Use Clove Essential Oil to kill mould

My friend (who is much more knowledgeable about oils) told me to use CLOVE essential oil as a mould cleaner. She said it was a powerhouse and there was a science behind it. We all need a bit of proof and science hey??

There’s this measuring thingy called the ORAC scale. ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a unit of measurement for antioxidant content which was originally developed by USDA researchers at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts in order to measure both the time and degree of free radical inhibition.

The antioxidant potential of certain foods and essential oils are listed as their ORAC rating or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.

Essential oils are extremely potent because of their concentration.

Clove is by far the best antioxidant of all the essential oils–more than 30 times that of blueberries.

Clove value on the ORAC scale is 1,078,700. Blueberries is 2,400. Go here to read more. This means CLOVE ranks as one of the highest on this scale.

And antioxidants kill mould. Not mask it.

And if that means nothing to you, then that’s cool! Ha! I just wanted you to see some science behind WHY the antioxidants in essential oils are soooooo good. (Quick note – that’s why essential oils are also very good or your skin because of their cell regeneration).

So, I went to work using some clove oil to get rid of the mould that builds up inside my washing machine

I could use bleach which I would normally use, but I did learn it is only making the mould “white” for a period of time. The spores are still there and will reappear.

So how will you get rid of mould NATURALLY?

Clove.

Sooooo, clove will KILL the mould (and the spores), BUT it will not remove it from the surface on it’s own. You will need some elbow grease to get it moving.

It’s so gross isn’t it?? I have 3 teen boys, so my washing machine goes all day long sometimes! So, yep, I get lazy and can’t be bothered to clean it as often as I should. A bit like the oven I cleaned last week 😉

How did I clean that rubber seal?

1. I dropped clove oil straight in to the seal. Left it for about half an hour.
2. I then sprayed my bathroom spray over it (because it has vinegar in it). The recipe is here.
3. I left that for about an hour.
4. I then scrubbed the crap out of the seal with a scourer. The mould started lifting.
5. I repeated the process again.
6. Then it was all gone and fresh again!

If you want more cleaning tips then go to this category and you’ll see lots of ideas.

♥ KC.