Chlorine bleach is often thought of as the “universal disinfectant” around the home. When germicidal properties are needed as part of routine housekeeping, most people reach for that familiar plastic jug. Handled carefully, it's useful for surface disinfecting of common germs and microbes. However, when it comes to serious, effective toxic mold remediation, you won't find experts in the field recommending chlorine bleach as the preferred primary option. Here are some pros and cons of using bleach to get rid of mold in the home.
Pro: Bleach is inexpensive and available almost everywhere.
Con: Bleach is not a benign substance. It is classified as a corrosive and when poured out into the environment can cause burns, eye irritation and respiratory distress. Mixed with other common cleaning substances like ammonia, bleach may react and create a toxic gas.
Pro: Bleach does a pretty good job on mold and mildew, doesn't it?
Con: The fact is, chlorine bleach is not among the products registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an effective disinfectant to kill active growing mold.
Pro: “I poured some bleach on something that looked like mold once and it seemed to disappear.”
Con: Just like it does to socks in the washer, bleach “bleaches” color out of substances—including organic material like mold. Applying bleach may change the conspicuous dark or colored appearance of mold or mildew to a very neutral appearance, creating the illusion that it has been totally eradicated when it's actually only been “bleached.”
Pro: Bleach can be applied easily to hard surfaces like porcelain and tile where mildew grows.
Con: Unlike mildew, most toxic mold types tend to prefer porous surfaces for growth, instead. Mold actually grows into the host material where it occurs, penetrating below the surface and establishing “roots” that continue to thrive, replicating and releasing toxic airborne spores—even if the visible surface growth is destroyed. Surface disinfection of established mold growth by application of bleach does not provide a long-term remedy.
