Mold Removal without Bleach

lottie

Mold Removal with Borax
There are many advantages to using borax to kill mold. For starters, borax is a natural cleaning product and although it is toxic if you swallow it, borax does not emit chemicals or dangerous fumes like some other mold killers. Borax, a white mineral powder, has a pH level of about 9 (baking soda is pH 8.1 and pH 7 is neutral) and a low toxicity.

Borax is commonly used as a deodorizer as well as for cleaning toilets and drains. Borax is also used as an insecticide, herbicide and fungicide and it can be mixed with water in a solution to kill and remove mold as it is a natural mold inhibitor. You can buy borax in supermarkets for a few dollars from the laundry section.

Directions:

Create a borax-water solution using a ratio of 1 cup of borax per gallon of water.
Vacuum up any loose mold with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner to lessen the number of spores stirred up into the air during the cleaning process.
Use a scrubbing brush with the borax-water solution to scrub the mold off the surface.
Wipe up any extra moisture and excess mold particles or dust/debris to prevent them spreading into the air once the surface has dried.
You don't need to rinse off the borax as the solution will prevent more mold beginning to grow on the surface again. Leave the surface to dry completely.

Mold Removal with Vinegar
Vinegar is a mild acid which can kill 82% of mold species. However it also has the advantages of being natural and safe. Vinegar is non-toxic and doesn't give off dangerous fumes like bleach does.

Directions:

Use white distilled vinegar which you can buy cheaply from the supermarket.
Pour some vinegar into a spray bottle without watering it down.
Spray the vinegar onto the moldy surface and leave it to sit for an hour.
Wipe clean the area with water and allow the surface to dry. Any smell from the vinegar should clear within a few hours.
If you want to use vinegar to prevent mold growing on surfaces just spray vinegar on the surface and leave it. Repeat this every few days to ensure the surface will stay mold-free. You can even mop your tiled bathroom floor or other hard non-porous floors with vinegar if you are worried about mold growing on them.

Mold Removal 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.

Directions:

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.

Mold Removal 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.

Directions:

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.

Mold Removal 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 anti-fungal, 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.

Directions:

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.