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Message
Don't use bleach if you've been flooded
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:35 pm
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:35 pm
Info below if your remediating a flooded home, use a full spectrum moldicide/fungicide instead.
According to scientists, mold is a type of fungi that is neither plant nor animal. This basically means, unlike plants, it cannot derive energy from the sun or actively “hunt” for food like an animal. Therefore, mold must be opportunistic to survive. In order to reproduce, it regularly sends microscopic spores into the air searching for a suitable environment to live. It only needs a few requirements to survive: water, warm temperatures and a food source. Once it has located the perfect environment, it can begin to grow remarkably fast, sometimes within 24 hours! This is why we often see a mold bloom after flooding, water damage and undetected burst pipes etc…
So now that we know how it works, how do we properly treat it? Big bleach labels have promised you that nothing else will do the job like bleach. Chlorine bleach is most well known for it disinfecting properties but that doesn't mean it's the best choice for mold. It’s main function is to disinfect and to, well, bleach or change the color. But after use, what usually happens? The moldy color looks like it’s gone but within a week or two the mold usually comes back and sometimes worse! Most homeowners don’t put together that it’s the bleach causing this reaction and not a really bad case of mold. The fact remains that if the mold is not removed from the material, it will most likely always return.
Does Bleach kill mold?
Yes, but it comes with a catch. Bleach labels will warn you that chlorine bleach will only be effective on a “hard, non-porous surface.’’ This basically means that chlorine bleach is not made to “soak in.” Therefore, its disinfecting properties are limited to a hard surface like tile or glass. So here’s the problem: To ensure survival, mold spores spread its roots (Mycelia) deep into a porous surface. Mold remediation requires a cleaner to reach deep down into wood and other porous building materials to remove or "pull out" the roots. The properties of bleach prevent it from soaking into these materials. The surface mold looks gone (it's bleached white) but the internal mold always remains to grow back.
Another issue: Bleach contains 90% water and mold LOVES water. When bleach is applied, the chlorine quickly evaporates after use leaving behind A LOT of water. This water often soaks into the porous surface allowing the mold to flourish and re-grow in this moist environment. So in effect, using bleach actually feeds the internal mold spores! Although the surface may look bleached and clean, the remaining spores will root deeper, stronger and will often return worse than before.
This chemical is considered hazardous by the 2012 OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. Sodium Hypochlorite MSDS requires handlers in FULL Personal protection gear including respirespiratorsrs.
"This chemical is considered hazardous by the 2012 OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. Sodium Hypochlorite (Chlorine Bleach) MSDS requires handlers in FULL Personal protection gear including respirators."
-CDC.gov
Bleach and mold. A few facts to remember:
In some cases, bleach will encourage toxic mold to grow where it was not present before.
Bleach will only remove the green stain from mold. The surface will appear clean but internal roots will continue to grow.
OSHA and the EPA have specifically advised against the use of bleach for mold remediation. See link below*
Chlorine bleach is caustic and extremely harmful to wood and many other surfaces. If bleach is used on wood, it will weaken the wood by breaking down its fibers. This can create further problems with the structural integrity of the home.
When bleach is mixed with ammonia it creates a deadly mustard gas, one of the most lethal of all the poisonous chemicals used in world war one. *Remember, Urine contains ammonia! Using bleach in the toilet could create a toxic gas.
Bleach itself is considered a toxic chemical and is classified the same as gasoline.
In its gaseous form (room temperature) chlorine releases Dioxins, a known cancer causing compound.
Bleach is highly corrosive to skin. Exposure to bare skin creates a hydrolysis reaction. This means the “oily” feeling is actually the top layer of your skin beginning to dissolve!
Bleach is not only hazardous to your health, it will make your mold problem worse in the long run.
