Don't Use Bleach To Clean And Remove Mold!!

When a customer us here at Sage Restoration located in Overland Park, KS, about potential mold contamination in their home they normally say they have tried to clean it using bleach but it always comes back.
Bleach is the last thing you want to use to clean and remove mold because it does not remove the root system so it will grow back when triggered by moisture or high humidity.
Mold can grow in 24-72 hours, especially in the hot and humid months in the Kansas City area. It's important to keep humidity levels below 50% in your home and especially in your basement.
The EPA recommends that homeowners can adequately clean mold in areas less than 10sf. Products that you can use at home are a borax and water solution, vinegar, dish soap and water or hydrogen peroxide from the drug store. Wipe down the area with mold and let dry.
If mold is growing into porous or semi-porous materials it may need to be removed as in the case of drywall or if fabrics are severely damaged they may need to be disposed of.
In the event the affected area is larger than 10sf then you should call a professional such as Sage Restoration located in Overland Park, KS to properly clean and remove the mold.
Visit us at www.sagerestorationkc.com for more information on our services and to check out our many blogs and videos.
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sagerestoration
Sage Restoration LLC
3121 Merriam LN STE G
Kansas City, KS 66106
[phone]
sagerestorationkc.com/

[@dann8902]

Just hopefully a friendly reminder to fellow mold cleaners never mix bleach and vinegar you will create Deadly chlorine gas.

[@sagerestoration4596]

Thank you for the reminder to always use caution when cleaning with bleach and being careful not to mix it other products etc. That is one reason we tend to steer clear of using bleach at all in our business.

[@sweetbeep]

@@sagerestoration4596 ..I never hear vinegar was toxic with bleach. I thought it was just bleach with ammonia. Is hydrogen peroxide safe with ammonia or vinegar? Because hydrogen peroxide has bleach in it as far as I know...

[@sagerestoration4596]

@@sweetbeep bleach is toxic with ammonia and we don't recommend mixing hydrogen peroxide with any other cleaner when using it to clean for mold. Here is a link that talks specifically about mixing bleach with other types of cleaners. www.doh.wa.gov/youandyourfamily/healthyhome/contaminants/bleachmixingdangers#:~:text=Mixing%20Bleach%20and%20Ammonia,Nausea.

[@sweetbeep]

@@sagerestoration4596 .. thank you! Interestingly, this carpet cleaning specialist purposely combines hydrogen peroxide then ammonia on the carpet to get a faster result. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4eWYaGji8uZf68

[@sagerestoration4596]

@@sweetbeep we don’t do carpet cleaning but it should be noted that hydrogen peroxide can have a bleaching effect in that it can lighten colored materials that are porous or semi-porous in nature. Just something to take into account when using on carpet or fabric.

[@craiglindquist3563]

I own a restoration company and I can 💯 vouch for her. Great and factual advice!

[@sagerestoration4596]

Thank you Craig! Where is your company located?

[@joannechludzinski1805]

Great video, I have been using bleach every month and now I can see why it keeps coming back.

[@sagerestoration4596]

Glad that my info was of value to you

[@StudioELW405]

I used pool bleach mixed with baking soda and a sprayer and scrubbed my crawlspace with that solution. Ran a fan for the evening then the next day fully encapsulated it with a dehumidifier. Haven’t had an issue sense. Cheap easy and can get the supplies at Home Depot or lowes.

[@sagerestoration4596]

Glad to hear you got your crawl space cleaned as it can be a pretty big job to do yourself. Just want to clarify that you encapsulated with an anti-microbial or anti-moisture encapsulant and then dried it out with a dehumidifier?

[@sunrae7680]

I've been using bleach, over and over.... Thank you for the information.

[@stephen5147]

Good information. Thanks.

[@sagerestoration4596]

Thank you!

[@chrisgabriel4310]

Tim-Bor is a product like Borax that is good to use on moldy porous surfaces. I think you spray it on with water. It’s a powder.

[@kenmckeon4822]

Thanks for providing good information without trying to sell me your "special" formula. Thumbs up!

[@sagerestoration4596]

Your welcome!

[@seanjackson824]

What's a good ratio of water to vinegar when cleaning the walls and also can vinegar be mixed with some kind of fragrant smelling product to reduce the vinegar smell in a room?

[@modelsupplies]

Thank you so much for this info!

[@sagerestoration4596]

Your welcome!

