How to naturally remove mold & mildew spots in your home.

When it comes to keeping a clean and tidy home, you’re a boss. Each week, you take pride in crossing everything from dusting to mopping off your cleaning checklist. So, after all that hard work, what happens when you notice that nasty, black mold and mildew growing in your shower or around the kitchen sink?

The cleaning gurus at Grove are here to answer all your questions about how to get rid of mold in your home. Read on to learn more about what kills mold, what causes it to grow in the first place, and which natural products you can use to prevent it for good!

Now that you know what mold is and what sets it apart from mildew, you’re probably wondering what types of molds may be lurking in the cracks and crevices of your home.

Here’s a basic overview of some of the most common types of mold to watch out for:

Anywhere you have a damp, moisture-prone area in your home, mold could be growing. Mold loves high humidity areas like basements, showers, and places near heating and cooling devices.

You may have a mold issue in moist areas that exist in crawl spaces and ductwork, which might be difficult to identify since these areas are often hidden from the naked eye.

What about that musty smell in your laundry? Is that mold or mildew?

1. Hydrogen peroxide

You probably already have this antifungal and antibacterial solution in your medicine cabinet. Natural cleaning products with hydrogen peroxide are quite effective at killing mold.

Use them to clean your kitchen counters, bathroom, and even wall surfaces!

2. Vinegar

So, is bleach or vinegar better to kill mold? Vinegar naturally cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes, but it also kills many different types of mold.

Use undiluted regular white vinegar (adding water will make it less effective). Look for a solution with at least 5% acidity or a cleaning solution that has 6% acidity.

Spray the vinegar onto the surface, wait an hour, and then voila! Your mold problems will soon be a thing of the past.

Learn more about vinegar and if it can kill viruses from Grove’s Senior Director of Science and Formulation, Clement Choy, Ph.D.

3. Baking soda

Baking soda has a variety of practical uses around the home. Use it to remove nasty odors from the fridge, alleviate heartburn, and combat mold.

Add ¼ tablespoon to a spray bottle with water, and then simply spray away! Once you’re done, use a scrub brush to remove the baking soda residue and mold from each surface.

4. Essential oils

You already know how great essential oils smell, but these natural compounds can also get rid of mold, too.

Ward off mold with tea tree oil, cinnamon, clove oil, or thyme oil. Each option will kill mold and prevent spores from coming back.

Combine a teaspoon of the oil of your preference with a cup of water in a spray bottle. After spraying, allow one hour for the solution to dry, then wipe away with a clean towel.

5. Lemons

Lemons are a household staple that break down mold and leave disinfected surfaces behind. To use this method, juice a few lemons and pour the juice over the affected areas.

Let the juice sit for five minutes, then simply wipe the surfaces down with a damp towel.