Got Mold? Don’t Use Bleach!

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We are trying to pursue the next step of being in a more permanent housing situation (I can’t wait to be able to decorate my own house again!).  A couple of weeks ago we met with a builder who also does mold remediation.  His office was beautiful, but it had that same familiar sour smell that I hadn’t smelled since being in our house that had mold in it.  It didn’t take long in the conversation to know that he wouldn’t be the person I would call for mold remediation.  At one point, he mentioned using bleach to clean up a mold job.  Bleach.

Why don’t I trust someone trained in mold remediation who mentions using bleach?

The EPA doesn’t even recommend using bleach to clean up mold.

A 2004 study done at Oregon State concluded that, “While bleach is often recommended for remediation of surface mold on wood, [our] results illustrate that the treatment does not eliminate the surface microflora.” 

Although bleach may change the color of the mold on the surface of mold or drywall through oxidation, that does not mean that your mold problem is gone.  In fact, it may be festering out of your sight and the mycotoxins that mold produces could still be harming your health. 

Even if bleach did kill mold, the EPA warns, “Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold and leave it there, the mold must be removed.”

So what’s our conclusion?  If you hear a potential remediator mention using bleach for mold, you may want to run.  Far and fast!  Protect your family’s heath (and yours) by using other methods to take care of a mold problem!