Can You Get Rid Of Black Mold With Bleach

Can You Mix Bleach And Vinegar To Kill Mold

How to remove and kill mold – Bleach vs vinegar

If you have just spotted mold growing in your home, you are probably searching for a quick way to get rid of it before the spread gets worse.

Lucky for you, many easy-to-use home remedies can quickly clear up small mold infestations in no time at all.

One of the more commonly used mold infestation solutions is a combination of bleach and mold in the affected area. Read whether our expert team at All Dry USA thinks this concoction works!

If Necessary Sand The Wood

These cleaning solutions should take care of your mold problem, but if youve got some stubborn traces left under the surface, you have one last resort: sanding.

Use 100-grit sandpaper to rub out the affected portion, taking care not to sand away too much of the surrounding areas.

Repeat Step 2 to remove the dust and any loosened mold spores.

What Is Black Mold

Black mold, or toxic mold, is a type of fungus that grows in water-damaged buildings. Black mold thrives in warm, damp environments. If your home has been exposed to flood waters or standing water, you may have a serious mold problem on your hands. Black mold is notoriously toxic and can cause a variety of health problems including upper respiratory infections, allergies, and asthma.

Does Bleach Kill Black Mold The Answer May Surprise You

How helpful is bleach in killing black mold? Most are not sure about the answer. This post helps you understand if bleach is really effective in killing black mold.

Black mold infestation can be a bane on the lives of most people, especially those who happen to live in moist and humid climates. This slimy, greenish-black substance can be found growing in areas which harbor dampness and moisture. These might include ceiling tiles, bathroom tiles, shower heads, sink, basement, and damped wood to name a few. It is also not surprising to see it growing on clothes made of cotton, or leather goods. It is not the unsightly appearance of the black mold that is a matter of concern, but the several unpleasant symptoms which occur because of the exposure to the mold. What makes black mold toxic is its byproduct called mycotoxins. These substances are so small in size that they can get airborne, and make their way into humans and pets, giving rise to bouts of medical problems. One of the accepted and popular methods to abate black mold has been the use of the household chlorine bleach. But does bleach actually help in killing these toxic fungi? Let us know about it as we continue to read further.

How Helpful Is Bleach In Killing Black Mold

When it comes to sanitizing or disinfecting surfaces, bleach undoubtedly is an effective product to use. The substance being a powerful oxidizer, works well in getting rid of certain types of bacteria. However, if we are speaking of getting rid of black mold, then what most experts have commented may raise your eyebrows in disbelief. According to them, bleach is only helpful in killing mold that is growing on materials such as bathroom tiles, bathtubs, glass, and counter-tops.

This is because these are all non-porous surfaces. Bleach does not come in handy for surfaces that are porous.

So what stops bleach from removing mold from porous surfaces like drywall or wood? When black mold infests such areas, it not only grows on but beneath the surface too, with its roots intact. And this is what limits the efficacy of bleach, as it cannot penetrate the surface. This causes the chlorine to stay on the surface, and it is the water that gets absorbed thus, feeding the black mold spores to become worse. Some of the mold may be removed from the surface, but since its roots still remain embedded, it returns within a few days. Bleach also gets rid of the moldy color from the infested surface, and this puts most people under the impression that the mold is gone for good. But unfortunately, the toxic microflora still thrives.

Recommended Reading: How Do You Get Rid Of Mold On Plants

Tips For Mold Prevention

After you learn how to remove mold, focus on preventing it in the future. Controlling dampness is the key to stopping most mold. The worst infestations usually occur in damp crawl spaces, attics, walls where water leaked in from the outside, and in basements with poor foundation drainage. Stopping leaks, ensuring good ventilation in attics, keeping crawl spaces dry and routing water away from the foundation are the best defenses against mold.

Mildewcide in paint is usually effective for controlling surface mold in damp rooms like bathrooms, and outside in shady areas. Many paints already have mildewcide in them. Check with your paint dealer about mold removal products.

Create A Bleach Mixture

If the black mold growth in your home is small enough for you to treat alone, a simple mixture of bleach and water can help. Add one cup of bleach to one gallon of water and apply it to the moldy spots. You can also find commercial black mold removal products.

Soak a paper towel in the cleaner and press it over the mold growth to dampen the area. Then start scrubbing. Avoid spraying moldy areas, since the droplets will collide with the mold spores and launch them throughout the room, making them easier to breathe in and harder to eradicate.

Be sure to dry the area thoroughly when youre done.

Do NOT mix bleach with ammonia. This combination can create toxic fumes that are far more dangerous than any mold youre trying to clean.

