Using Tea Tree Oil To Kill Mold
Tea tree oil is the most effective natural solution to killing mold. While it is a more expensive option, a small amount of tea tree oil goes a long way in removing mold. It is an antifungal that is capable of killing all types of mold. Make sure the tea tree oil you purchase to remove mold is derived from the Melaleuca Alternifolia.
Alternatives To Using Bleach On Mold
We’ll say right now that we recommend against using bleach to kill mold, even when it might be effective. Why do we suggest using something other than bleach on mold? There are several reasons.
Using bleach on wood or any other porous material is particularly problematic. The bleach may remove the mold on the surface of the wood, but only the water in the bleach will seep deeply into the wood. If the mold has grown deeply into the wood, which it usually does, then the water will help the mold to grow back.
Even when bleach will kill mold, bleach is a strong chemical that can be hazardous to your health. Bleach can irritate your skin and you should wear gloves when using it. If you’re using bleach to clean up mold, you may also want to wear goggles to protect your eyes in case bleach splashes on your face. The fumes from bleach can be irritating to the lungs, especially if you have asthma or other breathing problems. Bleach should only be used for cleaning purposes in a well-ventilated area. You should never mix bleach with other cleaning products because when it is combined with certain other chemicals, a toxic gas results.
In addition, bleach can damage many surfaces and may discolor some materials. Care must be taken to avoid spills or splashes that can discolor or damage clothing or other items.
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.
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Is Hydrogen Peroxide Better
You may be more used to seeing a familiar brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide in your first aid kit than in your cleaning supplies, but its actually a very handy product to use for home cleaning! Hydrogen peroxide is often referred to as an oxygen bleach, because it acts as an oxidizer, chemically attacking the cell wall of bacteria, often rupturing it entirely. The oxidizing function when cleaning with hydrogen oxide means that it works similarly to chlorine bleach in killing microbes and eliminating stains, but without leaving toxic residues behind which pollute the air in your home hydrogen peroxide leaves only water and oxygen as its byproducts.
Regular 3% hydrogen peroxide is effective at killing surface mold, and only needs to be sprayed on and left for 10 minutes or until it stops fizzing. Repeat as necessary until the visible mold is gone, taking care to not over-wet the surface.
Dont mix hydrogen peroxide with other cleaning products, including natural ones. There have been many DIY Cleaner articles posted online which recommend mixing hydrogen peroxide and vinegar, but this reduces the effectiveness of either the hydrogen peroxide or vinegar compared to when used alone, and it also creates peracetic acid which potentially toxic and irritates skin, eyes, and lungs.
How To Kill Mold Using Chlorine Bleach
If youve picked chlorine bleach, follow these steps:
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We Offer The Best Mold Removal Service
It is not a good idea to use bleach to eliminate mold. Doing so will result in major problems. With that being said, you should rely on the professionals. Otherwise, youre going to find yourself in a constant struggle to get rid of the mold but youll never get satisfactory results. Choosing the right mold remediation service is vital and this is why youll want to choose us.
MCT is the leading mold removal company in Connecticut. We are confident that well be able to get rid of the mold so you and your family can return to a normal life as soon as possible. When youre ready to get started, you should pick up the phone and call us at
Why Is Bleach A Good Roof Cleaner
Bleach is a class of compounds widely used to whiten clothes and remove stains and as a disinfectant to kill germs.
Liquid household bleach has 5.25 to 8.25% of the active sodium hypochlorite ingredient. It also contains other secondary ingredients such as sodium hydroxide which is intended to keep the solution alkaline.
It is the sodium hypochlorite in bleach that denatures proteins in microorganisms that thrive on roofs. This ingredient is effective in killing algae, mildew, mold, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
The Sodium hypochlorite becomes hypochlorous acid when it comes into contact with water. Hypochlorous acid is the active ingredient further that attacks proteins that make up the microorganisms leading to the destruction of the algea as well as other microorganisms on your roof shingles.
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Our Stand In Using Bleach In Killing Mold
We agree that the internet is a greatsource of information. However, not all the recommendations from the onlinepublications are facts and reliable.
