It can be difficult to determine the most effective products and procedures to get rid of mold in your home or business. Getting rid of mold as soon as possible is essential to prevent it from spreading. As well as getting rid of the mold, it is important to eliminate the source of the moisture. Mold spores can lead to several nasty health conditions.
Mold spreads rapidly in damp areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. Under the right conditions, mold can grow back in 48 hours.
What’s the best product available to kill mold?
There are many products, both natural and synthetic, that are available for the removal of mold and 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 mold, killing mold, and bleaching mold. Each type of product has advantages and disadvantages, depending on what is best for you.
BLEACH
Bleach kills nearly all varieties of indoor mold, including mold spores, on contact. Bleach is extremely effective as a disinfectant and a bleaching agent. However, bleach is only effective if the mold is growing on a non-porous surface such as ceramic tiles or 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 mold from the affected area. On porous materials, the mold 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 STONESHIELDTM 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 mold remover and killer. Although it is more effective at removing mold than bleach, it is less effective than bleach at bleaching. So although it is removing the mold, it may not be bleaching the stains caused by the mold. 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 mold over the long term.
Hydrogen peroxide is effective on both porous and non-porous surfaces to remove mold. This is achieved by the rapid oxidation of the mold and its ability to penetrate porous materials to “burn” or oxidize the mold’s root system. This is useful as the product bubbles and fizzes when it comes into contact with organic material like mold 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.
Stone Shield Pure NatureTM Mould-X is our recommendation.
Sealing your grout after removing the mold or mildew helps prevent mold and mildew regrowth. Reducing or removing the moisture will prevent the mold from regrowing.
We would recommend STONESHIELDTM Grout-Sealer.