Non-toxic anti-mold spray?
March 21, 2009 8:22 AM Subscribe
What's a simple, safe homemade anti-mold solution that I can spray on my child's toys that were in the basement?
I'm looking for something I can mix up at home, that's not unsafe for the little boy, that I can spray on his Thomas the Train wood toys to get rid of what I suspect is either mold or maybe even just dust. It's been in the basement for a year and I don't see any visible mold on it, but we sneeze when we sit at the train table. We just brought it up from the basement this week. I'd rather not throw the thing away. Vinegar? Baking soda? Ammonia? Thanks for any suggestions!
I'm looking for something I can mix up at home, that's not unsafe for the little boy, that I can spray on his Thomas the Train wood toys to get rid of what I suspect is either mold or maybe even just dust. It's been in the basement for a year and I don't see any visible mold on it, but we sneeze when we sit at the train table. We just brought it up from the basement this week. I'd rather not throw the thing away. Vinegar? Baking soda? Ammonia? Thanks for any suggestions!
In a plastic spray bottle, mix:
2 cups water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon tea tree essential oil
1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil
Shake to mix before using. I use this to keep my shower curtain, among other things, free of mildew, so I would think it would help get rid of mold.
posted by All.star at 8:49 AM on March 21, 2009 [5 favorites]
2 cups water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon tea tree essential oil
1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil
Shake to mix before using. I use this to keep my shower curtain, among other things, free of mildew, so I would think it would help get rid of mold.
posted by All.star at 8:49 AM on March 21, 2009 [5 favorites]
dilute bleach. It breaks down in the sun and it is the same stuff that is in your water, people put in their pools and that very many day care centers spray on all the toys every night. Hydrogen peroxide is even more benign, but bleach is a killer on mold.
posted by caddis at 9:01 AM on March 21, 2009
posted by caddis at 9:01 AM on March 21, 2009
Tea tree oil diluted with water in a spray bottle worked on my drum cases after they had been stored in a shed for too long.
posted by gergtreble at 9:50 AM on March 21, 2009
posted by gergtreble at 9:50 AM on March 21, 2009
Buy a 99-cent bottle of rubbing alcohol, pour it in a bowl, dip in the toys for a few seconds, then polish them dry. Bigger toys you can spray or wipe with a rag soaked in alcohol. It evaporates away in about a minute, and leaves no residue.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:03 AM on March 21, 2009
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:03 AM on March 21, 2009
hal_c_on, it turns into salt water is what it does - so they toss it and make a fresh batch.
Used with an awareness of its chemical properties (e.g., not mixed with ammonia or acids), bleach is perfectly safe and an excellent killer-of-molds.
posted by teremala at 12:35 PM on March 21, 2009
Used with an awareness of its chemical properties (e.g., not mixed with ammonia or acids), bleach is perfectly safe and an excellent killer-of-molds.
posted by teremala at 12:35 PM on March 21, 2009
Dilute bleach is what I use for my own child's bath toys when they get nasty, I use a splash (probably a tbls) to a gallon, wear rubber gloves (just for the smell), scrub a bit with an old toothbrush, rinse well and let sun- and air- dry, both of which will help neutralize and lingering wet spots. It is really quite safe once properly rinsed and aired out, and its funk-killing properties are second to none.
posted by nanojath at 12:57 PM on March 21, 2009
posted by nanojath at 12:57 PM on March 21, 2009
Bleach, then dry in the sun to let the bleach go away.
posted by theora55 at 1:08 PM on March 21, 2009
posted by theora55 at 1:08 PM on March 21, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 8:43 AM on March 21, 2009