TheEnvironmentalProtection Agency or EPA andOccupational Safetyand Health Administrations or OSHA nolonger recommend the use of bleach because using chlorine bleach to kill moldis one of the worst things you can do. And, Green Home Solutions totally agreeswith this recommendation!
Bleach contains 90% of water. Mold loveswater. When bleach is applied, the chlorine quickly evaporates after useleaving behind a lot of water. This water often soaks into the porous surfaceallowing the mold to flourish and re-grow in the moist environment. Bleachfeeds the internal mold spores. Even though the surface may look bleached andclean, the remaining spores will root deeper, stronger and will often returnworse than before.
Does Bleach Kill Black Mold
The common bleach or sodium hypochlorite , when dissolved in water dissociates into sodium ions , hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions . Of these, HOCl and OCl are strong oxidizing agents, and are responsible for inactivating black mold.
The cell walls of black molds are made up of chitin and glucan, which can be easily penetrated by OCl ions. These ions then disrupt the structural and functional integrity of their cell membranes. Once inside the cells, the chlorine ions combine with cellular components to form chloramines, which affect the normal cellular metabolism. This results in the death of mold cells.
However, it is important remember that just killing black mold is not enough. The dead molds, spores and mold components are also capable of causing allergies and toxicity symptoms.
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How Does The Mold Grow And Reproduce
Molds are fungi, simple microscopicorganisms that thrive anywhere with a moist environment. They grow in the formof multicellular strands known as hyphae.They reproduce by the production of large numbers of small spores which maycontain a nucleus or be multinucleate. These spores are comparable to the seedsof a plant, though they are much smaller than seeds or even pollen grains. Thesmall size makes them easy to disperse through the air and water. They can also disperse long distances byclinging on the clothing and fur. They will only start to grow once they landin an environment with suitable temperature, food, water and oxygen.
How To Kill Mold With Hydrogen Peroxide
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Nontoxic Alternatives For Cleaning Mold
Luckily, there are many nontoxic options for mold cleanup on both porous and nonporous surfaces.
- Hydrogen peroxide. Combine 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Apply to mold and allow to sit before removal.
- Vinegar. Place undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle. Apply to the mold and allow to sit for 1 hour. Wipe the surface and allow to air dry.
- Baking soda. Combine 2 tbsp. baking soda with 2 cups water in a spray bottle and shake until its completely dissolved. Spray onto the mold and let it sit before scrubbing. Afterward, rinse the area and apply the solution once more, allowing it to fully air dry.
- Tea tree oil. Mix 2 tsp. tea tree oil with either 2 cups water or 2 cups distilled white vinegar. Spray onto the mold and allow it to sit for at least 1 hour, then scrub.
- Grapefruit seed extract. Mix 10 drops of extract into 1 cup water. Spray onto the mold and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cleaning Mold: Bleach Vs Hydrogen Peroxide
Although minor mold spots are easy enough to wipe away while cleaning, the mold often returns quickly. While you might think to reach for the disinfectant spray or prepare a bucket of bleach to douse the area to kill it once and for all, these are not the best solutions for fixing a mold issue. These disinfectants are named for their ability to dis-infect, or kill, microbes and while that may sound good, in many cases this can actually make a mold problem worse!
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Facts About Mold You Need To Understand
Mold Removal With Bleach
Bleach can kill virtually every species of indoor mold that it comes into contact with, along with its spores, leaving a surface sanitized and resistant to future mold growth.
Unfortunately, however, Unfortunately, however, using bleach is only effective if the mold is growing on non-porous materials such as tiles, bathtubs, glass and countertops. Bleach cannot penetrate into porous materials and so it does not come into contact with mold growing beneath the surface of materials such as wood and drywall. Using bleach on these materials will kill the mold above the surface but the roots within the material will remain and the mold will soon return
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Does Hypochlorous Acid Eliminate Viruses
by Dr. Joe Doctora | Jun 5, 2020 | Hypochlorous Acid
Hypochlorous Acid, also known as HOCl, has a skin-friendly pH of about 6.3. HOCl as a singular compound only exists in water and the lowest p.h is about 3.0. Lower than 3.0, it changes into chlorine dioxide, lower than 2 it converts to chlorine gas.
