What’s The Best Mold Killer?

Action required to resolve household mold infestations can range from a spray and a wipe to gutting a home down to the studs. In all cases, once the immediate problem has been handled steps must be taken to eliminate the conditions that allowed the mold to take hold in the first place. Prevention is the best mold killer.

For minor outbreaks, people often use a bleach solution. Bleach is not a mold killer. Have you ever tried to kill mold with bleach only to be left with a dark stain the bleach can?t remove? The reason for this is that the mold?s root-like structures, called hyphae, have penetrated the surface, whether drywall, wood or even caulking. Bleach can?t get at the hyphae because the molecular structure of chlorine keeps it from being absorbed by porous materials. The bleach remains on the surface. But the enzyme-active root structures of the mold are still down inside the porous drywall or other material.

Spraying bleach on mold will never remove it permanently. Yes, bleach kills the surface growth. But the chlorine rather quickly evaporates, leaving only the water portion of the bleach solution on the wall. The water gets absorbed by the porous drywall or wood or caulking and ends up promoting continued mold growth. For this reason, spray preparations specifically formulated for mold removal should be used, not bleach.

As an additional caution, it should remembered that continued use of chlorine bleach on wood and wood products like chipboard and particle board will breakdown the material over time.

Larger mold remediation situations present two main issues: Material Removal and Moisture Correction.

Material Removal. If you have mold in a visible area, the chances are you have mold growing where you can?t see it. Mold infestations outside normally damp areas (bathroom, laundry room) must be taken particularly seriously.

This is especially true in basements. Large, deep infestations of mold require the removal of infected material. In a basement that has been discovered to have mold growing behind the drywall, for example, it is usually necessary to tear out the walls and rip up the sub floor.

Moisture Correction. Once the basement has been gutted, one must inspect the foundation, find where the moisture is getting in and get that repaired. For full remediation, the entire foundation must be dried out, which requires dehumidifiers, fans, and wide-open ventilation. This may take several days. The only permanent mold killer is dryness.

Finally, once mold remediation, including moisture correction, has been completed, all ventilation ducts should be cleaned to remove mold spores and inhibit future outbreaks.