There has been much confusion of late about the use and effectiveness of chlorine bleach or technically known as sodium hypochlorite, when managing a black mold removal. Getting rid of mold involves both clean up as well as refurbishing the contaminated infested area. While mold removal companies can do the remediation for you easily, they never come cheap. It is exactly this reason that many families prefer to handle the process by themselves using common methods and chemicals, easily available in the market
The Confusion Starts
One of the key chemical agents used by household users for black mold removal is chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach, more commonly known by most home cleaners as laundry bleach. It was initially considered the wonder cleanser to help combat mold infestation. At one time, the OSHA Occupational Health and Safety Administration has even suggested the use of chlorine bleach for mold abatement and black mold removal. Unfortunately, it was also the first association which subsequently retracted the recommendation to bleach for combating mold. Even the EPA Environmental Protection Agency has subsequently excluded the recommendation of bleach to get rid of mold.
So How Effective Really Is Bleach For Black Mold Removal?
In a situation whereby even the authority and experts in mold cleanup have not been clear about the above issue, it is no wonder that the question of whether chlorine bleach does literally help to kill mold. Indeed, the real answer is a both yes and a no, says The Clorox Company, manufacturer and distributor of one of the world’s more popular bleach, Ultra Clorox Regular Bleach. In response to this issue, the company’s response is based on research results from independent laboratories which indicates that a 75 percent full cup of Clorox liquid bleach per gallon of water will be effective on hard, non-porous surfaces against .. “aspergillus niger” which treats athlete’s foot fungus.
The company is silent on the issue of whether chlorine bleach is capable at killing black mold and water damage fungi. For the people living in florida, of course mold testing in florida will cost you and your family nothing but only benefits. Usage of black mold should be banned so lives of the people can be saved. It is noted that the “hard, non-porous surfaces” portion of the statement is taken as a caveat, as mold cleanup involves sanitizing wood-based building materials, which are all considered as porous materials.
Hence, it is highly suggested that chlorine bleach not be used in mold cleanup activities based on both the stands taken by OSHA as well as EPA on their latest recommendations and guidelines. While bleach can still be used to sanitize the kitchen and bathroom, the greater task of black mold removal should be left to either the professional expertise of mold removal companies or the use of more appropriate mold removal products.