[@minimizingmold]

The company I hired for my 2nd mold remediation was supposed to use Benefect Decon 30, but I caught them using bleach. I snuck into my home after they had left for the day and found a spray pump with bleach in it. I was so mad and fired them that same day.

[@sagerestoration4596]

We are glad that you had the knowledge to know that the contractor was using an incorrect product but am sorry you had to go through an experience like that. We hope you find a replacement company that you can trust to use an appropriate product like Benefect!

[@sarahjulianne2954]

Thank you for posting this. Post it again!

[@robs2662]

So don’t go into a pool then it’s bleach 😂

[@davidisaacson9328]

Well.....EXTREMELY diluted anyhow.

[@Now6674]

How do I sanitize a travel, trailer freshwater tank and the water lines before putting it into storage so that mold doesn’t grow in the faucet and the water lines in the freshwater tank thank you

[@sagerestoration4596]

We think there should be a solution you can purchase to flush the system with. We recommend getting in touch with the dealer or manufacturer for more details on this.

[@swingman50]

Once you tear out the moldy sheet rocked ceiling and dispose of the insulation what treatments do you recommend?

[@sagerestoration4596]

When we are treating wood framing and subflooring we normally always use an industrial strength hydrogen peroxide product but you have to a contractor to purchase this so we recommend purchasing an anti-microbial cleaning product from Home Depot and apply it with an airless sprayer. One important note though is that after we perform the removal of affected drywall and insulation materials we hepa vacuum that area first before applying a cleaning product. Using a regular shop vac will not work as this will spread mold spores so you will need to purchase one or rent one from a third party supplier. It is also important that you contain your work area with 6 mil plastic to prevent cross contamination to unaffected areas. It's also recommended that you run an air scrubber or piece of equipment that will clean the air in your work area to help eliminate mold spores. As you can see performing proper mold removal requires particular processes and equipment which is why it is important to hire a professional but if you do want to try to do this yourself these are some of our recommendations and you also will want to wear at minimum an N95 mask and tyvek and rubber gloves to protect yourself. Let us know if you have any more questions.

[@GioV5100]

@@sagerestoration4596 Hi there. Is the Home Depot product called concrobium?

[@slambangwallop]

Thanks for that. I'm just wondering - What kind of hydrogen peroxide mixture do you use? I have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide here but have never used it before. Also, I'm weary of using certain products because of the henna in my hair. I've put tea tree oil in an oil burner after I used a bleach based mould spray in one room. I'm exhausted and not feeling well, so far!! Brilliant to know I can use Apple Cider Vinegar- I gave some in the kitchen although it has expired so maybe I need a fresh bottle?

[@SergeantExtreme]

What about Concrobium Mold Control?

[@joeysfather2723]

3% peroxide

[@replyhere590]

Doubt it has "expired" unless it has changed color or odor big time. After all it is made from "spoiled apples".

[@jonelliott4985]

SageRestoration, I have a couple questions about stopping mildew/mold growth ... Can soda crystals and white vinegar remove and get rid of mold and mildew in tile grout and on solid walls? If so how should it be applied and what is the procedure??

[@Nazzz65]

BE AWARE!!! On the subject of bleach, FYI along with straight ammonia, bleach and DISHWASHING LIQUID is a BAD idea too. This might have been one of Heloise's Helpful Hints that I kept in mind when I used to clean my father's rental properties when I was a kid and then when I set up bachelor-style housekeeping in my first apartment. FYI It is recommended to pour 1 or 2 cups of bleach and a 1/2 or 3/4 of a box of baking soda down all your drains once in a while, maybe 3 or 4 times a year maybe more depending on whether they smell. As far as inadvertently creating any poisonous fumes by mixing bleach and dishwashing liquid in the kitchen sink, wait till the dishes are done and out of the sink with no lingering dishwashing detergent in the drain. Run lots of hot water into the drain well-before even OPENING any bleach in the kitchen! IMO bleach doesn't belong anywhere near the kitchen. I keep most household cleaning stuff under the kitchen sink with the notable exception of bleach. I don't want it in anywhere near other chemicals. Even though I use 'Sprayway' (aerosol) glass cleaner and not Windex with ammonia in a leaky spray bottle and I don't really clean with ammonia anyway. With so many bleach alternatives available I would use almost anything BUT bleach in the washer anyway. True bleach is really the alpha and omega of serious germ killers so I'll always keep a gallon around the house but more for cleaning, for laundry, not so much.... Cleaning those apartments I used to rent those big, fiberglass pro-type ''Rug Doctor'' carpet cleaning machines. I think they held 3-4 gallons of hot water(?) maybe more? Along with ''Rug Doctor''- brand detergent and ''Rug Doctor'' ''Anti-Foam'', I would always add lots and lots of bleach to the proceedings. Because this hot water, rug detergent and bleach mixture could be counted on to clean and kill most germs and to bring some of the worst-looking carpets back from the dead. For years I never considered whether or not mixing bleach with that commercial carpet detergent was potentially hazardous or not. Since nothing seemed to happen when and I haven't suffered any ill effects since then I guess me and the other maintenance guys too got away without any problems. Maybe the lesson is if you mix bleach with ammonia, dishwashing liquid or anything that might create some caustic even potentially dangerous fumes you'd probably feel it pretty quickly in your throat or even your lungs? Immediately after the initial sensation of singe-ing your nostril hairs...

