When mold spores appear, there is nothing worse than having to handle toxic mold and toxic chemical removers too.
Thankfully, you can achieve mold removal with no chemicals using natural items. Common household mold all the way down to black mold can be removed naturally without adding any toxicity to your home.
When you use natural solutions from this list, you will be able to remove mold found in common places in homes and offices, in a safe and easy fashion. You will not only remove mold with no chemicals, but how to stop it from germinating in the first place.
Easiest Ways To Remove Mold With No Chemicals
When you use any of the methods below, you can easily and safely remove mold from your home or office without any pesky chemical making your space smell or harming your skin.
1. White Vinegar
White vinegar can be used straight out of the bottle, or you can dilute it with water if you have issues with the strong smell. Conversely, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, like eucalyptus, to cover the smell and still maintain the potency of pure vinegar. Thankfully, the cost is minimal, especially compared to the cost of household cleaners.
It works best as a mold killer if you spray it from a spray bottle directly only the affected area. Once it is sprayed, let it sit for a few hours after which scrub away the mold with a brush.
Studies indicate that using white vinegar will effectively kill 82% of mold spores along with viruses and bacteria.
For long term prevention, spray it on surfaces in your home and let it dry regularly. This is one of the best ways to remove mold from your home without the use of chemicals.
2. Circulating, Fresh Air
Fresh air really is the key to prevention when it comes to mold. While many things can be done to remove the mold after it has presented itself, you are best off preventing the mold spores from germinating in the first place.
To best utilize the fresh air circulation method, you should open windows (even in the winter) to regularly allow air to circulate. Do this not just when you cook, do laundry, or shower. Do it periodically throughout the week, on a daily basis if you can.
When you open windows, try to open windows to create a cross breeze, if your home permits. This means opening windows across the room from one another that allow air to flow in and back out.
If this isn’t possible, or you don’t live in an area with a lot of windows you can always invest in a dehumidifier to help keep the humidity levels below 50%.
Once humidity reaches a higher saturation, your air is damp enough that it can incubate mold spores. The humidity will regularly fluctuate during the day as the temperature changes, and there are changes to the air in your home (such as changes after you cook or shower). Having circulation or a dehumidifier at the very least will help mitigate any damage from these fluctuations. You want to make sure to place purifiers and humidifiers in these common mold hotspots.
3. Baking Soda
Baking soda can be used with water or with vinegar to remove mold without chemicals.
Dissolve baking soda into a water mixture or a water and vinegar mixture. Shake thoroughly. Place the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the affected area.
Let it sit for ten minutes and scrub the area clean. Wipe any residual material away with a damp cloth.
You can use baking soda to naturally disinfect your home, remove mold, and all the while leave no scent behind.
4. Tea Tree Oil
If you have a problem with black mold in particular, tea tree oil can be an effective way for mold removal with no chemicals. Pure essential oils like this are going to be more expensive up front compared to a bottle of vinegar from the store, but a single bottle should last a while.
Mix two teaspoons of pure tea tree oil with two cups of water and shake it in a spray bottle. This amount should be effective for a few rounds of remediations. Spray the affected area and let it dry. Do not rinse or scrub.
Note that tea tree oil is quite pungent, but the scent will dissipate after a few days.This is one of the best ways to remove mold with no chemicals.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide
If you want to do things inexpensively and without an odor, try hydrogen peroxide.
Take 3% hydrogen peroxide and put it into a bottle. Spray it onto the moldy area and let it sit for 10 minutes.
After that, take a cloth and scrub the area clean. Wipe it with a damp cloth to remove any remaining spores.
You can use a combination of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar together in a bottle if you want, so long as you store it somewhere dark.
6. Grapefruit Seed Extract
If you want to avoid any odor, you can mix grapefruit seed extract with water. This will be a more expensive option, but you won’t have a smell to content with.
Mix 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract with 2 cups of water. Add the blend to a spray bottle and spray it directly onto the mold. Do not rinse.
Using grapefruit oil is one of the easiest ways to prevent mold growth in your home without using chemicals.
7. Borax
Borax is a wonderful way to remove mold and disinfect at the same time. Don’t swallow it because it can be toxic, but otherwise there are no chemicals or fumes to worry about.
Mix one cup of Borax with one gallon of water. Place the mixture on the mold and scrub away the mold until it comes loose.
If you are removing mold from a carpet or upholstery, for example, use a rag or vacuum cleaner (one that has a HEPA filter) to remove the mold that comes loose.
Dry the cleaned area when you are done. You don’t have to rinse it, since Borax is a natural deterrent for mold.
What You Need To Know About Removing Mold Without Chemicals
Microscopic mold spores are a natural thing, indoors and outdoors. They float in the air and can get into your home by way of open windows, doors, AC or heating systems, even your clothes. They thrive on moisture and when exposed to water, will grow quickly. Thankfully, you can rectify the source of the water and remove mold naturally without chemicals.
