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pallen123's avatar

What's a simple, safe homemade anti-mold solution that I can spray on my child's toys that were in the basement?

Asked by pallen123 (1519points) March 21st, 2009

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!

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7 Answers

marinelife's avatar

A bleach solution will kill the mold. Check on how to safely rinse it off and mix it (strength) to make it safe.

Darwin's avatar

Most green sites recommend a white vinegar solution:

Ingredients:
White vinegar (the cheapest you can find)
Water
Mixing bowl or measuring cup
Spray Bottle

1. Mix 3 parts vinegar to 2 parts water (such as 3 tablespoons vinegar to 2 tablespoons water, or for larger areas, 1 cup vinegar to 2/3 cup water) in a bowl or measuring cup. It won’t hurt to use full vinegar, but it’s not necessarily and diluting it with water saves resources and money.
2. Place the mixture in a clean spray bottle, and swirl to mix.
3. Liberally spray the mixture over the affected areas, and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Wipe down the area with water, and allow to dry.
(http://www.curbly.com/Chrisjob/posts/2237-a-healthier-greener-way-to-get-rid-of-mold)

But I use a chlorine bleach solution as per the instructions on the side of the bottle. One caveat: do not combine this with ammonia.

pekenoe's avatar

Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution, if you get the food grade 35% thin it down with water.

gailcalled's avatar

I would start, always, with cheap white vinegar and water, and use bleach only as a second line of defense. After you spray and wipe, put the toys in a sunny and dry spot outside.

casheroo's avatar

If the table is affected, you don’t want to apply too much liquid or it’ll warp.
I’d wash it with an antibacterial soap. They spray it with a solution of vinegar and water.
If you have a Thomas table, you can always buy a new top to it, without having to buy a whole new table. link

galileogirl's avatar

Chlorox is running an ad campaign about rinsing kids’ stuff in bleach with recommended proportions of bleach:water. But since kids put everyting in their mouths, I would think vinegar would be the safest because it is nontoxic. I wonder though how we managed to bring up children without disinfecting everything they touched. I personally think that kids’ saliva is more powerful than any antibacterial cleaner.

casheroo's avatar

@galileogirl Those commercials are extremely disturbing. I would never, ever clean my child’s toys or highchair with bleach. It’s their campaign against people actually using natural products, because over-disinfecting everything is what causes these mutant strains. I have a bleach-free home, obviously lol.

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