[@tarawedge1982]

Some people might need to be aware that vinegar is not good to use on some surfaces

[@sagerestoration4596]

That sounds like good information for people can you expand on what types of surfaces you shouldn’t use vinegar on?

[@JW-lo1ts]

Can we Discuss the Class Action Law Suit on TOXIC MOLD in the HVAC's of new Toyota's ??? ...

[@sagerestoration4596]

We are not uptodate on this one but thanks for sharing with us.

[@omgnine]

I had the blackest nastiest mold sprouting everywhere. My landlord rented to me and promised to move it before I moved in. After moving in I kept getting sick so I had to clean it myself. I live in Quebec where landlords can do as they please. Anyways. Here’s my remedy TIMELINE: 3 days INGREDIENTS: magic eraser, peroxide, vinegar, and no name household cleaner with bleach. DISCLAIMER: the household cleaner with bleach is the actual name of the product. It’s made by maxi/no frills/Loblaws. It is similar to comet or Ajax cleaning product. The bleach was used after to remove the stains not to kill the mold. If you use the bleach alone you’ll spread the mold. So basically I used a spray bottle and mixed peroxide and vinegar. I sprayed the mold. Let it sit for an hour. Spray again. Let sit for 15 mins. Scrub with gloves and where a swim googles or eye protection because it got in my eye and fucked my eye up. For tiles at this stage it’s all done. For sheet rock or dry wall repeat for three days but with this additional step Mix one cup vinegar with a whole jar of the powdered bleach mentioned above. It should be slightly less thick than toothpaste. Wear gloves and spread over the stained areas. Leave over night. Next day spray with vinegar and peroxide. Scrub away. Run away with magic eraser. All the black will literally disappear. I mean completely. The mold was there two years with me. And five years with the other tenant. Completely gone. Spray weekly with vinegar if you’re paranoid. Spray your shower at least every two weeks to prevent new roots. Keep home clean. Use extractor fan in the bathroom if there’s one. All that good stuff that gets rid of extra moisture. House plants etc. Optional ingredients: tea tree oil

[@pattiannepascual]

never mix bleach with vinegar or any other soap except laundry detergent. You are lucky to be alive. research it.

[@saltlifegull4091]

Awesome! Who knew, thanks!

[@sandytodoroff293]

Hi! I am hearing impaired and I can't hear anything you're saying. I've got the volume turned up all the way.

[@cynthiabochenski5466]

I was even more confused after watching this video. For mold on drywall, I would like to know if a hydrogen peroxide spray is best, before scrubbing. But I can't use a fan to dry it? And what ration hydrogen peroxide to water? Then you said that water feeds the root system. ???

[@minimizingmold]

If there's mold on drywall, the drywall should be cut out and replaced. There's no getting to all the roots of mold in a porous material like drywall.

[@BurtBowers]

Vinegar works the best lasts long time..

[@sagerestoration4596]

We can agree with you on that.

[@voodoochile7581]

Vinegar is proved it doesn’t kill all the surface mold

[@sagerestoration4596]

Hi Steve, we don’t use vinegar to clean for mold but use professional products instead. Can you provide us your source so we can be up to date on this. Normally we recommend to our homeowner clients to use vinegar on areas that are less than 10-25 square feet as a home products based option.

[@pattiannepascual]

Says bleach has water in it, to use vinegar instead 😱 like vinegar not full of water. also neither will penetrate into sheet rock and inside wood framing. Better to just get professional mold remediation chemicals. Some things just don't work using natural products.

[@nightlady2001]

Full strength vinegar, peroxide?

