Clove Oil and Mold: Fix the Moisture First

Find a patch of mold on the bathroom ceiling and the instinct is to open every cupboard in search of a fix. Clove oil gets nominated more often than you might expect. We love clove oil, but we will be straight with you: it is not the part of this job that matters. Water is.

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Start with the moisture

EPA puts it in one line: the key to mold control is moisture control. Clean up the mold promptly, fix whatever is feeding it, and dry anything that got wet within 24 to 48 hours. Cleaning without fixing the leak or the condensation just invites a repeat visit (EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home).

That order of operations is why a scented oil is a sideline. If the wall keeps getting damp, no bottle on the shelf will outlast it.

Walk the house first

Before you reach for any bottle, take a slow walk through the rooms where mold tends to appear. Bathrooms, window frames, the back of a closet on an outside wall, the cabinet under the sink. Run a hand along the wall and look for a cool, damp patch, a fogged window or a musty corner. Noticing where the moisture is coming from is most of the job, and it costs nothing. A small fan, a squeegee on the shower glass and a window cracked open after a hot shower go a long way.

What the cleanup itself looks like

For hard surfaces, EPA's household advice is plain: scrub with detergent and water, then dry the surface completely. Porous things such as ceiling tiles and carpet can hold mold deep in their crevices, so they may simply have to go in the trash. And size matters. A patch smaller than about 10 square feet, roughly a three by three foot square, is usually a job a household can handle. Past that, or after a lot of water damage, EPA points you toward its guidance for larger jobs and professional help (EPA, Mold Cleanup in Your Home). If anyone at home has asthma, allergies or a weakened immune system, it is sensible to check with a physician before you start scrubbing.

Small habits that keep a room dry

Run the bathroom fan or open a window during and after a hot shower.
Wipe condensation off window sills and glass when you notice it.
Leave a little space between furniture and exterior walls so air can move.
Hang damp towels where they can dry, instead of leaving them in a heap.
Fix a drip under the sink as soon as you spot it, before it becomes a stain.

So where does clove oil belong?

In the scent. A little clove in a cleaner you have already built on detergent and water gives a kitchen or entryway that warm, baking-spice smell that people associate with a freshly cleaned house. Clove bud oil is warm, rich and sweetly spicy; clove leaf oil is bolder, smoky and drier. Either one is a lovely accent, and our piece on scent-first cleaning sprays walks through how to think about it.

What we do not do is sell either oil as a mold product. Clove oil is on EPA's list of ingredients that may appear in exempt "minimum risk" pesticide products, but those products carry strict label conditions, including no claims about controlling microorganisms that threaten human health (40 CFR 152.25, exemptions for minimum risk pesticides). Our oils are sold for aroma and external cosmetic use, and that is all we say about them.

A pleasant finish

Once the surface is clean and dry, the room deserves a nice smell. Clove is lovely in a kitchen or an entryway because it reads as warm and homey. A diffuser with a drop or two, or a pot simmering with orange peel, does the job without any fuss. Keep the scent light, and let the cleanliness of the room be the main thing a visitor notices.

A concentrated oil deserves a little respect

Clove oil is rich in eugenol, which is why it smells the way it does and also why it can bother skin. Robert Tisserand's recommended topical maximum for clove bud oil is 0.5% (Tisserand Institute, Eugenol), and we would keep any cleaning blend that touches bare hands in that neighborhood. Oil does not mix with water, so a spray needs a proper emulsifier from a soapmaking or craft supplier. Spray in ventilated rooms, keep bottles away from children and pets, and read our safety basics before you start.

A dry house with a warm spice in the air is a happy house, and the second part is a lot easier once the first is done.

Fix the water, scrub the surface, and then, once the room is dry and clean, let the clove do what it does best: make it smell wonderful.