Does mold return after you have bleached the area?
For many years local health departments and other agencies have told consumers that bleach is an effective treatment for mold remediation. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have determined that mold cannot be completely removed with the use of bleach. Bleach can clean hard surfaces like shower tiles, but it will not penetrate porous surfaces such as wood or drywall where mold colonies actually grow. While moisture that will cause mold growth will penetrate deep into a porous surface, bleach will remain only on the exterior thus becoming ineffective in combating the growth.
[wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”][imageframe lightbox=”no” padding=”50px” style=”border” style=”dropshadow” bordercolor=”#ffffff” bordersize=”4px” stylecolor=”” align=”left” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1”]
[/imageframe]
[/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]
The Clorox Bleach Company has stated that bleach is not beneficial in mold removal as it will only clean surface mold but will not prevent mold growth. Bleach is a toxic chemical and can produce chlorine gasses for up to seven days after it is used. When bleach is used on wood or drywall surfaces it can essentially drive mold spores down into the material and cause mold to grow stronger and spread farther than it would have without bleach.
[/wc_column][/wc_row]Mold removal by a professional mold removal and remediation company like Indoor-Restore Environmental Services is recommended for effective and safe mold removal. Mold is found indoors and outdoors and thrives when moisture is present and humidity is high. While the use of bleach is excellent for killing bacteria or viruses, it is not effective with mold and a professional mold removal technician will never suggest bleach as a treatment for mold.
[wc_divider style=”dotted” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””] [wc_row][wc_column size=”two-third” position=”first”]Seek additional information on why bleach does not work!
Mold is damaging to property structure and can be dangerous to the health of people who have low immune systems, allergies or asthma. Many people, upon noticing surface mold, will grab a bottle of bleach and attempt to remove the mold on their own. This can become very dangerous not only due to the toxic fumes produced by bleach, but also because bleach will cover up the mold by bleaching it white while it pushes moisture deeply down into the surface causing more mold to grow inside of walls and flooring.
[/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][imageframe lightbox=”no” padding=”50px” style=”border” style=”dropshadow” bordercolor=”#ffffff” bordersize=”4px” stylecolor=”” align=”left” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1”]
[/imageframe]
[/wc_column][/wc_row]
Bleach is composed of 99% water and only 1% chlorine. Moisture is essential for mold to grow and when bleach is applied to a porous surface the water content will seep into the pores and can cause mold to become deeply rooted inside. Professional mold removal is the only way to completely rid a property of mold growth that has taken root. Once the mold has begun to grow inside of porous material like wood or drywall it can grow rapidly and begin to be destructive quickly.
[tagline_box backgroundcolor=”” shadow=”no” shadowopacity=”0.1″ border=”1px” bordercolor=”” highlightposition=”top” link=”” linktarget=”_self” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”” description=”Indoor-Restore Environmental Services will send only highly trained technicians to your property and mold removal and remediation will be performed safely for the structure of your property as well as for the healthy of those who are occupants of the property.” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″][/tagline_box]While bleach may appear to remove the surface mold that can be seen it will only cause it to grow stronger because it hides the growth by pushing it deeply inside of the material it has been applied to. Once the mold begins to grow again it will be harsher than it was before the application of bleach and the danger to your property as well as the potential health risks will be worse than they originally were. When mold is initially suspected a professional should be called in. Using bleach, while it will bleach the surface white, can cause further damage from mold to occur and can become very costly for removal when bleach has caused mold to grow deep inside of the porous material of your property.