Today I want to share with you some DIY mold cleaners for your home that actually work!

I saw an article last year my mom sent me talking about DIY mold cleaners for your home. This article was very popular and had about five options listed. I was so disappointed to read the first few which were not anti-microbial at all. They even said in the article they were, but if you do any type of science based research, you know they aren’t.

This is why I think Chemistry Cachet continues to be an important resource for people because I don’t share anything unless it is science-based and tested. There is a lot of misinformation out there, but I make sure you can find real tips here on Chemistry Cachet.

Homemade mold cleaners are a popular topic from readers, and I get emails weekly about it!

I think this will be a good resource for you to reference in the future.

Let’s get started!

DIY Mold Cleaners For Your Home

Before we start on our list, I want to emphasize that mold can be a serious problem! This post is to help you address small mold or mildew issues that pop up on areas like your shower, outdoor concrete or grout, and hard to reach places in your home.

This is NOT for mold problems caused from major problems like leaks. If you think you might have a black mold problem or a leak of some kind, please call a professional. Those are serious issues DIY solutions aren’t meant for.

Mold can be dangerous to your health too, so keep the homemade treatments for those small mildew areas that are simply caused from water sitting on a surface or moisture.

What Household Cleaners Will Kill Mold?

In order for a household or DIY cleaner to kill mold or mildew, it needs to have antimicrobial activity. All of these items below have been tested and proven for many years to have great antimicrobial benefits, so you can be sure these are the best options for your home!

Below are my top favorite recipes:

One. Tea Tree Oil

My favorite homemade mold cleaner for the bathroom area is our DIY tea tree oil cleaner. This is a really easy DIY to make, and it continues to be something I use for the grout in my shower. All you need is tea tree oil and water! You can read more about the science in the blog post we have, and how tea tree oil works to combat mildew.

Two. Hydrogen Peroxide + Baking Soda

What is the best natural cleaner for mold? I think Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most common household anti-microbials. You probably have some sitting around at all times too, so it is very convenient. I love this homemade solution for peroxide and baking soda we have. This not only cleans the mold or mildew, but it can whiten the discoloring on grout mold causes. Readers have loved this! We also have this in our eBook and share many uses for it.

Three. Hydrogen Peroxide 

You can also just use peroxide alone. I keep it in a spray bottle in the bathroom and kitchen. You can spray it on mildew you might see around a sink or a hard slick surface like that. Let it sit 5-10 minutes and it will kill the mold. I think this makes a good option on surfaces you don’t need to scrub. For grout or something like that, the baking soda combo is a better choice. Hydrogen peroxide is a great substance for disinfecting too.

Four. Borax

Borax is a great choice in homemade cleaners. You can find it in our homemade bathroom cleaner, and it is one of the key ingredients in our carved pumpkin spray. Also, our homemade pin-sol from the eBook has some borax. Borax is alkaline, making it a great cleaner for many surfaces, but it also has great antimicrobial activity. 

To use borax for cleaning mold, you can mix up a few tablespoons in hot water, then spray on an area like grout. Let it sit for awhile then scrub off. You can also make a thicker paste like we do with the hydrogen peroxide. Either way, just mixing it with some water is the best way to get the mildew removal benefits. There are other neat things you can do with borax which you can read about in this post!

Five. If All Else Fails, Bleach

Bleach is not my favorite choice. You can read more about why I don’t use bleach in our house plus safety tips in this article I wrote a few years ago. But, it is very potent and has very high antimicrobial activity. It also bleaches surfaces well. If you have a bath tub or grout in really bad shape, this can be a last resort. Make sure to use the proper precautions and ventilations if you end up needing to use it!

Can Vinegar Be Used On Mold?

This is a common question because most blogs state it is a great antimicrobial! There are a few reasons vinegar is not the best choice for mold and mildew. First, vinegar is an acid, so it isn’t safe for every surface. You should never use it on grout, caulking or concrete. It can damage those types of surfaces. Second, vinegar is not good for all types of mold, so it will not be as effective as things like peroxide. Healthline has a great breakdown of vinegar for mold and what doesn’t work!

Since mold is found on surfaces like grout, tile, and concrete more than other surfaces, I don’t think vinegar makes a good choice. Just keep that in mind!

What Happens If Cleaners Don’t Remove The Mold or Mildew From A Surface?

If you have used a DIY cleaner we mentioned above, but you can’t seem to get the mildew off, there might be more going on. Surfaces like grout can become damaged overtime, and the stains from mold or mildew can actually set in deeper. Check your grout to see if it has damage. Many times, removing the grout and repairing it is a better option.

Surfaces like caulking can also becoming damaged, so mildew can go underneath the caulking. Caulking is another thing that will sometimes need to be removed and repaired.

And if mildew has set on a surface for many years like concrete, it can be very deep into the pores. You might notice a difference cleaning it, but it won’t be gone all the way. 

It is important to clean mold and mildew promptly to avoid issues like this. Check for damage to surfaces like grout or caulking. Other than that, this should work for just about everything.

Follow on Facebook | Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Hometalk