3 Ways to Kill Mold Naturally ============================= A proliferation of mold and mildew can be the hallmark of hot and humid

summers. I have a friend who has green mold growing on the shoes in her closet! A humidi fier might be the best help for her, but there are also three natural materials that can be used as a spray to kill mold and mildew. They are all an excellent s ubstitute for less environmentally safe bleach. Learn these three tricks for killing mold and mildew. One of these you most like ly already have in your kitchen cupboard. Over the years I have found three natural ingredients that kill mold: Tea tree o il (an essential oil found in most health food stores), grapefruit seed extract and vinegar. There are pros and cons of each, but all three work. Vinegar is by far the cheapest. Tea tree oil is expensive, but it is a broad spectrum fungicid e and seems to kill all the mold families it contacts. The problem is that it ha s a very strong smell, but that dissipates in a few days. Grapefruit seed extrac t is also expensive, but has no smell. Mold can be dangerous to your health, even if you aren t allergic. Many people rea ct to mold by getting tired and even depressed. Try to stay on top of moisture a nd mold as soon as either arises. Dry out anything that is damp, such as basemen ts (use a dehumidifier) and carpets. Fix leaks in plumbing and roofs. Wipe up sp ills. Make sure water doesn t escape from shower curtains. Vigilance will pay off! Tea Tree Treasure ----------------Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I ve used it succ essfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissip ate in a few days. 2 teaspoons tea tree oil 2 cups water Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not ri nse. Makes about 2 cups, lasts indefinitely. 20 Great Uses for Tea Tree Oil Grapefruit Seed Extract The advantage of using grapefruit seed extract instead of tea tree oil for killi ng mold is that it is odorless. 20 drops grapefruit seed extract 2 cups water Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not ri nse. Makes about 2 cups, lasts indefinitely. Vinegar Spray Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled

vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set witho ut rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours. I f you don t like the smell of vinegar, you can add essential oils for a more mello w scent.

Mold and Mildew Eliminator: Vinegar with Essential Oils ------------------------------------------------------I live in the humid Hudson Valley in New York, and I ll never forget one of my fir st summers here when a green-like mildew grew inside of closets and over and ins ide of shoes. Being sensitive to mold I was very alarmed that the thick humidity would make such colonies flourish in my bedroom. I have a number of tricks up my sleeve to kill mildew and mold, three of which a re written about in 3 Ways to Kill Mold Naturally. These three are tea tree oil, vinegar, and grapefruit seed extract. Grapefruit seed extract is good for those who want no odor for the few days after spraying the mildew. I ve used them all v ery successfully. I d like to add more about vinegar and essential oils. Studies by Heinz and others have shown that straight household white distilled vinegar kills 82 percent of mold when used straight up. (This means straight 7 percent acid solution from a bottle of vinegar that you buy in the supermarket.) This is a very good kill rat e. And you can t beat the price. The problem is that many people write to me saying that they hate the smell of v inegar. What to do? I ve been experimenting with adding a few drops of essential o il to straight white distilled vinegar and the results for smell are remarkable and unexpected. The essential oils seem to mellow out the bite of the smell of v inegar, leaving a vibrant essence that is mostly the smell of the essential oil with a bit of a sharp almost resinous touch, which would be the transformed vine gar. A boon is that essential oils are very antimicrobial and will work to kill mold, too. To try this yourself, place about 1/2 cup straight white distilled vinegar in a spray bottle. Add about 10 drops of essential oil, to start, shake, and smell. H ow do you like it? Do you need more essential oil? Just make sure not to add mor e than 15 drops of oil as it can be strong. I personally love lavender in this. Spray this concoction directly on mold and mildew. Don t rinse. The smell will dis sipate. Note: Make sure to avoid your eyes! Banish Mold from Bathroom Grout Formula --------------------------------------There has been a lot in the news recently about the respiratory health problems associated with mold. Since our bathrooms are often the dampest rooms in the hou se, they become a breeding ground for dangerous molds and mildew and grouting betw een tiles is often the first place it starts. Now you can zap that bathroom mold and mildew, safely and naturally. You only ne ed one ingredient to do the job, and you probably have a bottle of it in your ba throom cabinet. It s inexpensive, odorless, and it keep your grout looking beautif

