“Bleach Isn’t the Answer Anymore”

BLEACH MOLD MYTH EXPOSED!

Chlorine Bleach (sodium hypochlorite 6%) does not kill mold. Why?

Mold's root structures actually grow into wood and drywall like roots. The roots are not killed by bleach because bleach's ion structure prevents chlorine from penetrating into porous materials such as dry wall and wood. It stays on the outside surface, whereas mold has protected enzyme roots growing inside the porous construction materials. When you spray porous surface molds with bleach, the water part of the solution soaks into the wood while the bleach chemical sits atop the surface, gasses off, and thus only partially kills the surface layer of mold while the water penetration of the building materials fosters further mold growth.

Chlorine bleach causes long term breakdown of wood products like studs, sheathing, plywood, OSB, and other building materials over time.

Chlorine Bleach is NOT a registered EPA mold killing product.
 
You can verify it yourself when you are unable to find an EPA registration number for killing mold on the label of any brand of chlorine bleach. Why not? Because it is not effective at killing mold as other EPA approved chemicals.

University Study Discovers Bleach is Ineffective at Killing Mold on Wood and Other Porous Surfaces

"While bleach is often recommended for remediation of surface mold on wood and other porous surfaces, study results illustrate that the treatment does not eliminate the surface microflora," is the conclusion of the Oregon State University study of the effects of chlorine bleach on mold growth on Douglas fir wood [an important timber crop in the state of Oregon]. The research study was conducted by Professor Jeffrey Morrell, Dept. of Wood Science, Oregon State University, as assisted by Adam Taylor [graduate research assistant] and Camille Freitag [Senior Research Associate], as published in Forest Products Journal, 54:4, 2004. 

Where does Mold grow best?

• Storm damaged areas that remain wet for 24 hours or more
• Attics with roof leaks or inadequate ventilation
• Basements with dirt floors or water problems
• Behind and under showers, tubs, toilets, and bathroom walls
• Books, magazines, newspapers
• Carpeting and padding
• Ceilings from roof leaks
• Ceiling tiles
• Clothing
• Crawl spaces
• Drapes
• Drywall in ceilings and walls
• Garbage disposal
• Heating cooling equipment & ducts
• Humidifiers & vaporizers inside them
• Leather items
• Paint
• Paper, cardboard & other paper products
• Plants [indoor house plants]
• Rags
• Upholstered furniture
• Walls from siding, roof, & plumbing leaks
• Wallpaper & behind wallpaper

TOXIC MOLD

Mold is everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. Mold spores make up a part of the dust that is in the air. Mold isn't a problem unless it is allowed to grow inside your home. It can then cause allergies and toxic reactions.

"Toxic Mold"

Toxic mold actually refers to a mold-byproduct that appears as a result of a mold infestation, called mycotoxins. If these are inhaled or ingested, they can cause serious damage to the immune and respiratory systems, among other things. All of the effects that mycotoxins can have on the body are not entirely known. It is suspected that they can cause headache, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, and other problems. Allergic reactions to mold come in the form of hay fever-like symptoms and rash. Mold can trigger asthma-attacks in asthmatics, and can irritate the eyes, nose, mouth, skin, and lungs of everyone, regardless of whether or not they are allergic to mold.

As there are many potential health-effects of exposure to mold, if you have unidentified health-problems and discover a mold problem in your house, be certain to mention this to your doctor.

Top Most Common and Deadly Molds

Stachybotrys chartarum

Stachybotrys chartarum is cosmopolitan and grows naturally on straw and other cellulose containing materials in soil. In the indoor environment, this mold is commonly found together with Stachybotrys chlorohalonata on cellulose containing materials including paper, canvas and jute which are wetted to a water activity > 0.98. In a study conducted in Denmark, Stachybotrys chartarum was found to produce a number of mycotoxins including macrocyclic trichothecenes, satratoxins and roridins when growing on building materials. 35% of the isolates from buildings produce SUPER TOXIC cytotoxic mycotoxins, the satratoxins. This led to the conclusion that idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis in infants is possibly not caused by satratoxins but by other S. chartarum mycotoxins. The optimum temperature for growth for Stachybotrys chartarum is 23ºC with a minimum and maximum temperature of 2 and 37ºC respectively.

Aspergillus flavus

Aspergillus flavus is widely distributed in soil. It is associated with a wide range of stored products such as maize and nuts. In indoor environment it is commonly found on damp walls, wallpaper, floor and carpet dust, tarred wooden flooring, humidifiers and HVAC fans, bakeries, shoes, leather, and bird droppings. Strains of this mold may produce aflatoxin, a class 1 carcinogen.

The minimum and maximum temperature for growth are 6 and 45º C, with an optimum at 40º C. The minimum water activity is 0.78 and an optimum at 0.98.

Only testing and analysis will allow you to be sure what strain and type of mold you are dealing with.

Avoid breathing in mold or mold spores. In order to limit your exposure to airborne mold, you may want to wear an N-95 respirator, available at many hardware stores and from companies that advertise on the Internet. (They cost about $12 to $25.) Some N-95 respirators resemble a paper dust mask with a nozzle on the front, others are made primarily of plastic or rubber and have removable cartridges that trap most of the mold spores from entering. In order to be effective, the respirator or mask must fit properly, so carefully follow the instructions supplied with the respirator. Please note that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that respirators fit properly (fit testing) when used in an occupational setting; consult OSHA for more information (800-321-OSHA or www.osha.gov).