Looking for a natural mold killer? Look no further! This non-toxic DIY spray is a safe and effective way to kill mold in any part of your home. Best of all, I took a deep dive into the science of each oil and make sure it’s proven effective against many different spores and forms of mold. Plus, I use a lot of cleaners from this post for prevention.
It happened.. we got mold in our van air conditioner! YIKES. The same AC that is blowing air into our van and lungs any day it’s super hot out. Since toxic bleach isn’t an option, I set out to create a DIY natural mold killer and it worked! You don’t have to worry about this one hurting you if it touches your skin or is inhaled because it’s completely natural.
Do you know what’s in bleach?
Here’s a little looksie into Chlorox Bleach, it doesn’t have a very good rating from the EWG. Besides the fact that bleach is filled with undisclosed toxic chemicals that cause skin erosion, they refuse to share their product ingredient label. Cool. If the product requires you call poison control if it’s ingested.. probably should look for a cleaner option.
Instead, we use the DIY cleaner in this post.
What is mold in the first place?
Mold is a type of fungus that feeds off its surroundings. It can grow in the open or in hidden places like baseboards, under sinks, under carpet, above ceiling tiles and inside air/heat ducts. Mold is a silent killer that triggers hormonal and autoimmune issues that plague many of us. The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. All of which I addressed when looking for the best essential oils with a high kill rate.
Common symptoms of mold exposure
These are all common symptoms of mold I pulled these from Dr. Axe’s post on black mold and Dr. Pompa’s post on detoxing mold. Sound familiar?
- Headaches
- Chronic fatigue
- Fever
- Eye irritation
- Sneezing
- Rashes
- Irritation to the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat
- Chronic coughing
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Join pain
- Skin irritation (burning, itching, pain, ants crawling sensation)
- Blurred vision
- Chemical sensitivity
- Allergies
- Sneezing
- Cough
- Postnasal drip
- Water eyes
- Food allergies
- Asthma
- Weight gain
- Body odour
- Light sensitivity
- Noise sensitivity
Essential oils that are a natural mold killer
The following essential oils are anti fungal and antimicrobial. The methods in which they work is 1) damaging the cell wall and membrane 2) cell lysis (breaking down of cell membrane) 3) leaking the cell content and 4) inhibition of proton motive force.
They work specifically on PAO1, KT2440 and SC-01. PAO1 is a opportunists pathogen in humans. KT2440 forms biofilm but isn’t a pathogen. SC-01 is commensal and pathogenic.
Cinnamon – the strongest. The main component is cinnamaldehyde.
Thyme
Fennel
Clove
Other essential oils that are used for mold (antifungal) are caraway, copaiboa and citronella. They just aren’t as effective as the ones above.
- 10 drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
- 10 drops Fennel Essential Oil
- 5 drops Clove Essential Oil
- Vinegar 1:1 ratio with water
- Filtered Water
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Get an amber glass bottle and add all ingredeints into the bottle.
Spray onto the surface and leave for 10-15 minutes minimum.
Wipe off and then clean with Branch Basics when you're done 🙂
How to prevent future mold exposure
Find the source through a series of testing and eliminate it so the spores don’t spread further.
Pay attention to the grains you eat because most mass produced mono cropped grains contain high amounts of mold. Not to mention chemicals that are definitely not good for you and your hormones.
Control the humidity in your home and get a high quality air filter like this one.
Use a waterless diffuser.
Head over to this post to learn more on preventing and getting rid of mold in your home.
Resources:
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