How To Kill Mould
It can be difficult to determine the most effective products and procedures to get rid of mould in your home or business. Getting rid of mould as soon as possible is essential to prevent it from spreading. As well as getting rid of the mould it is important to eliminate the source of the moisture. Mould spores can lead to several nasty health conditions.
Mould spreads rapidly in damp areas like bathrooms, kitchens and basements. Under the right conditions mould can grow back in 48 hours.
Q. What’s the best product available to kill mould ?
There are many products both natural and synthetic that are available for the removal of mould & mildew.
Bleach, Hydrogen Peroxide, Borax, Ammonia, Vinegar, Sodium Bicarbonate, Thymol, Grapefruit Seed Extract.
We will cover the two best known commercial types available. We will cover the difference between removal of mould, killing mould and bleaching mould. Each type of product has advantages and disadvantages depending on what is best for you.
BLEACH
Bleach kills nearly all varieties of indoor mould including mould spores on contact. Bleach is extremely effective as a disinfectant and a bleaching agent. However bleach is only effective if the mould is growing on a non-porous surface such as ceramic tiles and glass. Bleach is unable to penetrate porous materials such as tile grout, drywall or wood. If you use bleach to kill mould on these surfaces you will only manage to kill the mould on the surface and remove the surface stain, but you will be unable to kill or remove the root system of the mould. Hence you cannot remove the mould from the affected area. On porous materials the mould will regrow fairly quickly, and the use of bleach will be ongoing.
Bleach should never be mixed with other chemicals. Doing so could create Chlorine gas. Most commercial bleach formulas have harsh fumes and no fragrances. This is because the concentration needs to be super strong and fragrances are affected by the bleach. The shelf life of the product is relatively short.
Most surfaces don’t need to be rinsed after use.
We would recommend STONESHIELD™ Mould-X™
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Hydrogen Peroxide, sometimes called oxygen bleach is an antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal and disinfecting solution. It is environmentally friendly and natural, breaking down into oxygen and water. It leaves no toxic residue and any fumes will be pure oxygen. It is a very effective and powerful mould remover and killer. Although more effective at removing mould than bleach, it is less effective than bleach at bleaching. So although it is removing the mould it may not be bleaching the stains caused by the mould. Unlike bleach, Hydrogen Peroxide does require scrubbing to remove the stain and may require multiple applications. Hydrogen Peroxide is perceived to be weaker and slower working than bleach but is much more effective at removing mould long term.
Hydrogen Peroxide is effective on both porous and non-porous surfaces to remove mould. This is achieved by rapid oxidation of the mould and its ability to penetrate porous materials to “burn” or oxidise the mould’s root system. This is useful as the product bubbles and fizzes when it comes into contact with organic material like mould and mildew.
The shelf life of the product is relatively short. Hydrogen Peroxide releases oxygen with increasing heat and expands easily in plastic bottles. The product labels often look stretched.
We would recommend STONESHIELD™ Pure Nature™ Mould-X™
Sealing your grout after removing the mould or mildew helps to prevent mould and mildew regrowth. Reducing or removing the moisture will prevent the mould from regrowing.
We would recommend STONESHIELD™ Grout-Sealer™.
