Let’s face it we all use beach as a magical cleaning agent for our clothes and around the house because it is powerful, and the stains almost always go away. This is also the reason so many household cleaners have bleach added, the belief of then it must be strong. Surely this must apply to mold as well, right? Discover some mold, well here comes the bleach and job done, all clean, right?
Well, the short answer is no, bleach is not recommended to clean mold by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for several reasons.
First of all, bleach itself is a reactive and can emit harmful or toxic fumes if mixed with many other household cleaners or used in too high a concentration.
Secondly, due to the molecular structure of bleach it will not penetrate a surface, it will kill mold on the surface thus releasing the spores and potential mycotoxins, but it will not effectively remove the mold. Think of a yard that has grass and weeds, when all are long it is clear there is a problem. However, run the lawn mower over the yard and the grass and weeds are cut and for a short period it will appear to be healthy. This is what bleach can do for mold, give the short-term appearance of being healthy until the mold grows back.
In addition to not penetrating the surface and releasing its own harmful fumes bleach is comprised primarily of water, thus introducing the elixir of life to mold in the process, water.
As opposed to bleach for household cleaning of mold and mildew consider hydrogen peroxide as a cleaner. Apply 3% hydrogen peroxide directly to the mold or mildew and let sit for 10 minutes or until the bubbling action as stopped and wipe away and thoroughly dry the surface.
If your mold or mildew is an area larger than one square meter, then it is advised to contact an expert to develop a remediation protocol to ensure the safety of your loved ones and belongings.