Vinegar

• Vinegar has been used for years as a household disinfectant and general cleaner, making it perhaps one of the oldest natural cleaning products. According to an article by Kim DeLeary, writing for suite101.com, vinegar is an effective antibacterial ingredient that is also good for cleaning mold and mildew from household surfaces. This article recommends spraying distilled white vinegar full strength from a spray bottle onto molded items and leaving it for 10 minutes before wiping clean. Cleaning mildew, which is a fungus and therefore similar to mold, can be addressed in the same way.
  
  

Grapefruit Seed Extract

• This natural product has gained a lot of attention recently from the alternative medicine community. Its antibacterial properties have led to its increased use for a variety of antiseptic applications, including mold and mildew cleaning. According to a 2002 report issued by the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas School of Medicine in Galveston, their study of the effects of grapefruit seed extract on bacteria and fungus showed a high rate of membrane disruption of these growth cells, proving that this natural ingredient would be useful as a cleaning product for mold and mildew.
  
  

Garlic

• Studies into the characteristics of yeast-based infections, such as Candida albicans, have found that garlic contains high levels of antifungal properties. There are several sulfur-based compounds in garlic that are seen as highly effective in killing yeast and fungi, and there is less of a chance that these growths will build up a resistance to so many antifungal elements. A 1999 study by the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Rome revealed the antifungal properties of the alkaloid compounds in garlic.
  
  

Citrus Oils

• The antifungal properties of citrus essential oils were studied by a team of agricultural scientists at the Universidad Miguel Hernandez in Spain. Their conclusions suggest that the essential oils of citrus fruits, in particular oranges and lemons, showed high levels of antifungal properties. Extracts of these oils are readily available and are effective natural ingredients for cleaning mold and mildew, as well as other bacteria and fungi.
  
  

Carrot Juice

• The defense mechanism of carrots is the source of an effective ingredient for cleaning mold and mildew. When mold grows on a carrot, the vegetable releases isocoumarin, an antifungal element found naturally in the carrot's biology. The juice of carrots, mixed with water or full strength, is a natural enemy of mold.