Mold Prevention

Today’s post is short and sweet. It comes as an answer to a friend’s email, asking me if there is any product she can spray inside her shower after daily use to just leave on, without scrubbing or anything to prevent mold/mildew formation.

Well, as a matter of fact, yes! Yes, there is a homemade product that you can use, that actually works better for me than most store-bought products.

The beauty of this “shower spray,” is that it is safe for natural stone and granite alike, since many folks now have those materials in their bathrooms. That’s actually why I created it in the first place. I was cleaning our new shower, and needed a solution, other than the products that I had been using, since now, our shower tiles are stone.

Today I want to tell you about my most recent and wonderful concoction: wood-safe mold cleaner for all of your wood and wood laminate furniture.

The reason I decided to come up with something other than just the EC3 Ready-to-Use Spray that I had been using on our wood furnishings is that, if you are using the EC3 on a daily basis, it can take some moisture out of your wood. My wood needed something a little more lubricating to help it keep that shiny look that I like.  Of course, if you are using the EC3 Spray for more of a weekly, monthly, or one-time mold cleaning treatment, then this doesn’t apply, but when you are interested in adding cleaning for mold to your daily regimen, or want to clean your wood furnishings on a daily basis with something that will also clean for mold, then this concoction will be your hero—or maybe I’ll be your heroine? I can dream, right?

The true beauty of this “dusting spray” is that it is whipped up with ingredients that you likely already have in your home. Also, there is much literature and testing out there to show that dry dusting doesn’t actually help you or your allergies, if the goal is to clean for the mold particulates that could be in the dust and potentially get into the air. (Note: Here is a link to a really good, informative article on dust, how and why it can be toxic and how best to dust your home to limit exposure to the toxins, including mold that can be in dust, on the Environmental Working Group’s website). And furthermore, EC3 Spray isn’t exactly cheap, so this is a way of making a product with the EC3 Mold Concentrate that uses less product to accomplish the same goal of cleaning for mold.

Well, anyway, here you go!

Homemade Dusting and Mold-Cleaning Spray

Ingredients:

Everything you need to make your own dusting spray that also fights mold and bacteria.

1 clean, empty spray bottle (I use Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap to clean mine with to make sure it doesn’t leave any chemical residue.)

Optional: 15 drops of essential oil of your choice (I prefer to use tangerine oil, because it reminds me of the orange-scented Pledge Wood Furniture Polish, which is what I grew up with my mom using, and thus the smell that I associate with clean wood. It is purely a personal preference, though. Also, essential oils do contain VOCs, so if you are highly allergic to scent, or are worried about the VOCs found in essential oils, you would just leave it out. Here’s a link to an article on LiveScience.com about essential oils and VOCs, if you are curious. My rule of thumb is to only buy essential oils that have been distilled without the use of toxic or harmful chemicals. Buy them from a reputable source and with a reputable brand name to make sure you are getting the purest oils. I prefer NOW Foods essential oils.)

2 cups distilled water

1 heaping capful of EC3 Mold Solution Concentrate (This ingredient is the powerhouse. It cleans the mold and mold spores away, and also has antibacterial properties. So, unlike your typical wood cleaner, it isn’t just greasing things up or moving the dust, it is CLEANING for you as well. It any residue left on the furniture will continue to prohibit mold and bacteria growth until your next cleaning. In a word, it is AWESOME stuff.)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil (I prefer to use the grapeseed, because it has less of a fruity scent than the olive oil.)

2 tablespoons Vodka or rubbing alcohol (This ingredient is included to cut and grime or grease that may linger on your wood surfaces. It also has an evaporation property that makes it seem more like an aerosol cleaner, without being one.)

Optional: ¼ teaspoon guar gum (You can purchase this in any grocery store in the natural food section or the gluten-free baking section. I use it to thicken the spray, so that it feels more like the Pledge consistency. If you don’t use it, just make sure to give your bottle a good shake before you use it each time.)

