WHY BLEACH IS NOT THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR MOLD
We often come across people who find mold in their home and think that bleach is the cure. This is a misconception. Bleach is not the best choice to kill mold and keep it from coming back.
There are some cases where bleach may be part of a restoration company’s protocol, but it is not the solution to cure mold problems. Bleach comes in handing for cleaning, sanitizing or disinfecting surfaces but will not kill mold and keep it from returning. Most bleach products are not registered with the EPA as an antimicrobial product. At one time the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) had recommended using chlorine bleach for mold abatement. OSHA was also the first federal agency to stop recommending the use of liquid bleach in mold remediation. Subsequently, The Environmental Protection Agency edited their release of A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home to exclude their once recommended use of bleach as a mold clean-up agent.
Many people turn to bleach simply because it is a low cost stain remover. It’s something that can already be found in most people’s homes. People see how bright it makes everything that it comes in contact with and has often been the bases for mold removal rumors. The truth is it is a corrosive product that can irritate and do harm to you and some of the surfaces in your home that you are attempting to clean. Chlorine releases gases (dioxins) that can be harmful to your lungs, skin and eyes. It can deteriorate surfaces that are porous and corrode metal and electrical components. If you examine the label on bleach it only makes mention of use for sanitizing hard non-porous surfaces.
If bleach is going to be used as a sanitizer, it must be used on clean materials and non-porous surfaces. Think of how bleach is added to laundry after the clothes have already been cleaned. It is not a cleaning agent like laundry detergent. There are many options that restoration professionals will choose before relying solely on bleach to sanitize. The IICRC teaches restores that they need to incorporate a certain level of sanitation into their cleaning. These products that are available to restorers are specifically developed for restoration projects such as sewage clean-up and mold remediation. One typical staple in the mold remediation industry is a solution known as Biocide. Unlike bleach, many sanitizing products developed for the restoration industry actually have a residual effect which prevents bacterial from regrowing. If you were to apply bleach to dry wall it would only lighten the discolored area and would not actually kill the mold. Mold remediation is meant to not only remove mold but make sure it does not return. Mold consists of deeply embedded mycelia, better known as its root system. The roots that have grown into the dry wall continue to grow causing the mold to reappear over time. Restoration companies will remove moldy drywall since it is a porous material.
Mold remediation involves the need to disinfect wood and wood-based building materials. All of these materials are considered porous materials. Because of this, chlorine bleach should not be used in mold remediation as confirmed by OSHA’s and EPA's recommendations and suggested guidelines. The use of bleach as a mildew disinfectant is best left for non-porous surfaces such as kitchens, bathroom countertops, tubs and shower glass. The EPA’s guidelines actually state that you should only attempt to remove ten feet of surface mold yourself. Anything past ten feet should really be addressed by a IICRC certified restoration professional. Restoration professional use many forms of mold removal; sodablasting, dry ice and blasting with crushed up wall nut shells. Rainbow’s preferred method typically leans toward sodablasting. Sodablasting refers to the use of high pressured air and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). This method is similar to sand blasting but the sand is replaced with baking soda. This cleaning method is not only used for mold remediation but is also used to remove soot after a fire, graffiti from brick, paint from cars and has even been used to revamp the statue of liberty. Wood surfaces can be restored by sodablasting the mold off of the wood opposed to gutting and replacing. The mold spores are then eliminated with the use of a HEPA filter that is placed inside of a containment chamber. Biocide is then applied to kill any residual mold and prevent any new mold from forming. As you can see there is a lot more that goes into successful mold remediation opposed to simply applying bleach to the contaminated area.
If you suspect mold in your home don’t reach for a bottle of bleach. Contact the IICRC certified mold remediation professionals at Rainbow International, (708) 460-0911. We will inspect the problem, offer a solution & estimate and remediate the mold.
