Mold is a problem in homes all over the United States. Some estimate that there are at least 10,000 different kinds of mold. Many of the most invasive kinds of mold thrive at what we consider to be normal “room temperature.” To date, more than 200 toxins that are created by mold have been identified but experts say there are probably many more. This is the reason that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers one of the biggest environmental dangers to be indoor air pollution. If you are concerned about your and your family’s health from breathing in bad air, you can have a company come into your home to conduct indoor air quality testing.

What can you do if indoor air quality testing has shown you have mold? Here are some tips to get it out of your home.

1. Dry out your home. It is no secret that mold loves moisture. If a home mold inspection finds it, the first thing you should do is to check for any plumbing leaks. Fix any that you find in your home. Next, you should consider a dehumidifier for your home. This can be especially important if you live in a more tropical climate, in Florida. Most new thermostats monitor the humidity of a home so you may want to invest in a new one if yours does not already do that. Try to not leave moist or well towels around. If you have them, run the exhaust fans in your bathrooms during and after baths and showers. That will do a lot to dry out the air after bathing.
2. Get good, fresh air circulating in your home. You can buy air purifiers if you want to go all the way with this. You should also make sure you change the air filters in your heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) unit at least as often as the manufacturer suggests. This will get any mold spores that are hanging around your home out and improve your air quality. If you do indoor air quality testing after changing the filters and see a large change from before, you will see how important it is to change them often.
3. Get some tea tree oil. This stuff is great for a number of problems and one of them is mold. Make a solution of water and tea tree oil (most people add about 10 drops to a spray water bottle). Spray any areas where you see mold. Scrub off the mold that you can see and then let the area dry. Tea tree oil is a natural fungus killer. It also smells nice.
4. Clean with white vinegar. Like tea tree oil, mold does not like vinegar. Spray white vinegar around your home where you see mold or mildew. After spraying, let it sit for a little while (how long depends on how much you spray and how much mold you have). After it has sat for a bit, wipe with a clean sponge.
5. Kill the mold with booze. That is right. You can take grain alcohol and use that to kill the mold. Unlike in cocktails where you want higher quality alcohol, the cheapest vodka you can find will work best against mildew and mold Spray it where you find the mold, and treat it the same way you would with the vinegar. Premium alcohols are distilled and filtered more than the cheap ones so certain compounds are filtered out. The impurities are what are killers for the mold and mildew so really, the cheaper the booze is, the more effectively it will kill the mildew and mold.

If indoor air quality testing or mold testing of your home shows you have mold, you want to get rid of it as soon as you can. Sure, mold is terrible for people with breathing problems such as asthma but can be bad for anyone’s health. Luckily, there are natural ways you can kill the mildew and mold you find throughout your home. It can be simple, easy and cheap to get rid of the mildew and mold in your home. This will make any home healthier and safer to breathe in.