For Brad Stewart, a master plumber in Durango, it all started with a bad economy and black mold.

Looking to develop another source of income in a slow-go economy, he created a plumbing website that once featured more than 3,000 products such as environmentally friendly solvents, pipes, sinks, tubs and a variety of other plumbing parts, but he noticed something was missing.

It wasn’t until a woman asked Stewart for a black-mold killer that an idea sparked inside him. The idea led to the creation of his company, Mineral Methods LLC. In his business, he said, plumbers often create their own concoctions to kill various molds, though not many of these products become readily available.

After creating the prototype of his mold-killing product, his stock on hand sold out in three days on his website, he said.

“I started making gallons of it,” Stewart said.

The process took one year to fully develop, and the final name, “Mold Killer Total Management,” became official two years after.

Stewart makes his product in a lab in his home. Inside his garage, a variety of essential oils, orange oil, vinegars, mixers, bottles and boxes can be found.

One gallon of mold-killing product costs him about $11 to make. Buying the essential ingredients in bulk can be pricey, he said.

Upon a purchase, he bottles, packages and mails the product himself. Nearly two years ago, he sold his first gallon. Now, he sells about 375 to 425 gallons a month, he said.

Mold KillerTM sells for about $38 a gallon. Stewart has an online store at Amazon.com and a personal website, but the product can be found at Kroegers Ace Hardware in Durango and other hardware stores throughout the country.

Stewart has big plans for his products, he said. He’s collaborated with an outside party in an effort to expand his products internationally, he said. Total Bacteria Management International, TBM Int., has the rights to the product in countries outside the United States and Canada. Stewart will continue to control rights in the United States and Canada. Stewart said TBM is looking to market the product in Europe, particularly Germany. The paperwork was signed about a month ago, and both parties have agreed to split the profits 50-50, he said.

Year to date, Stewart has made nearly $30,000, a 500 percent increase from his first year’s profit of $5,000.

“It’s totally profitable,” he said.

With the expansion of his home-based company, Mineral Methods LLC, Stewart has started developing other products. One of his newest creations, Target Multipurpose Cleanser, is looking to be his next top-selling item, Stewart said.

The cleanser is versatile, he said, and can be used for residential or commercial cleaning, as a laundry detergent and as a carpet cleaner.

The product also doesn’t produce a harsh-smelling odor, he said.

Stewart said all his products are 100 percent organic.

“There are no harmful chemicals in our products,” he said. “It’s just raw materials.”

The products are made of a variety of essential oils, which are good for your skin, he said.

He mentioned that some popular “organic” products contain harmful chemicals such as magnesium sulfate, sodium aluminosilicate and sodium carbonate, which can be found on the specific products Material Safety Data Sheet, MSDS, online.

He’s proud of his accomplishments and how much his company has grown. Stewart’s creation is an “eco-friendly” product that aggressively kills black mold and smells like citrus.

“I was making these tiny little 6-ounce bottles in a $2 lab,” he said.

Stewart is grateful for the support he’s received from his daughter and local friends. His daughter, Heidi, has been a major contributor throughout the entire process.

“She was instrumental in building the original plumbing website, he said. “She spent countless hours in the mornings and in the nights and taught me the whole nine yards of website building when she was just 15.”

His daughter has also put in several hours into the company’s newest website. Stewart has a strong bond with his daughter and is grateful for her varied contributions in developing the company, he said.

“As an infant, she was put into my arms, and I raised her alone her whole life.” Stewart separated from his partner, Heidi’s mother, and asked to take his daughter with him when she was 8 months old. He moved to Colorado from Nevada with his daughter, and shortly after, Heidi’s mother died.

Several people, many of them locals, have worked on the project and helped Stewart build his company, he said.

Stewart still does plumbing jobs in addition to running his business. But his elixir business is growing: He has seven pages of orders from the last 30 days.

He’s also optimistic for the future.

“You’re going to see something big happen soon,” Stewart said.

Big things, indeed. Shortly after this interview, the Durango Award Program recognized Mineral Methods LLC in its health education classification. The Durango Award Program encourages small local businesses to further their accomplishments.

vguthrie@durangoherald.com