What ratio of bleach to water do i use to kill mold.I just started gutting my newly purchased home and found some black mold on the drywall. The house was built in the 30″s, the owners son< who i bought it off of, said it was remodeled at one time but didn’t know when. The walls have brown board(18″ x 4′ sheets) covered with plaster and no insulation. The bathroom was added in 1976, had an outhouse till then, and I think that is when they remodeled the rest of the house. The mold was only on the stairwell walls, a wall adjacent to that one and behind the sink. The house has sat empty for 5 years and the supply lines to the radiators burst under the radiators the first year. The mold was only on the drywall, it doesn’t seem to be on the rough cut studs. The drywall is gone now and i have started spraying the studs with bleach and water but i think the 1to1 mix might be too strong cause i can only spray for about 3 minutes and then my eyes are burning out of my skull. I plan to spray them down 2 or 3 times , then scrub them with spray nine then bleach again I know i have to eliminate the moisture problem, which seems to be 1, the burst pipe 2, the damp cellar. Thanks guys, spike
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http://www.cdc.gov/mold/dampness_facts.htm
http://www.odorxit.com/?order~CoGen#clo2
From the previous listed sites...
"Mold growth can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water."
Bleach doesn't always kill mold and damages everything around it. Use a commercial product designed for this application.
Jeff
Aren't most commercial products mostly bleach?
You're thinking mildew ... it's not the same. This is a common misconception.
Mold killing products and relevant articles -
http://www.traskresearch.com/
https://www.cleanertoday.com/Mold-Cleaner-MoldSTAT-Plus-p/moldstat16.htm?gclid=CMb-xaPItJsCFc5L5Qod_RGCPQ
http://www.greeneenvironmental.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=49
Jeff
That is very useful. Following the manufacturer's reps advice, we have routinely washed our newly scraped and sanded cedar cabins with a bleach solution before applying Sikkens. I have been baffled as to how the dark stains would persistently reappear. I have also had similar problems with freshly milled D. Fir beams that would darken days after each bleach treatment. Mold roots!
We usually recommend the liquid Lysol cleaners; available at the grocery store.
I tlked to a mould remediation guy about that. He told me two interesting things, first, he said 100% bleach.
Second, he told me that when the water goes away, the mold doesnt die it just lays dormant.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
That's.because.the.bleach.doesn't.kill.it -
Don't.think.that's.quite.true. <g> There are lots of reasons NOT to use bleach to clean up mold but that's not one of them. If the bleach can get to the mold--it's dead. Still harmful, but dead.
http://www.moldacrossamerica.org/notobleach.htm
http://www.bleach-mold-myth.com/
http://homerenorepair.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_bleach_to_kill_mold_backfires
http://envirovantage.com/2009/01/29/effectiveness-of-chlorine-bleach-in-fighting-mold/
You're welcome to think whatever you like.
Jeff
don't believe everything that's posted on the net .. 10% soltn of bleach and water, if surface mold spray and scrub, if deeper let sit and saturate, if it's deeper than you can soak, it'll come back ..
I "think" it's usually best to get your information from non-biased sources--not websites trying to sell you something. As someone once said: You're welcome to your own opinion, but not your own facts. <G>
Most of the sources he linked to are trying to sell their product, but the research they site is from EPA and Forest Council. I don't think either of them has an axe to grind over bleach and mold.
I believe it's the EPA that says ok to use bleach to clean up mold on solid non-permeable surfaces. That, at a minimum, IMPLIES it will kill it. As far as I can see, nowhere do they say it will NOT kill mold. They have other, valid, reasons for not recommending it in other circumstances. My reading of some of those links found some rather dubious claims, and what I think are unwarranted conclusions of what 'real' experts state. YMMV.
I've used a solution of 1 cup TSP, 1 quart of fresh bleach and 3 quarts water for cleaning exterior surfaces.
The TSP acts as a wetting agent as well as a cleaner.
We can still buy real TSP here for some reason.
-Rich
You are quite right. Bleach kills mold on hard surfaces. I was just very interested in the stuff about mold roots in wood as I have had some very annoying problems with mold re-occurring under freshly finished cedar.
What's YMMV?
Your Mold Mileage May Vary ;o)
Bleach away, guys ... just don't be surprised ...
http://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050925153158.htm
http://www.epa.gov/mold/mold_remediation.html
http://www.epa.gov/mold/table2.html
I had to remove/kill mold two years ago. All the research I did said bleach did not kill mold. Instead all the mold remediation said use vinegar (white). Sprayed full strength vinegar with pump sprayer and scraped the bare wood with wire brush. NO RINSE. Attic smelled like a pickle factory for a day or two, but then odor goes away. I did three applications (one just for good measure). No mold or re-growth. (I fixed the bath vent that was leaking into attic).
Frankly, I use bleach at full strength for mold. It is typically in an area where the bleach will not affect the finished materials I am cleaning.
I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia