals, baking soda is mild (pH of 8.1) and harmless to your family and any pets.
Besides killing mold, baking soda also deodorizes and so using it can get rid of the smell mold leaves in your home. Baking soda also absorbs moisture to help keep mold away.
Vinegar is often used along with baking soda when cleaning up a mold problem since vinegar kills different species of mold to baking soda.
How to Kill Mold with Baking Soda
•Add one quarter of a tablespoon of baking soda to a spray bottle of water.
•Shake the bottle to dissolve the baking soda into the water.
•Spray the moldy area with the baking soda and water solution.
•Then use a sponge or scrubbing brush to make sure to remove all the mold from the surface.
•Once you’ve scrubbed away the mold rinse the surface with water to remove any residual mold on the surface.
•Spray the area with the spray bottle again and let the surface dry. This will kill any left over mold and prevent the mold returning.
•You can use a cloth instead of a spray bottle to clean mold with baking soda.
•Soak a cloth in water and then add one quarter of a tablespoon of baking soda to it.
•Use the cloth on the moldy area to remove the mold with the baking soda and water solution.
Kill Mold with Tea Tree Oil
Of all the natural mold killing solutions tea tree oil is the most effective. Although it is also expensive, a small amount of tea tree oil goes a long way in killing mold.
Tea tree oil is an essential oil which is harmless to people and pets. Tea tree oil is antifungal, capable of killing all types of molds. Tea tree oil is antibacterial as well.
You can buy tea tree oil for about $10 for a small bottle from most natural food stores. Make sure the tea tree oil you buy is derived from the Melaleuca Alternifolia, which is the technical name for tea tree, as not all brands always are.
How to Kill Mold with Tea Tree Oil
•To kill mold using tea tree oil add water to a spray bottle, keeping in mind how many cups it takes to fill the bottle.
•Next add tea tree oil at the ratio of 1 teaspoon per cup of water that went into the spray bottle.
•Spray the solution on the moldy surface.
•There is no need to rinse since leaving the tea tree oil on the surface will kill the mold and prevent it from returning.
•An alternative to using a spray bottle is to use a rag or cloth with the tea tree oil solution to clean away mold.
•First create a solution of tea tree oil and water in the ratio of 1 teaspoon per cup of water.
•Use a cloth to apply the solution to the moldy surface and scrub the mold away.
•Again, you do not need to rinse the surface afterwards.
Tea tree oil has a strong smell but it will go away after some time. You can keep and use the solution you have made for a long time afterwards as tea tree oil does not lose its potency quickly.
Kill Mold with Grapefruit Seed Extract
Grapefruit seed extract is similar to tea tree oil in that it is an expensive but very effective natural mold killer. The advantage of grapefruit seed extract over tea tree oil however is that it has almost no odor. Like tea tree oil you can buy grape fruit seed extract from most health food stores.
Grapefruit seed extract kills mold naturally as the citric acid from the grapefruit attacks mold. Grapefruit seed extract also disinfects areas and deodorizes as well. Like tea tree oil, a small amount of grapefruit seed extract goes a long way in killing mold.
How to Kill Mold with Grapefruit Seed Extract
•To kill mold with grapefruit seed extract create a solution of grapefruit seed extract and water in a spray bottle in the ratio of 10 drops of grapefruit seed extract per cup of water.
•Shake the spray bottle to mix the solution thoroughly and then spray it onto the surface where mold is growing.
•You do not need to rinse the solution away afterwards although you can use a cloth to wipe away the mold and solution after some minutes if you like. The longer grapefruit seed extract is in contact with mold the more it will cut through and kill the mold colony and prevent mold from returning.
•Repeat if needed to more thoroughly remove mold from the surface.
The grapefruit seed extract solution in the spray bottle will remain potent for a long time and can be reused again and again as grapefruit seed extract has a long shelf life.