It's ugly and can cause illness. Mold is not something that you want. Mold can be easily removed by you if it is found quickly. No matter what kind of mold you have in your home , there are effective and safe ways to remove it from many household materials .

To get your house back in its original mold-free condition you only need to have a basic knowledge of how mold works and the best household supplies.

What is Mold, and How Does It Work?

First of all, what is mold? Mold is a fungus that is composed of microscopic living organisms. It thrives in moist environments like your basement or bathroom. Mold and its seeds are everywhere. There are more than 100,000 types, and almost every homeowner will have at least one of them in their home.

While some types of mold may be benign, many others are harmful. You shouldn't have it in your house. Mold can cause allergic reactions, mold growth, and can even lead to illness. It can also look like soil accumulation.

Mold is a live organism. It's best to kill it and remove it. Otherwise, it will return quickly. If you can keep the household mold to a very small area, then you should be able and competent to do it yourself.

Bleach or Vinegar? What kills mold?

Uh oh, you found the mold. What do you do now? The common answer for most homeowners is to soak it in bleach or some other cleaning chemical. These cleaners are toxic to you as well as your family. However, they don’t do much to kill mold. Vinegar works best to kill mold.

How can vinegar kill the mold, when other chemicals aren't able to? The chemical structure of bleach prevents it, however, from reaching porous materials. It can clear off the surface mold. However, it cannot penetrate into porous surfaces where mold spores may have dug deep and constructed a protective coating. It simply can't get at the root of the problem.

Vinegar can be used to penetrate porous materials, attack the mold membrane, and kill the entire colony. Bleach may temporarily clean a surface that is moldy, but vinegar will completely remove it.

Vinegar and Other All-Natural Solutions: How to Get Rid Of Mold

Now that you understand that bleach isn't effective, you may be wondering how to get rid mold with vinegar.

Good questions! Vinegar works well on mold. But, there are other options. These are the best ways to eliminate mold in homes.

Vinegar: Simply pour vinegar into a spray-bottle and lightly spray the moldy area. Let the vinegar sit at room temperature for at least one hour to do its magic. After the vinegar has worked its magic, you can wipe it off with water and a piece of cloth or paper towel. Air dry. That's it!

Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is an antifungal. It works on hard surfaces in a manner similar to vinegar. In a spray container, pour a 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide. Then, let the surface soak for 10 to 15 minutes. For any residue, scrub off the mold and wipe down everything.

Baking soda: This mild substance has the perfect pH to kill mold, but is not dangerous for people or pets. Combine a quarter cup of baking soda and water to spray the moldy areas. Use water to clean the area. Spray the area once more and let dry. Removing any residue can be done with a damp sponge.

Tea-tree oil: Even though you may not own this oil, you can purchase it at your local health food store or online. It can be used to kill any mold. Use two teaspoons of tea tree oil to mix with two cups of water in a spray can. Let the mold sit for 24 hrs. You can clean the dead mold.