Tea Tree Essential Oil to Kill Mold and Mildew

Well, seeing I did some research on using chlorine bleach (see my article Chlorine Bleach) I wanted to find out if there are safer all-natural alternatives  for killing mold.  One method I did find is using  Tea Tree essential oil.  Tea Tree oil reputedly kills all types of molds.  So I figured I would give it a try.

Tea Tree Oil to kill mold and mildew

tea tree oil

How to Use:

• Mix 2 cups water with 2 tsp tea tree essential oil in a sprayer bottle.


• Shake the bottle well.


• I wear a face mask, latex gloves and old clothes as I am dealing with mold.  Mold spores can spread when you touch them and I don't want to breathe them in. (I will get headaches for a few days if I do this unprotected.)


• Spray the area with the tea tree oil mixture.


• I wipe down the area with a paper towel which I could easily throw away, or in some areas,  I scrub with a scrub brush.


• I then re-spray the area with the tea tree oil mixture and do NOT rinse.

Note: I have just tried this outdoors on  my deck and stairs (on March 10,2011)  and will let you know if the mold comes back or not.  So far, so good - however we are not having our usual rain this spring - we are having a bit of a drought!  So, I'll have to wait longer to evaluate the results.

Caution: Tea Tree Oil is highly toxic to cats! Their liver can't process the tea tree oil - ingesting it or applying it topically can be fatal to them!  Some people have successfully applied highly diluted tea tree oil topically to their cats - so some cats may be able to tolerate highly diluted tea tree oil applied topically.  But, remember,  internally it can be fatal - so if they groom themselves or lick off the spot you applied on them - they are are taking it internally.  Personally, I am nervous about putting it outside around our house, because my cats tend to drink or taste every puddle they see (it's a lot of fun for them after it rains around here).