Using ineffective chlorine bleach in killing mould or mould remediation because it is cheap!

Many mould remediation companies utilise cheap but ineffective chlorine bleach as their preferred chemical to allegedly kill mould to cut corners and costs in their mould remediation jobs. Unfortunately, chlorine bleach is not an effective or lasting killer of mould and mould spores. Bleach is good only for changing the colour of the mould. Three weeks after treatment with chlorine bleach, mould may return just as strong as before.

Every product found on the local super market shelf or at your local hardware store contains either Bleach, Chorine or Ammonia as its main active ingredient.

Chlorine Bleach is ineffective in killing mould for four reasons:

1. Chlorine is too diluted and thus too weak to permanently kill mould. 

2. Chlorine constantly escapes through the plastic walls of its containers.

   What little killing power chlorine bleach does have is diminished significantly as the bleach sits in warehouses and on super market store shelves or in your house or business [50% loss in killing power in just the first 90 days inside a never opened jug or container].

3. Chlorine’s ion structure prevents chlorine from penetrating into porous materials such as drywall and wood.

   It just stays on the outside surface, whereas mould has enzyme roots growing inside the porous construction materials. and

4. Chlorine Bleach is NOT registered with the EPA.

   As a disinfectant to kill mould. You can verify that important fact yourself when you are unable to find an EPA registration number for killing mould on the label of any brand of chlorine bleach.

Ozone generators that are sold as air cleaners intentionally produce the gas ozone. Often the vendors of ozone generators make statements and distribute material that lead the public to believe that these devices are always safe and effective in controlling indoor air pollution. For almost a century, health professionals have refuted these claims (Sawyer, et. al 1913; Salls, 1927; Boeniger, 1995; American Lung Association, 1997; Al-Ahmady, 1997).

Manufacturers and vendors of ozone devices often use misleading terms to describe ozone. Terms such as “energized oxygen” or “pure air” suggest that ozone is a healthy kind of oxygen. Ozone is a toxic gas with vastly different chemical and toxicological properties from oxygen. Several federal agencies have established health standards or recommendations to limit human exposure to ozone.

Available scientific evidence shows that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone has little potential to remove indoor air contaminants.

There is evidence to show that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone is not effective at removing many odour-causing chemicals.

If used at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone applied to indoor air does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mould, or other biological pollutants.

Source: Choice.com.au

Test of eight bathroom cleaners

The people at Choice magazine rated the following products for:

• Effectiveness at removing mould

• Effectiveness at removing soap scum

• Ease of use

• How much they liked the smell

Brands tested

• Ajax Professional Mould Remover

• Domestos Regular

• McKenzie’s Bi-Carb Soda

• Orange Power Shower, Bath & Tile Cleaner

• Pine O Cleen Bathroom Power Foam

• Shower Sparkle

• Selleys Rapid Mould Killer

• White King Bathroom Power FoamExit Mould and Easy Off Bam were not included as they were being reformulated at the time of our trial.

Key findings

• Choice included Bi-Carb Soda as a natural cleaning alternative but trialists thought it required a lot more effort.

• Unfortunately, the most effective mould removers also tend to have a strong, unpleasant smell. They were also more likely to cause irritation with the trialist’s.

• None of the tested products were rated above average for removing both mould and soap scum.