People use HOCl for various purposes, such as in health care, water treatment, food safety, and general sanitation. It is not harmful, and you can use a mild HOCl concentration to cleanse everything from wounds to sanitizing your home.
Do Commerical Mould Cleaning Products Work
Commercially available mould cleaning products may look like they’re doing the job, but it’s probably an illusion.
Most of them use bleach as an active ingredient. But the concentration of bleach in these products marketed as ‘mould killers’ is often five percent or less.
Bleach has a short shelf life and loses potency quickly, so if products have been on shelves for an extended period of time, they become even more ineffective.
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How To Kill Mold Permanently
The best way to remove mold for good is to find and fix the water source. Humidity and condensation are common problems that you can fix with better ventilation. However, repairing leaks are more involved.
Once you fix the water problem, use high volume fans and dehumidifiers to dry out the area. Let them run longer than you think is necessary to make sure your home is really dry. Then disinfect the area again with bleach as a precaution.
In some cases, you may need to cut out damaged flooring, walls or cabinets. Dry and disinfect the area again before installing new materials.
If youre tired of killing mold with bleach, let our restoration specialists solve the problem. They not only clean the mold but find and fix what causes it. Call now for a free estimate on mold removal services.
Getting Rid Of Mold With Grapefruit Seed Extract
Grapefruit seed extract is an effective natural mold killer. It has almost no odor and you can buy it from most health food stores. The citric acid from the grapefruit attacks the mold. It also disinfects the area and deodorizes the area.
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How To Prevent Mould From Coming Back
Here are some tips for preventing mould from growing in the home:
- Fix any external entry points for moisture in your home, for example, a leaky roof or broken pipes.
- Install a good exhaust fan in the bathroom and prevent moisture build-up on surfaces. Squeegee or towel-dry your tiles and floors immediately after showering, and make sure you clean bathroom scum, which mould feeds on.
- Ventilate your home. Inadequate ventilation is one of the main reasons homes become vulnerable to mould growth. When the air stops moving, you can get a build-up of humidity and moisture in those areas. If you can’t ventilate, think about a dehumidifier for the room.
- Avoid air drying clothes indoors, especially without adequate ventilation.
- Be careful about extreme differences in heat between indoors and outdoors as condensation will form if there’s a gap in the window or you open the door.
- Make informed heating and cooling choices several experts we consulted warned against the use of unflued gas heaters, which release moisture into the air.
- Mould needs organic matter such as dust or dead skin cells to thrive, so it’s important to keep up with regular vacuuming and dusting.
Temporary Products For Temporary Solutions
There are numerous alternatives that can provide you with temporary results too. For instance, you will find that vinegar works great for this purpose. However, you cannot rely on vinegar when treating large amounts of mold. You can find numerous home remedies that may be able to help. Nevertheless, youre not going to get lifetime results. If you need to deal with the mold permanently, it is best to work with a professional.
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A Safer And More Effective Alternative To Chlorine Bleach:
Dead or alive, mold spores can still remain allergenic. In some severe cases, depending on the material, it may need to be replaced. Hard surfaces that aren’t ruined by moisture damage can be salvaged and cleaned. In this scenario, we recommend UltraMean-2, a non-toxic, non-chlorine, oxygen bleach-based detergent that can penetrate to reach deeply embedded roots and pull them out. Remember to always take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. Proper steps must be taken to prevent yourself from exposure to toxic mold spores that can make you sick and spread to other areas of the house. Safety gear such as gloves, mask, and safety goggles are always recommended.
After the surface has been cleaned and completely dried, it is very important to follow up with UltraBan, a mold preventative. Do NOT skip this step! If mold has occurred once, it can always occur again. UltraBan was designed to help keep this from happening and will provide your home with a protective barrier to prevent future mold growth.
These products can easily be purchased on , at rhinohide.com, or over the phone at 863.665.0203.
