There is no known way of killing the mold and mildew fungus completely due to the fact that molds produce airborne spores (seeds). What you will do is try to figure out what caused the mold/mildew, then try to get rid of the mold/mildew, and then try to keep the situation from happening again.
There are a couple of ways that an ordinary person can try to take care of mold/mildew. If it is your shower or bath and you have those dark spots (which happen on grout a lot), you can spray bleach on the spot and brush it off, let it dry, and then put a sealer on (all grout should have a sealer put on before you take a shower or bath). If the spot does not go away, then you will have to take out all the old grout and put in new, and don’t forget to seal it.
If you have a larger area, and it is in the sheetrock or behind wall coverings, the best thing to do is take the wall covering off, take the sheetrock down, and install new waterproofing sheetrock. So basically it is a remodel job.
If it is in your basement, you will have to dry out the area (either a humidifier to take the water out of the air, or even a fan will help dry it out).
If the walls have mold/mildew on them, you may have to get a professional in to clean the walls and then seal them. The other situation is if you have moisture coming in the walls, then you need to either dig out around the basement, reseal the outside walls, and you may have to put in drainage tile to keep the water away from the walls.
Remember too, that just painting the walls will not do anything – latex paint breathes, so do not use it in a damp area.
Another thing in a basement to check out is the air system. If you have an older furnace and you get a funky aroma when the fan turns on, then I would check the filter, make sure it is clean, and then you may have to get a professional in to clean the ductwork.
If you have mold/mildew in your carpet, the best thing is to rip it up and throw it away. Then clean the sub-flooring well, seal it, and then you can put new carpeting/flooring in. One reason there could be mold in carpets is that when a carpet is cleaned, there is still water in the carpet, and it doesn’t dry quickly enough. One thing most people don’t understand is that it only takes 24 48 hours for mold/mildew to start growing!!
Now, if you want to use Essential Oils to help with mold/mildew, you can use any of the fungal oils.
These are Tea Tree, Dill, Geranium, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Thyme (linalool), Cedarwood (atlas), Cajeput, Eucalyptus Globulus, Marjoram, and Myrrh.
One recipe you may want to try for mildew is
- 2 teaspoons Tea Tree oil
- 2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse.
This may help keep things under control after the major cleaning has been done.
One thing to remember is that you can get really sick from molds and mildew, so take precautions if you are going to do the work yourself. A respirator, gloves, eye protection, and more should be used at all times.
Other Essential Oils known to have antifungal properties besides those listed above include: Rosewood, German Chamomile, Lemon, Mandarin, any of the Eucalyptus, Fennel, Helichrysum, Cajeput, Peppermint, Spikenard , Basil, Geranium, Pine needle, Patchouli , Ravensara, Clary Sage, Clove bud, Basil, and Oregano.
Some of these may be more effective than others depending on where and how you are able to apply them. Whether or not these will work on the type of mold or mildew you have present will be up to you to decide. Some smell rather pleasant, others may not be enjoyed.
