Fighting Mold With Bleach

8/31/2017 (Permalink)

Bleach can kill many types of mold but you must handle it with care

Bleach can kill virtually every species of indoor mold, along with its spores, leaving a surface sanitized and resistant to future mold growth. Unfortunately, bleach is only effective if the mold is growing on non-porous materials such as tiles, bathtubs, glass, and counter tops. Bleach cannot penetrate into porous materials and so it does not come into contact with mold growing beneath the surface of materials such as wood and drywall.

Be Careful

If you use bleach to kill mold be careful.  When you use bleach you may be exposed to harsh fumes. Ventilate the area well before you start. Open nearby windows and doors and use a fan to provide fresh air. Bleach is also harsh to your skin and body. Protect your hands and arms with long sleeve waterproof gloves.  Use eye protection.

Don’t Use Bleach At Full Strength

For maximum effectiveness and safety, dilute the bleach in water (one part bleach to 10 parts water.)  When you’re cleaning mold with bleach don’t mix the bleach with ammonia or any other household cleaner. Apply the solution to non-porous surfaces. Non-porous means the surface doesn’t allow water or other fluids to sink in. Metals are nonporous; paper is not.

Use Extra Care Around Kids, Pets, And Food

If you will use the surface you are cleaning for food preparation or if children or pets may be exposed to the surface, rinse well after the cleaning. You don’t want any part of the bleach solution to still be present when you start reusing the surface.

If food, children, and/or pets will not be near the now mold-free surface, you don’t need to rinse afterwards.  By not rinsing, the bleach will inhibit mold growing in the future.

Larger Jobs Best Left To Mold Remediation Pros

If you need to clean more than 10 square feet, check with a commercial mold remediation company like SERVPRO Of Manchester/Mansfield.

Hire With Care. Avoid This Fallacy.

Bringing in the professionals is smart, but do hire carefully. SERVPRO Of Manchester/Mansfield is a commercial mold remediation company. We’re experts in mold spore removal.  Some commercial mold restoration companies advertise, “mold removal” and may even guarantee to remove all mold. This is a fallacy.

Removing all molds from a house or business is impossible because microscopic mold spores exist almost everywhere, both indoors and outdoors.

Help From Other Blog Posts   
Every month SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield publishes educational blog posts on how Manchester and Mansfield area businesses and residents can protect themselves from disasters or clean up after them. We want to help educate you on how to deal with mold, fire, water, sewage, storm, and other damage. Here are a few additional blog posts that you might find helpful:  

Chemical Spill Safety
Cleaning Up Chemicals Or Biohazards
Cleaning Your Home After Fire And Smoke Damage
Your Home’s Dirty Places You Don’t Know About

You might also want to explore the educational information on our sister franchise’s SERVPRO of Bloomfield/Enfield’s blog.

SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield
Top 50 Franchise Nationally
IICRC Certified
540 N. Main Street
Manchester, CT 06042

Call 860.649.0836

24 Hour Emergency Service