Method:

Get out your blender. Pour all of the ingredients into the blender, except the guar gum. Put the lid on and turn the motor on low, to get everything mixed together nicely, but not too frothy.

With the blender still going, remove the center plastic piece and pour the guar gum in slowly, if using. When the guar gum powder is fully incorporated, turn off the blender.

I add the guar gum after all of the other ingredients are blended together.

I allow the blender to keep running while I pour the guar gum in. Now my mixture is ready!

Remove the blender lid and pour your mixture into your clean, dry spray bottle. Label the bottle accordingly, so you know it is your dusting spray. I also sometimes write the date on the bottle too, so that you know when to discard it.

Before I took this picture, my dusting spray had settled a bit, so the tangerine oil had risen to the top. This is a natural settling process, so just shake it up before each use.

Now, go find your dustiest piece of wood furniture and either spray your dusting spray directly onto it in a fine mist and wipe it off with a clean, dry soft dusting cloth, or spray the dusting spray directly onto your clean, dry dusting cloth, and wipe the furniture down that way. It’s entirely up to you.

My sweet son cleaning our kitchen table for me with the dusting spray.

I don't worry about chemicals, because I made it myself.

Store your filled spray bottle in a cool, dark place, like your linen closet, or cleaning products closet. Realizing that this dusting spray does contain food ingredients, I would remake a new bottle every 3 months to make certain that it doesn’t go rancid or take on an unfavorable smell.

I hope you enjoy this spray as much as I do. Happy cleaning!

Right now, I’m still in Atlanta at my parent’s house—the home where I grew up. My parents are the most wonderful, giving people, and are always, always taking people in and having various house guests. Their home is well over 20 years old, and has definitely undergone its fair share of renovations, repairs, updates and general maintenance. One of the many things that my parents will not compromise on in their home is air quality. The air quality in their house is top-notch and almost without parallel. My parents have spared no expense and have installed the best systems, filters, ducts, dehumidifiers and ventilation aids that money can buy. They also frequently clean for mold with the EC3 products.

The reason I’m telling you all of this is because I want to be crystal clear that even the cleanest homes with excellent air quality, can still have some mold-specific issues that need to be treated. Every home should be cleaned for mold sometimes. Mold is a year round antigen, and the only antigen that is often left untreated. Therefore, it is necessary to clean specifically for mold in every home to help keep those living in it healthy. After all, a home is a living, breathing, ever-changing structure, made of natural materials that can break, leak, flood and falter, just like the people who live inside of it.

Thus, when I arrived and settled into one of the upstairs guest bedrooms at my parent’s house, I encountered some dreaded pinkish/orangish mold dots in the paint over the shower stall. I assume that whoever had used the shower last had not been turning on the bathroom fan while showering, or after showering to help clear the bathroom of excess moisture. The steam from the shower created condensation on the ceiling that beaded into water droplets, and never really fully dried. Those droplets were sitting on a painted surface. So, here we have water, the paint for food and a cooler, darker room, because it wasn’t used, unless a guest was there. All of those components created the perfect environment for mold to grow. Yuck!

So, I realize that I have written a previous post about this subject, but I thought it was worth addressing again, for when those stains are STUBBORN–as in, all caps indelible.

My kids and I are gypsies right now, staying with family members here and there, wherever anyone will take us in. Our home in Tennessee needs a LOT of work right now, and we are unable to live there until a good portion of the work has been completed. Moving around constantly is definitely not ideal with two children, but I do have to say, I’m enjoying living light, seeing and loving up lots of different family members and relatives, and really, really making some great memories with my kids.

Another “up” side to our travels has been my ability to assist various family members along-the-way with their mold cleaning dilemmas. As I wrote in my previous article about my sister’s home, it seems, so far anyway, that every home I stay in has a small mold-specific cleaning problem that needs my help. That is why this particular project presented itself.