You May Like: How Much Bleach And Water To Kill Mold

How To Treat Mold On Wood Studs

Its easy to know how to treat mold on wood studs if you know what to do. Follow these simple four steps to sanitize the wood. Step one is wearing protective clothing and ensure that your face and hands are well covered. The second step is to ensure that you have enough cleaning products, and that includes detergents and scrub brushes. In the third step youll wash the wood stud with detergents and scrub the surface thoroughly. Rinse the surface with clean water. Finally, sanitize the wood surface with a mixture of chlorine and water. Allow the wood to dry thoroughly to prevent the growth of mold.

Can You Just Paint Over Black Mold

Black Mold – How we get rid of mold in under 3 min!

A: Painting over mold may cover up the dark patches where the mold is growing, but it will not eliminate the problem. … Using mold-resistant paint works to prevent mold growth, but it won’t kill it once it’s started to grow. You can paint over mold, but it will always reappear if you don’t stop it in its tracks.

Don’t Miss: How To Fight Mold In Bathroom

Why We Dont Recommend Bleach For Mold Removal

Bleach doesnt kill all mold. Big bleach companies have promised that nothing else will do the job of removing mold only their bleach. Yes, it is great for disinfecting, and they work to remove mold in impermeable, hard surfaces like bathtub, shower surrounds or tiles. However, in porous and semi-porous surfaces like drywall or hardwood floors, it will not work and can actually contribute negatively to certain mold problems.

Bleach can weaken the wood. Chlorine bleach is extremely harmful to wood and many other surfaces. If bleach is applied on wood, it will weaken the wood by breaking down its fibers. This can create further problems with the structure of the home.

Mixing Bleach with ammonia creates deadly gas. According to Washington State Department of Health Toxic gases called chloramines are produced when you mix bleach with ammonia. Once exposed, they symptoms such as coughing, nausea, chest pain, watery eyes, and shortness of breath.

Bleach is toxic. Bleach is corrosive, considered as a toxic chemical and classified the same as gasoline.

Bleach is harmful to your skin. Exposure to bare skin creates a hydrolysis reaction which means the oily feeling on the top of the layer of your skin starts to dissolve.

What to Doto Kill Mold

EPA RegisteredProduct

Formula Using Borax To Remove Mildew From Canvas

To remove mildew using the Borax formula, mix 1/2 cup of borax with 2 cups of water. I prefer to use warm water, but use what you have. Use a soft scrub brush that will not damage the fabric.

Gently scrub the borax formula into the canvas and loosen up the mildew. Allow the formula to soak into the canvas so it can get deep into the fibers.

Then after the solution soaks on the canvas for at least15 minutes or longer, rinse the canvas thoroughly to remove all of the borax solution. If the mildew is still present is may require a second treatment to fully remove the mildew.

The Borax Formula:

Also Check: Does Bora Care Kill Mold

Recommended Reading: How To Treat Mold In Home

How To Kill Black Mold With Ammonia

Killing Black Mold with Ammonia has its advantages. Its a good disinfectant and does a pretty good job of killing mold on hard, non-porous items.

These items would include the bathroom sink, shower doors or kitchen counters. Ive written an article on how to get rid of shower mold here. And, tackling all of the bathroom mildew challenges here.

Ammonia is also cheap and easy to find in your local grocery or hardware stores.

However, ammonias active ingredients , do a lousy job of penetrating porous materials such as wood, concrete, sheet-rock, particle board or some of the traditional, drop-down ceiling tiles.

Ask anyone who has scrubbed their wooden deck with bleach looking so very pretty and stain-free . And, then later, eyed their deck in wonder. Wondering, why in the heck had the previously scrubbed mold returned!

If you live in an area where you have a decent amount of humidity, moisture, and your deck is surrounded by tree cover . Then you know exactly what Im talking about.

Ive written here on how you can get to know the different types of mold associated with wood and mold growth specifically. Youll find some very helpful tips on getting rid of the fungus. Enjoy the read!

In order to effectively kill mold spores, you have to get to them at the root level. And, chlorinated bleach and ammonia are not up to the task.

There are many other mold cleaning agents that will kill the fungi effectively and at the root level.

Fix All Leakages And Water Issues

Black Mold Removal Can You Get Rid Of Mold With Bleach

Just like other mold species, black mold cannot thrive in environments that lack moisture.

Since this is what attracts them in the first place, make sure you attend to all water problems you have in your basement or any other part of your home.

Be sure to check your plumbing for leakages and fix them. A leak can flow over to your basement walls and dampen them, which will create the perfect living environment for mold.

If your landscape is tilted towards your building, then rainwater or melted snow will flow towards your foundation. If this happens, the water will eventually seep through into the basement walls and dampen them.

To fix this, get a landscaper to re-grade your yard in a way that standing water flows away from your foundation and not towards it.

Pretty much any cause of water damage in your home must be fixed so there will be no breeding environment for the mold.

Take Preventive Measures Against Mold

Removing mold is never fun the easiest way would be to prevent the mold from appearing in the first place. As you may know, humidity is the main factor that helps mold appear. So, all you need to do is to keep it at a minimum.

