Removal of Back Mold Using Bleach
Black mold is commonly found on basement walls, walls of laundry room, kitchen, bedrooms
and bathrooms. You need to be very careful while working on the process of toxic black mold
removal using bleach. Molds are not only unsightly and odorous, but also have serious health
effects. Black mold can lead to health problems like allergies, invasive diseases, poisoning, etc.
Toxic mold which is commonly found on damp surfaces can lead to black mold poisoning in
people.
Things Required
Chlorine bleach
Warm water
Cleaning bucket
Face mask
Gloves
Scrub brush with stiff bristles
Procedure
Step 1 ► Before you start the procedure, wear a face mask and put on the gloves. This is very
important to be done, before you use bleach. Bleach can be dangerous to your health if the fumes
are inhaled and it can also burn your skin if exposed directly to this liquid.
Step 2 ► Fill a bucket with approximately 1 gallon of warm (not hot) water. Add one cup of
chlorine bleach to the bucket filled with water and stir using a thick stick.
Step 3 ► Take the scrub brush and remove mold built-up. Scrub as much as possible over the
affected area, to clean it off thoroughly. Once you finish scrubbing, rinse off the scrub brush with
water and keep it aside.
Step 4 ► Next step of black mold removal is applying the mixture of bleach and water over the
areas affected by black mold. This method of mold removal using bleach gives good results if
diluted chlorine bleach is in contact with black mold affected area for at least half an hour.
Step 5 ► After 20 minutes dunk the scrub brush into bleach water mixture, getting the bristles
saturated. Again start scrubbing the wall with the scrub brush. Toxic black mold removal takes
time so you need to work for some time to clear off the surface.
Step 6 ► Once bleach treatment is done, inactive mold spores will be left behind. Rinse this
cleaned area using cool water and finish the procedure by drying the area thoroughly. Also, spray
a disinfectant in the entire room. Try to avoid using the room for a day or two.
Bleach inactivates mold and neutralizes the surface proteins. Well, 'does bleach kill mold or not'
is quite a debatable topic. Most people think that bleach cannot kill mold because when it is
diluted, it becomes too weak to fight and kill mold. Another reason is that bleach loses its killing
power up to fifty percent if it has been stored for a long period of time in groceries, warehouses
or at home. Most common black molds include penicillium chrysogenum, cladosporium,
aspergillus and alternaria. The cell walls of these molds are made up of chitin and glucan.
Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCI) is the basic active ingredient in bleach. When chlorine bleach is
diluted in water, it forms sodium ions (Na+), hypochlorous acid (HOCI) and hypochlorite ions
(OCI-), which are oxidizing agents. Hypochlorous acid penetrates the walls and hypochlorite ion
breaks down the membranes. When chlorine compounds penetrate the cell walls of molds, they
destroy the functions of membrane and cells' proteins.
In some cases bleach might not work as required for clearing up black mold. Reasons of the
same can be many, including excess dilution. You can opt for other alternatives like mixture of
vinegar and water for removal of toxic black mold in such cases. Apart from this, mild
appearance of mold can be cleared off using strong soapy water. You can always hire
professional services which can ensure complete and safe mold removal using bleach or other
chemicals.
Identifying the black mold affected areas and opting for the aforementioned home remedy for
mold removal as soon as possible is very crucial. Bleach should not be used on metals and it
should not come in contact with wiring or HVAC systems. Moreover, it should not be used on
porous surfaces like wood and wood-based building materials, ceiling materials, insulation, etc.
Keep your rooms clean and dry. Using a dehumidifier is quite essential to avoid mold growth.
Areas in your home which are damp or damaged by water leaks, need immediate attention in
order to prevent growth of black mold.