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Last month I wrote about killing mold with a dilute solution of water and bleach. Two things have happened since then. First, I heard from some people that they loath the smell of beach or are even sickened by it. Second, NY got soaked to its bones again by another 40 feet of rain. I came home late one night and found a mushroom growing out of my rabbits litter box.  You can’t make this up.

So I asked a contractor buddy of mine if there is a product  that kills mold and has a perfume like a meadow in Aixe-en-Provence. Turns out there is one. It is called Benefect and it is made from Thyme oil. Smells like the kitchen at Chez Francoise. The oils in some herbs are natural anti-microbials. The web site explains some of the science. www.Benefect.com

Mold can be a big deal. Kids sometimes get packed full of antihistamines when what they really need is to get away from all the mold that is hidden and growing in their house. Bleach has the disadvantage of wrecking your clothes, carpet or drapes if you get careless and if the mix is too strong it can be irritating to the lungs. I can’t speak about Benefect from experience but it’s worth a try. What is there to lose? From what I hear breathing the stuff makes you want to get on a bicycle and ride into town for bread, goat cheese and a bottle of wine. When’s the last time home maintenance did that?

By Joe Adami, Local Painter.  Email any questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 914-980-7216