Can you kill mold with bleach?
Do NOT use Chlorine bleach to kill mold or disinfect moldy areas. It is not an effective or long lasting killer of mold and mold spores. Bleach is good only for changing the color of the mold and watering the roots of the mold. CHLORINE BLEACH IS INEFFECTIVE IN KILLING MOLD FOR THESE REASONS:
(1) The object to killing mold is to kill its "roots". Mold remediation involves the need to disinfect wood and wood-based building materials, all of which are porous materials. Thus, chlorine bleach should not be used in the mold removal process. The use of bleach as a mold disinfectant is best left to kitchen and bathroom counter-tops, tubs and shower glass, etc.
(2) Chlorine Bleach does kill bacteria and viruses, but has not been proven effective in killing molds on surfaces that are not porous. 99% of a bottle of bleach is water. Water is one of the critical elements necessary for the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. Current situations where bleach was used in an attempt to kill mold, it re-grew and regenerated mold and bacteria twice the CFU counts than were originally found before bleaching, within a short period of time. Like an old wives tale, we've been led to believe that using bleach will kill some bacteria and mold. It's what we learned from our parents and have carried on this misconception for years. The strains now associated within Indoor Air quality issues are resistant to the methods our grandmothers employed to clean-up mold.
(3) What potential mold "killing" power chlorine bleach might have is diminished significantly as the bleach sits in warehouses, on grocery store shelves or inside your home or business. Bleach losses 50% of its killing power in just the first 90 days inside a never opened jug or container. Ultra violet light breaks down the Chlorine which is constantly escaping through the plastic walls of its containers.
(4) The ionic structure of bleach prevents Chlorine from penetrating into porous materials such as drywall and wood, it just stays on the outside surface, whereas mold has enzyme roots growing inside the porous contraction materials, however, the water content penetrates and actually FEEDS the mold. This is why a few days later you will notice darker, more concentrated mold growing on the bleached area.
(5) Chlorine Bleach accelerates the deterioration of materials and breaks down the fibers of porous materials.
(6) Chlorine Bleach is NOT a registered EPA disinfectant designed to kill mold. You can verify this important fact for yourself when you are unable to find an EPA registration number for killing mold on the label of any brand of chlorine bleach.
(7) Chlorine bleach off gases for a period of time. Chlorine off gassing can be harmful to humans and animals. It has been known to cause pulmonary embolisms in low resistant and susceptible people.
(8) Chlorine bleach will evaporate within a short period of time. If the bleach evaporates and the surface is still wet, or moisture is still in the contaminated area (humidity, outside air dampness), you could have the contamination process immediately start again and to a greater degree.
(9) Chlorine is a key component of DIOXIN. One of the earliest findings of dioxin's toxicity in animals was that it caused birth defects in mice at very low levels. This finding led to dioxin being characterized as "one of the most potent teratogenic environmental agents". The first evidence that dioxin causes cancer came from several animal studies completed in the late 1970's. The most important of these, published in 1978 by a team of scientists from Dow Chemical Company, led by Richard Kociba, found liver cancer in rats exposed to very low levels of dioxin. This study helped establish dioxin as one of the most potent animal carcinogens ever tested and, together with the finding of birth defects in mice, lead to the general statement that dioxin is the "most toxic synthetic chemical known to man."
If Not Bleach, What Can I Use? The Myth:
A Myth exists concerning the use and "effectiveness" of chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) in the mold removal process. Mold remediation involves the removal of mold and the disinfection of mold contaminated building materials. For a better understanding of mold removal check with the experts.
Opposing Views and Confusion.
Chlorine bleach, commonly referred to as laundry bleach, is generally perceived to be an be all to end all biocide to abate mold in the remediation processes. Does Bleach Really Kill Mold? Will chlorine bleach kill mold or not -- yes or no? The answer is yes, but with a caveat. That answer comes from The Clorox Company, Oakland CA, manufacturer and distributor of Ultra Clorox Regular Bleach. Their Tech Department studies supported by independent laboratories show that "3/4 cup of Clorox liquid bleach per gallon of water will be effective on hard, non-porous surfaces against... Aspergillum Niger and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (Athlete's Foot Fungus)", Whether or not chlorine bleach kills other molds and fungi, the company did not say. Their words "hard, non-porous" "surfaces" present the caveat. Mold remediation involves the need to disinfect wood and wood-based building materials, all of which are porous materials. The use of bleach as a mold disinfectant is best left to kitchen and bathroom countertops, tubs and shower glass, etc. An EPA registered disinfectant specifically designed as an anti-fungal is what you want.
Why Chlorine Bleach is NOT Recommended for Mold Removal? Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is corrosive and that fact is stated on the product label. Yet the properties of chlorine bleach prevent it from "soaking into" wood-based building materials to get at the deeply embedded mycelia (roots) of mold. The object to killing mold is to kill its "roots". Reputable mold clean up contractors use appropriate products that effectively disinfect salvageable mold infected wood products. Beware of any mold inspector or mold remediation company that recommends or uses chlorine bleach for clean up on wood-based building materials.
Chlorine Bleach is Active Ingredient in New Mold & Mildew Products. The appearance of new mold and mildew household products on store shelves is on the rise. Most are dilute solutions of laundry bleach. The labels on these mold and mildew products state that they are for use on (again) hard, non-porous surfaces and not for wood-based materials. Instructions were not to apply the products are varied. One commercial mold and mildew stain remover even specifically states it should not be applied to porcelain or metal without immediate rinsing with water and that the product isn't recommended for use on Formica or vinyl.
Caveat Emptor! Before purchasing a mold or mildew product, read and fully understand the advertised purpose of that product. The labeling claims on these new products can be confusing. Some say their product is a mold and mildew remover while another says their product is a mildew stain remover and yet others make similar ambiguous claims. Make sure that the product you chose satisfies your intended application and the surface you plan to use it on. If your intention is to kill mold, make sure the product does exactly that and follow the directions for usage. Consumers may find that mixing their own diluted bleach solution will achieve the same results as any of the new mold and mildew products. Keep in mind that the use of chlorine bleach is not for use on mold infected wood products including wall board, ceiling tiles, wall studs, fabric, paper products, etc.
Conclusion: laundry bleach is not an effective mold killing agent for wood-based building materials and NOT EFFECTIVE in the mold remediation process. The public should be aware; however, that a chlorine bleach solutions IS an effective sanitizing product that kills mold on hard surfaces.
Craig Camel is an environmental consultant and building science professional. Owner ofhttp://www.advancedmolddiagnostics.com an successful consulting firm in Delaware County, Pennslyvania. Thirty yrs experience in indoor air quality investigations with mold and mold removal qualifies him.http://www.advancedmolddog.com/about_mold.php
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7545631
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