Homemade Natural Anti Mold and Mildew Spray

If there is one household chore that I hate doing the most, it would be cleaning the toilet, most especially the shower area. Those dark green or black fungi I called mold is a regular tenant of our bathroom shower area. They have already developed a special attachment to my beloved shower curtain.

Mold and mildew are common problem in bathrooms because of moisture. Yeah, fungi love moisture. If your bathroom doesn’t have any ventilation to exhaust moist air, then you just created a perfect environment for these fungi to grow. Mold and mildew, if left untreated, can cause respiratory problems like nasal congestion, coughing and difficulty breathing to name a few. Unfortunately, most of us will normally just use harmful chemical like bleach to remove mold and mildew. Luckily, you can actually create your own anti mold and mildew spray that is eco-friendly and won’t harm your kids and pets.

Ingredients

(Makes one 100ml spray bottle)

White vinegar

Distilled water

15 drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil

Instructions

1. Fill the spray bottle with 50/50 mix of white vinegar and distilled water.

2. Add the essential oil.

3. Shake well to mix everything together.

How to use

[For Prevention]

1. Shake the bottle well before use.

2. Spray the solution directly on areas that are prone to mold and mildew (e.g. bathroom). Leave it to dry (do not rinse). It is best to do this once or twice a week.

[For Mold and Mildew Removal]

1. Shake the bottle well before use.

2. Spray the solution directly on the moldy area and let it sit for a few minutes.

3. Wipe away with a cloth or kitchen paper towel. It is advisable to wear rubber gloves while doing this so that you won't touch the mold and mildew directly.

4. Repeat as needed.

Now, let us dig deeper into each of the ingredients. The most important ingredient is the vinegar – known as the all-around natural cleaner. Vinegar has a pH of 2 which makes it the perfect mold killer since molds prefer pH between 5 and 6. The acetic acid content of vinegar can break down the mold’s structure and kill it. Mycologia, Australia’s most experienced group of Mold, Indoor Air Quality and Asbestos experts, is also an advocate of using white vinegar instead of bleach to eliminate mold. On the other hand, both lavender and tea tree essential oils are known for their antifungal properties. For instance, according to this research study, tea tree oil is able to prevent the growth of several species of fungi which also makes it an effective solution against mold and mildew infestation in your home.

I have been using this anti mold and mildew spray on my shower curtain for 2 months already and I still haven’t seen any sign of mold and mildew. It really works! Using this solution regularly will make your bathroom cleaning a lot easier. Finally, don’t worry about the vinegar smell, it will eventually fade away after an hour.

Does this all-natural solution work for you? Let me know on the comment section below.