What types of mold can be removed naturally, without the use of chemicals?
You can remove common home mildew and mold naturally, without the use of chemicals but in all cases, it is recommended by the CDC that you wear non-porous gloves if you are going to handle any affected areas. You should also wear old clothing, a mask, and eye protection. It is also recommended that you properly ventilate the area in which you are working.
That said, the most common form of mold in the home is stachybotrys molds which grow on material like cardboard, wood, hay, paper, or wicker. This is known as black mold. You can also remove aspergillus molds which are another common household mold. In fact, there are over 185 species most of which are allergens or toxic. You can safely remove the 30 species of Cladosporium and mucor molds. Mucor molds are commonly found along air conditioning systems and.
Some more dangerous forms of mold such as black mold may not be able to be completely reomved without the use of chemicals. Such types of mold can cause many dangers to your health, and usually require professional removal.
What types of mold require chemicals to remove?
More serious molds of all kinds might require chemicals, if they have spread to an area larger than 10 feet. The CDC recommends professional remediation for any and all kinds of mold if the affected area is this large. When should you consider chemical treatment for mold in your home?
If you have Acremonium or Fusarium in your home, it is best to hire professionals to complete safe mold remediation.
Acremonium produces potent toxins which can damage the bone marrow, organs, and immune system. All varieties are carcinogenic and are typically the primary fungus found in homes where occupants experienced unexplained vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.
Fusarium is commonly found in soil, on plants, or in humidifiers and it produces a toxin that damages the nervous and circulatory systems. Symptoms can include hemorrhages, dermatitis, eye/skin/nail infections, vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea.
When should you consider professional mold removal?
Regardless of the type of mold you have in your home, you should consider professional mold removal in any case where you or any other occupant is sensitive to mold, has allergies or asthma or any type of respiratory or immune disease that would be exacerbated by the mold. Removing mold can be done safely, with natural products, but you still need things like proper attire, safety gear, and masks in many cases. For those who are already at risk, removing on your own may not be the best option and having professionals could be a safer investment long term.
How long does it take to completely remove mold from your home?
Completely removing mold in your home, when the mold has been identified in 10 or more square feet of your home, is going to take on average between 3 and 7 days. However, each case is different and to that end, generally the worse the damage or the larger the damaged area, the longer it will take.
What is the professional mold removal process like?
Each case is different, but when you set out to receive professional mold remediation services, you will have to answer questions first about the mold to help the professionals determine what tools and instruments they need.
After that, they will need to inspect the area for any visible signs of mold. Remember that mold feeds on water and cellulose structures so it may exist, but you just don’t see it yet. That is why professionals have myriad tools and instruments to help them detect mold with technologies like infrared.
Once the mold has been identified, containment strategies will be implemented. These strategies will prevent the mold from spreading any farther in the home and may include the use of things like negative air chambers or negative air pressure. As soon as mold is spotted, fans, heating, and cooling systems will be turned off as part of this containment.
After this, professionals will use special air filtration equipment to remove the mold spores from the air, effectively scrubbing your air. Special vacuums can be used to prevent the mold spores from spreading during the process. Depending on the type of mold and the areas that have been affected, antifungal and/or antimicrobial treatments may be necessary and certain materials may need to be removed (like drywall or carpeting) in order to prevent the mold from growing back.
Once this is complete, furniture, curtains, and other restorable items will be cleaned and sanitized. The home will be deodorized and repairs may be completed on things like removed carpet or removed drywall.
Remember that mold is natural, but you can contain it and prevent it in your home. In addition to all of these methods, make sure you wipe up damp surfaces regularly. Use a dehumidifier or the clean air approach. Spray one of the mixtures onto damp surfaces like showers when you are done. And above all else, make sure things get dried out and leaks get contained.
Finding the Best Mold Removal Service for Your Home
Having mold is never fun, and it is almost always a pain to remove. On top of that, you cannot help but worry about the safety of your family from the common dangers of mold in your home.
Because mold can spread quickly and be difficuly to find in your home with DIY mold testing kits, we strongly recommend that anyone with a serious mold problem that they cannot remove with these easy solutions contacts a mold removal professional.
When it comes to finding the best service for your mold problem, you want to look for a few factors in a company:
- Price
- Experience
- Quality
- Customer Testimonials
- Clean Up
For people looking to learn more about what to look for in a mold removal company, check out this guide we created.
At Silver Environmental, we have over 25+ years of experience as one of the best mold removal specialists in the Greater Boston Area. We have helped hundred of happy clients overcome their mold problems, and keep mold out after we are done.
Our mold removal specialists also perform what we call Dustless Demolition, meaning we leave your home exactly as we found it (minus the mold). Because mold removal is important, but we want to leave no trace behind in your home, and allow you to get back to your normal life once your mold problem is gone.
If you have a mold in your Boston Area home, give us a call for a free professional evaluation. Our mold removal experts will help you evaluate your mold problem and determine what the next steps are.