ully bright! Find out the secret, and other great mold-banishing tips, right her e: Hydrogen peroxide is the way to go. INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup 3-percent hydrogen peroxide solution (from your local pharmacy) 1 cup water 1. Combine water and hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. Spray this on the mold y areas and do not rinse. 2. Hydrogen peroxide will lose its mold-busting power if exposed to air, so only make as much solution as you will be using at one time. To reduce mold in your bathroom, you can also try these 3 easy steps: 1. Install an exhaust fan to remove mildew and mold-causing humidity from your b athroom. Be sure the fan has enough air movement to remove the moisture, and be sure to exhaust the fan all the way up through the roof or out the wall to the o utside. 2. Mold dislikes light, so consider leaving a light on in areas that are prone t o mold. 3. Change bathroom towels and rugs frequently to avoid moisture build-up. 5 Smart Housekeeping Ways to Use Tea Tree Oil --------------------------------------------Australian tea tree oil is a broad spectrum germicide, fungicide, and bacteriaci de. The essential oil known as tea tree oil comes from the melaleuca tree, a shrub/tre e that has needle-like leaves. There are 100 varieties of melaleuca, but for the purposes of this discussion we are speaking of Australian tea tree oil, or mela leuca alternifolia. Tea tree oil has many uses for housekeeping. You can prove to yourself how well it works to kill mold and mildew with this simple test: Put 2 teaspoons of Austr alian tea tree oil in a spray bottle with two cups of water. Don t rinse. Spray th e mixture on something musty. Let the smell dissipate (it will take a few days). The smell of mold and must will be gone, too, never to return as long as the so urce of moisture has been removed. Here are five smart ways to use Australian tea tree oil at home: 1. General Tea Tree Oil Spray As mentioned above, combine 2 teaspoons of Australian tea tree oil in 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake to blend. Spray on mold and don t rinse. The smell will dissipate in a few days. 2. Tea Tree Oil Grout Spray Using the same formula as in #1, spray grout to repel mold and mildew. While thi s formula won t take away the mold discoloration, it will kill the mold. 3. Musty Mold Remover The must will be removed from anything using the above formula. Just don t rinse.

4. Household Antiseptic Spray Use the above formula to spray areas that need antiseptic attention, such as aft er someone has vomited. 5. Laundry Helper Add 1/2 teaspoon tea tree oil to your laundry for towels and other fabric prone to getting moldy. 4 Reasons Why Your Damp House is Wrecking Your Health ----------------------------------------------------A little leak isn t something to ignore. Although you might not notice immediate w ater damage, mold growth and bacterial growth can begin within 24 48 hours of a moisture intrusion. Damp houses have been proven beyond any doubt to cause respi ratory illnesses, and a host of other illnesses, too. Moisture in homes has been identified again and again to be associated with respiratory problems and other detrimental health to people within homes, said Dr. Richard Shaugnessy, director of the Clean Air Program at the University of Tulsa. There s mold, there s bacteria, and the dampness is more conducive to having more pests in the home. Along with that, dust mites are more inclined to be in a home with higher humidit y and moisture. There s a whole host of agents that may be responsible for the hea lth effects related to moisture, he said. Here are the top 4 reasons to nip moisture and dampness in your home in the bud: Bacteria: Moisture is the prime breeding ground of bacteria. No amount of an ti-bacterial cleaning products can compensate for a damp house. Bacterial coloni es grow on damp organic matter, like wall boards and floorboards. Pests: Dr. Patrick Breysse, Director Industrial Hygiene Program at Johns Hop kins University s Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, When there s a lot of wate r damage in a home, there s higher mouse allergens, there s higher cockroach allerge ns. We find that these types of homes in general are not healthy environments fo r asthmatic kids. Cockroach and rat waste material is a known trigger of asthma, and these pests flourish in damp environments. Dust mites: If you re allergic to dust mites, you re all too familiar with the s tuffy nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, respiratory problems and even asthmatic sympto ms that they cause. Dust mites thrive in warm, moist environments. According to a University of Nebraska fact sheet, dust mites thrive in temperatures around 80 degrees F, and humidity levels above 60 percent. Keep your house at below 50 pe rcent humidity to stop dust mite growth. Air conditioning has proven to be helpf ul to people with dust mite allergies, as it simultaneously cools and dehumidifi es the air. Mold: The underlying public health message is that we know that people get si ck from living and working in damp spaces. The things that make them sick all re late to dampness. Mold the smell, the visibility of mold becomes an indicator, sa id Dr. Harriet Amman, a toxicologist and affiliate professor at the University o f Washington. An emerging body of data suggests that mold itself can cause respi ratory illnesses and allergic reactions. However, Whether the illness is directly a result of mold and exposure to mold, or whether it is a result of mold and ot her biota that are encouraged to grow because there s water is not as straightforw ard to answer, said Paula Schenk, a Clinical Instructor in the UCHC Department of Community Medicine and Health Care. Mold might be making you sick, or it might just be an indication of a moisture problem. Often we look to quick fixes for moisture problems. There s no silver bullet for m

oisture removal. If you see mold growth, you need to eliminate the source of moi sture and remove the damp material. The best way to prevent damp walls and floor boards is to avoid condensation. Vent your bathroom, vent your kitchen, and vent your dryer to the outside. If you can t afford a venting system, open a window un til all the steam disappears. If you notice a leak or water intrusion, fix the p roblem and dry the wet material immediately. You can take a stand against respir atory illnesses by stopping moisture in its tracks.