Can I remove mold using bleach?

Mold remediation services and Professional Mold Removal are necessary and important. In addition to being ugly, mold can damage the surfaces it lives on and harm anything it touches. Be it furniture, decor pieces, and even pages of a book. In addition to these health problems, mold exposure can negatively impact a person’s immune system and allergies.

Although bleach is frequently promoted as a way to get rid of mold, it only works on nonporous surfaces like sinks and tiles. On porous materials like wood or drywall, it is ineffective.

See what common home items you can use to eliminate mold on porous surfaces and what you can do to prevent it from coming back by reading our article below. 

Health Concerns Associated With Using Bleach to Get Rid of Professional Mold Removal

Although common bleach isn’t harmful or corrosive, prolonged contact can irritate the skin, lungs, eyes, and mouth. This can be especially true for you if you have a respiratory condition like asthma.

Because bleach is mostly reactive, most health issues involving its use are harmful to those with pre-existing respiratory conditions.

Bleach may also react with drain cleansers and other acids in addition to ammonia, creating chlorine gas. Low concentrations may irritate the mucous membrane, resulting in coughing, difficulty breathing, watery eyes, and a runny nose.

Large levels of chlorine gas inhalation may result in the following:

• Severe breathing issues 
• Significant amounts of pain in the chest
• Fluid in the lungs
• Pneumonia
• Vomiting 

Moreover, bleach can harm your skin, mainly if you don’t immediately rinse it off. Even if the bleach has been diluted with water, use gloves. If it sprays on you, immediately wash your skin. 

How You Can Use Bleach to Get Rid of Mold in Your Home

While bleach may not be able to remove mold from porous surfaces completely, it could still be used to get rid of mold on nonporous surfaces. Here’s what you can do about using bleach for mold removal:

• For ventilation, open your windows and doors or use a window fan.
• Put on safety equipment, such as gloves, a mask, eye protection, or outdated clothing, with little to no value.
• 1 gallon of water should be added to 1 cup of bleach.
• Put a spray bottle with the liquid inside.
• Let it settle in by spraying it on mold.
• Scrub hard surfaces with a strong brush if they are rough.
• Clean the surfaces with water, then let them dry naturally.
• After usage, dispose of any sponges or rags.

Mold mitigation can be a chore, but with enough elbow grease, you can achieve results. As we mentioned before, bleach is ineffective at removing mold, especially on porous surfaces. To have your mold problem taken care of properly, you should consider professional mold removal. 

Can You Use Bleach to Remove Mold?

Although mold and its spores can be found practically anywhere, moisture is required for active mold production. Mold can first be detected by its musty odor or by looking for fuzzy, black, brown, yellow, pink, or green growth areas. Don’t worry about the odor, though. Odor control services can take care of that for you related to Professional Mold Removal. 

Mold stains can be removed with bleach from hard, impermeable surfaces like tile and tubs. On porous surfaces, such as wood, bleach is unable to Professional Mold Removal.

This results from mold’s ability to bury itself deep in absorbent surfaces. Mold will continue to develop beneath the surface of these surfaces even after the bleach has been applied and removed, and it will quickly return to the area you cleaned. Thus, bleach can not be trusted as a good cleaning agent.

Better Alternatives of Using Bleach as a Cleaning Agent

Fortunately, several harmless solutions are available for removing mold from porous and nonporous surfaces. However, 

• Hydrogen peroxide. Combine 1 part water and 1 part hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. Apply on the mold, then wait for it to be removed. 
• Vinegar. Put white vinegar in a spray bottle undiluted. Apply to the mold, then leave for an hour. Clean the surface, then let it air dry for air purification.
• Baking soda. Shake two tablespoons of baking soda and two cups of water in a spray bottle until the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Spray the mold, then wait a while before cleaning. Rinse the area afterward, then reapply the solution, letting it completely air dry. 

Conclusion 

Professional Mold Removal and Mold could become a hazard if it is not dealt with promptly and completely. While bleach could be a remedy for nonporous surfaces, it can’t completely eradicate mold on porous surfaces like drywall and hardwood floors since it can’t reach the mold’s source.

If you’re unsure where the mold may be, calling in contractors for a home inspection and Professional Mold Removal is never a bad idea. This is because mold can also exist inside your home’s foundations. The inspector for mold can determine the damage and then give you an overview of how to tackle the problem. Mold tests through various mold inspection and tests can save your home from all kinds of disasters related to Professional Mold Removal. 

If you’d like your mold problems solved, contact Zavza Seal LLC. You can visit their website here or call them today for a free estimate!