Does Bleach Kill Mold?

4/5/2019 (Permalink)

Bleach is probably the most well known mold killer. In fact many commercial mold killing products contain bleach. 

Does Bleach Kill Mold

Bleach kills bacteria and viruses and sanitizes the surfaces it's used on. Bleach also kills mold if it comes into contact with it. The spores and allergens from mold are neutralized as well.

Bleach will kill mold growing on non-porous surfaces like glass, tiles, bathtubs and counter tops. However bleach cannot completely kill mold growing in non-porous materials like drywall and wood. Bleach does not penetrate into these non-porous substances and so only the mold growing above the surface is killed.

Should You Use Bleach to Kill Mold?

The EPA does not recommend you use bleach for killing and removing mold. Bleach is a chemical, and it is better to use natural mold killing products instead. Some good alternative mold killing products are borax and vinegar. Bleach also loses its power with time. Even if bleach is not opened, in 90 days it loses 50% of its killing effectiveness.

Another disadvantage is that bleach is corrosive. Bleach deteriorates materials and the fibers of porous substances. The gas from bleach can even damage your lungs. If bleach touches your skin it can also give you chemical burns.

There is also concern about whether bleach leaves dioxins. Dioxins are highly toxic and carcinogenic substances. They are also teratogenic and animal tests have shown dioxins can cause birth defects.

Bleach can create dioxins in processes like bleaching of wood pulp. Fortunately though, studies have found that bleach cannot form dioxins when it's just used for household cleaning. The materials which are needed for bleach to form dioxins are not usually present when cleaning the home.

Bleach is ineffective at killing mold on many materials, including carpet and upholstery. Bleach won't kill mold on dirty, metallic or porous substances either.

PLEASE CALL SERVPRO of East Honolulu 808-395-9545 IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING MOLD PROBLEM IN YOUR AREA