An ideal home should have between 40% to 50% humidity. So, if you just removed the mold in your home and want to prevent it from forming again, you can invest in a dehumidifier.

Dehumidifiers are amazing they will not only help with humidity, but also improve the quality of air in your home and remove bad odors. All you need to do is set the humidity levels you want and start the device. The dehumidifier will run in the background quietly and you can go about your day without worrying about it.

Does Bleach Really Kill Mold

Mold is terrible. It is smelly, annoying, and destructive. Not only does it stain surfaces within the house, causing your space to look very unpleasant, it can also cause damage to your structures by eating away at your building materials like walls and furniture. So it only makes sense that once you notice mold, you want to get rid of it immediately.

The idea that bleach will help completely get rid of the mold in your home is a common misconception that has been sold by big bleach marketing agencies and websites.

The primary function of bleach is to disinfect and to bleach .

Chlorine bleach can help eliminate mold on hard non-porous surfaces like sinks, bathtubs, tiles, or glass. This is because the roots of the mold do not penetrate through this surface and so it is easily wiped off.

However, when mold grows on a porous material like wood or drywall, it spreads its root deep into the material to reach more nutrients. So when you apply bleach to such a surface, you are merely changing the molds color on the surface. Bleach quickly dries off on the surface and will not reach into the deeper part of the material to the molds root. So, in a few days or weeks, the mold regains its color and grows back to become even worse than it was before you applied the bleach.

The fact is that bleach might work well on a non-porous surfaces like tiles, sinks etc., it is not worth trying due to the numerous health hazards associated with it.

Don’t Miss: Why Do I Have Mold In My House

Removing Mold With Ammonia

Similar to bleach, ammonia will kill mold on hard non-porous surfaces which include countertops, glass or tiles but it is not effective at killing mold on porous surfaces such as wood or drywall. Additionally, ammonia is a harsh, toxic chemical. While ammonia can kill surface mold, dead mold and dead mold spores are still allergenic so you would need to make sure to remove them as well.

Create a solution of 50% clear ammonia and 50% water in a spray bottle.

Spray the solution on the moldy areas.

Make sure the ammonia you use says clear ammonia on the label.

Leave the area for a few hours before wiping or rinsing.

How To Clean Mould With Vinegar

DONT USE BLEACH! How to kill black mold safely!

To clean mould and mildew and kill their spores you will need white distilled vinegar the cheapest brand from the supermarket will do just fine.

Mix 1 part of vinegar with 1 part water and pour into a spray bottle.
Apply the solution onto the mouldy area and leave it to sit for one hour.
Wipe the surface with damp cloth to rinse the acidic solution.

Allow the area to dry completely. If there is a vinegar smell dont worry it will disappear within a few hours.

Vinegar is very efficient for mould removal especially in the areas where you prepare or store food. If you need to clean slightly mouldy clothes, soak them in warm water and add a few tablespoons of white distilled vinegar.

Don’t Miss: How To Clean Shower Tile Mold

Have You Ever Used Bleach For Black Mold Removal If Not Try It Now

Black mold commonly grows on damp surfaces, and spoil the look of your house, as well as pose several health concerns. You can, however, easily remove black mold using bleach.

Biocides are toxic to humans, as well as to mold. United States Environmental Protection Agency

Black molds are a group of ubiquitous fungi, belonging to the genus Stachybotrys, and are commonly seen growing on damp walls, ceilings, carpets and paper as well as in toilets, showers, bathtubs, etc. The microscopic reproductive spores of these fungi are highly stable and are present almost everywhere, be it soil, water or air.

Moisture is the most important factor that favors the germination and growth of such spores. Hence, excessive humidity and accumulation of moisture in walls, window panes, tiles and other building material, is often followed by the growth of molds.

Although indoor mold exposure does not pose severe health concerns, certain individuals are more sensitive to mold growth and may experience eye and skin irritation, nasal congestion, and sneezing. However, immunocompromised individuals may suffer severe health issues and respiratory disorders due to exposure to black mold.

How To Remove Mold From Wood Furniture

Here are a few steps to help you get rid of mold from your wood furniture.

Step 1: Wear Protective ClothingCover your face and hands to avoid mold spores.
Step 2: Take the Furniture OutdoorsTo avoid the mold from spreading indoors, take the affected furniture outside for cleaning.

Step 3: Spraying the Affected AreasSunlight will prove useful in fighting light mold. You can use vodka to spray the affected areas as you scrub. You may also spray the problematic areas with vinegar and allow it to sit in.
Step 4: ScrubAfter spraying the mold areas with vinegar or vodka. Scrub the area with soap, warm water, and a scrub brush. After scrubbing, wipe the area with a damp towel and let it dry.

You May Like: How Do You Clean Mold From Carpet