|
Mold
and the Myth of Bleach A common question that we have been asked on many occasions is, ”why can’t I just throw some bleach on
the mold?” While bleach is a great product when used as it is intended,
it has never been intended for mold cleanup, especially on porous surfaces. Bleach
manufactures label the products as effective on “hard, nonporous surfaces”.
While bleach is effective on tubs, tile, countertops, sinks, toilets, etc, it is ineffective on wood, drywall, carpet,
trim, floor joists, attic sheeting, etc. So why is bleach not recommended for
porous surface?
|
|
· Bleach is unable to cut through dirt. Prior to sanitizing a surface, it must be cleaned. Dirt and mold growth must be physically removed prior to applying an appropriate sanitizer. [In a 2004 study of five different household products
to try to clean a moldy shower curtain, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the least effective product
was chlorine bleach.]
|
·
Bleach damages floor finishes: Bleach attacks floor coatings, eating away at their effectiveness. ·
Bleach damages fibers, carpets etc. Moldy carpets and fabrics should be discarded as part of mold remediation. ·
Bleach corrodes hard surfaces: Metals and other surfaces can not only be corroded, but discolored.
|
|
·
Bleach can hide dirt: The bleach can make some soil transparent, leading a cleaner to think he/she has actually cleaned a surface when
in fact the soil remains there · Bleach loses strength rapidly: Chlorine begins to break down quite quickly and consistently
after Bleach is manufactured.
|
· Chlorine Bleach is NOT a registered EPA mold killing product. You can verify it yourself when
you are unable to find an EPA registration number for killing mold on the label of any brand of chlorine bleach.
|
|
·
Chlorine Bleach is
NOT a registered EPA mold killing product. You can verify it yourself when you are unable to find an EPA registration number for killing
mold on the label of any brand of chlorine bleach.
|
· Use of Bleach on porous surfaces can accelerate mold growth.
Bleach cannot penetrate into mold's tiny hyphae (roots), but the water part of the bleach formula will, thus fostering
more, even stronger mold growth. Using bleach on these surfaces can actually
spread mold growth.
|
