Sunday, May 13, 2007
"What's Best for Cleaning Off Mold?" asks a Client at a Lawrence Mold Testing Investigation
Many people believe that chlorinated bleach is the best product for killing mold. Is this so?
In my experience, a 10% chlorinated bleach solution is a mediocre product for cleaning off mold. It ranks with hydrogen peroxide and soap and water. A 100% bleach solution can be effective (as long as you also wipe off the surface) but the health concerns from breathing in strong chlorine are probably more significant than the mold. I would NOT advise working with a strong bleach solution.
There's an easy, much healthier way to remove mold from a surface. First, HEPA vacuum to remove loose mold material. Then, scrub the surface (in 1-2 square foot segments) with a Borax solution (1 cup per gallon of water), followed immediately by wiping off residual moisture and debris with a clean rag. The abrasive nature of Borax cleans the surface like a charm. You don't have to kill the mold. Just get rid of it.
Depending on the surface, other issues may be involved. Maybe the contaminated material should be removed, not scrubbed. Or, maybe mold "roots" are present in the contaminated material. You can clean off the surface, but the roots have to be encapsulated. For a primer on mold, order a pre-publishing copy of Mold Control on a Budget, by May Dooley. Send an email to may@createyourhealthyhome.com to be notified when the manual is ready.
In my experience, a 10% chlorinated bleach solution is a mediocre product for cleaning off mold. It ranks with hydrogen peroxide and soap and water. A 100% bleach solution can be effective (as long as you also wipe off the surface) but the health concerns from breathing in strong chlorine are probably more significant than the mold. I would NOT advise working with a strong bleach solution.
There's an easy, much healthier way to remove mold from a surface. First, HEPA vacuum to remove loose mold material. Then, scrub the surface (in 1-2 square foot segments) with a Borax solution (1 cup per gallon of water), followed immediately by wiping off residual moisture and debris with a clean rag. The abrasive nature of Borax cleans the surface like a charm. You don't have to kill the mold. Just get rid of it.
Depending on the surface, other issues may be involved. Maybe the contaminated material should be removed, not scrubbed. Or, maybe mold "roots" are present in the contaminated material. You can clean off the surface, but the roots have to be encapsulated. For a primer on mold, order a pre-publishing copy of Mold Control on a Budget, by May Dooley. Send an email to may@createyourhealthyhome.com to be notified when the manual is ready.
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