[@sagerestoration4596]

Hydrogen peroxide from a drug store or full strength vinegar or diluted vinegar solution with water can be used to clean for mold. Other home products that can be effective as well is a Borax and water solution or dish soap and water solution.

[@neel1424]

What should be the ratio of water and white veniger to use it as a spray on the mould area the area I wanna clean is 10*10 sqft

[@sagerestoration4596]

It’s actually best to use a full strength white vinegar when cleaning for mold. You can dilute it if you like to cut down on the odor of the vinegar with a 2 or 3 to 1 vinegar to water mixture. Put the vinegar solution into a spray bottle and apply to the affected surfaces and let it sit for an hour and then wipe clean and let the area fully dry.

[@nllyj]

Thanks for the information! Anyway, how to get rid of the apple vinegar smell?

[@sagerestoration4596]

Try using an odor neutralizer that can be found at Home Depot or Target or baking soda is a natural way to remove odor. Let me know if that works.

[@gg-op4gt]

I'm curious to know what uses (sage restoration) use to neutralise the smell as professional please

[@arila656]

If you use while distilled vinegar, the smell goes away on its own. Give it like a day with the bathroom window open (if you have one), and it will be completely gone. You don't need another product to remove the smell.

[@bigbiemacaw]

thanks, I had a leak in my bird room, my mother is convinced wipe it off and all will be well, its dangerous my partner has copd so its VIP I get on top of it, I have a couple of dehumidifier's going in there so figure's crossed..

[@sagerestoration4596]

Using a dehumidifier to lower humidity is always a good defense against the growth of mold. Keeping humidity levels below 50% is optimal.

[@SonicBoom12345]

So water from bleach is bad but water from; dishwashing liquid and water is good. Got it

[@simontemplarGB]

So bleach has water, so does vinegar, borax and H2O2 and guess what? Water.

[@Hevva67]

Whatever, but Bleach doesn’t work.

[@pattiannepascual]

I left a similar comment. makes no sense. just buy processing mold remover to be safe

[@candicecrider89]

Lemon or lemon extract removes mold and it never comes back.

[@Afcour]

Isn’t hydrogen peroxide bleach?

[@sagerestoration4596]

It is not bleach but does have a bleaching affect.

[@sweetbeep]

How can hydrogen peroxide remove the root system but bleach doesn't? They are both liquid and would seep in. Hydrogen peroxide turns into water as far as I know.

[@sagerestoration4596]

Here's a very good article explaining the difference between bleach and hydrogen peroxide. homebiotic.com/bleach-hydrogen-peroxide-for-cleaning-mold/

[@shaunjones7562]

Hi bleach 99% water there maybe 🤔 so you said your feeding bleach ok then next sentence use water and soap ok

[@replyhere590]

Clorox/hh bleach is materiall than "more than 99% water". I don't have a bottle handy but 6% sodium hypochlorite comes to mind. And what bureaucrat is coming to my house to stop me from cleaning more than 10 sf for mold? Same one who polices the Do Not Remove upholstery labels?

[@sagerestoration4596]

Your probably correct about a government bureaucrat not coming to your house but I was just stating the government recommendation to provide general information as it pertains to mold removal.

[@vanessaeden8174]

Why's the dude in the blue behind you, wearing a hat inside, is he expecting rain? 🤣

[@sagerestoration4596]

In our line of work we are always looking for rain which equates to flooded basements. LOL

[@jackiemyers2773]

You know people wear hats to match their clothes? Regardless of the weather.

[@caribbeanguytrinbago9662]

your volume is too soft !

[@sagerestoration4596]

Thanks for letting me know do I can improve on that

[@vanessaeden8174]

Your volume was fine for me. Guess I have good hearing.

[@goodthingstolearn9695]

poor audio, couldn't hear anything. Please use a better mic.

[@kodiham7532]

Terrible audio!

[@kingtut7366]

Bleach is 99% water 🤔🤔 take a sip I’m trynna see some

[@simonspider]

Ive used bleach on mold for years, never had any issues. White vinegar has zero effect on mold in my experience and makes the place stink.

[@sagerestoration4596]

Well we are glad that bleach has worked for you mold situations but it is a standard in the mold remediation industry not to use bleach as a cleaner for mold.

[@sagerestoration4596]

Here is an excellent article on the difference between bleach and hydrogen peroxide. homebiotic.com/bleach-hydrogen-peroxide-for-cleaning-mold/