Does Bleach Kill Mold?

According to the EPA – “Biocides (like chlorine bleach) are toxic to humans as well as mold!

The Minnesota Department of Health cautions “Bleach alone is not an effective way to combat mold. It won’t reliably kill mold, especially if organic contamination (dirt, dust, mold growth, etc.) has not been cleaned away first. Bleach consists mostly of water, so it can actually provide some of the moisture needed for the growth of mold. And finally, bear in mind that bleach treatment doesn’t actually remove mold spores or particles.”

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Mold must be removed not just killed!
The purpose of mold remediation is to remove the mold to prevent human exposure and damage to building materials and furnishings. It is necessary to clean up mold contamination, not just to kill the mold. Dead mold is still allergenic, and some dead molds are potentially toxic. The use of a biocide, such as chlorine bleach, is not recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency as a routine practice during mold remediation. Biocides are toxic to humans, as well as to mold.

4 Reasons Why Bleach is Ineffective in Killing Mold

1. It is too diluted and thus too weak to permanently kill mold.
2. What little killing power chlorine bleach does have is diminished significantly as the bleach sits in warehouses and on grocery 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]. Chlorine constantly escapes through the plastic walls of its containers.
3. Its ion structure prevents chlorine from penetrating into porous materials such as drywall and wood---it just stays on the outside surface, whereas mold has enzyme roots growing inside the porous construction materials, and
4. Chlorine Bleach is NOT registered with the EPA as a disinfectant to kill mold. You can verify that important fact yourself when you are unable to find an EPA registration number for killing mold on the label of any brand of chlorine bleach.