According to scientists, mold is a type of fungi that is neither plant nor animal. This basically means, unlike plants, it cannot derive energy from the sun or actively “hunt” for food like an animal. Therefore, mold must be opportunistic to survive. In order to reproduce, it regularly sends microscopic spores into the air searching for a suitable environment to live. It only needs a few requirements to survive: water, warm temperatures and a food source. Once it has located the perfect environment, it can begin to grow remarkably fast, sometimes within 24 hours! This is why we often see a mold bloom after flooding, water damage and undetected burst pipes etc…
So now that we know how it works, how do we properly treat it? Big bleach labels have promised you that nothing else will do the job like bleach. Chlorine bleach is most well known for it disinfecting properties but that doesn't mean it's the best choice for mold. It’s main function is to disinfect and to, well, bleach or change the color. But after use, what usually happens? The moldy color looks like it’s gone but within a week or two the mold usually comes back and sometimes worse! Most homeowners don’t put together that it’s the bleach causing this reaction and not a really bad case of mold. The fact remains that if the mold is not removed from the material, it will most likely always return.
Does Bleach kill mold?
Yes, but it comes with a catch. Bleach labels will warn you that chlorine bleach will only be effective on a “hard, non-porous surface.’’ This basically means that chlorine bleach is not made to “soak in.” Therefore, its disinfecting properties are limited to a hard surface like tile or glass. So here’s the problem: To ensure survival, mold spores spread its roots (Mycelia) deep into a porous surface. Mold remediation requires a cleaner to reach deep down into wood and other porous building materials to remove or "pull out" the roots. The properties of bleach prevent it from soaking into these materials. The surface mold looks gone (it's bleached white) but the internal mold always remains to grow back.
Another issue: Bleach contains 90% water and mold LOVES water. When bleach is applied, the chlorine quickly evaporates after use leaving behind A LOT of water. This water often soaks into the porous surface allowing the mold to flourish and re-grow in this moist environment. So in effect, using bleach actually feeds the internal mold spores! Although the surface may look bleached and clean, the remaining spores will root deeper, stronger and will often return worse than before.
This chemical is considered hazardous by the 2012 OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. Sodium Hypochlorite MSDS requires handlers in FULL Personal protection gear including respirespiratorsrs.
"This chemical is considered hazardous by the 2012 OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. Sodium Hypochlorite (Chlorine Bleach) MSDS requires handlers in FULL Personal protection gear including respirators."
-CDC.gov
Bleach and mold. A few facts to remember:
In some cases, bleach will encourage toxic mold to grow where it was not present before.
Bleach will only remove the green stain from mold. The surface will appear clean but internal roots will continue to grow.
OSHA and the EPA have specifically advised against the use of bleach for mold remediation. See link below*
Chlorine bleach is caustic and extremely harmful to wood and many other surfaces. If bleach is used on wood, it will weaken the wood by breaking down its fibers. This can create further problems with the structural integrity of the home.
When bleach is mixed with ammonia it creates a deadly mustard gas, one of the most lethal of all the poisonous chemicals used in world war one. *Remember, Urine contains ammonia! Using bleach in the toilet could create a toxic gas.
Bleach itself is considered a toxic chemical and is classified the same as gasoline.
In its gaseous form (room temperature) chlorine releases Dioxins, a known cancer causing compound.
Bleach is highly corrosive to skin. Exposure to bare skin creates a hydrolysis reaction. This means the “oily” feeling is actually the top layer of your skin beginning to dissolve!
Bleach is not only hazardous to your health, it will make your mold problem worse in the long run.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:37 pm to Boston911
Tell us where to get moldicide locally.
That's the post we need.
That's the post we need.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:43 pm to CajunAlum Tiger Fan
I'm in Abbeville, only place I know of is Brasseuxs True Value and he has a bunch, I just called,,,www.brasseuxs.com. 337-893-1824.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:44 pm to Boston911
We bleached the shite out of several gutted houses post katrina, many that were not gutted right away. No mold.
The reality is that it's likely treated wood and bare floors so it's surface mold. Plus the house will likely be dry and aired out for some time before the sheerah gets hung.
The reality is that it's likely treated wood and bare floors so it's surface mold. Plus the house will likely be dry and aired out for some time before the sheerah gets hung.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:47 pm to CajunAlum Tiger Fan
quote:
Tell us where to get moldicide locally.
That's the post we need.
It's likely to be spotty and hit or miss for quite some time locally as everyone and their brother snaps it up to use on their home.
A good option for anyone having trouble finding it locally would be to go to something like Amazon where you can have it overnighted (if necessary) and have it delivered to a relative, friend, place of employment, etc., that is dry and has UPS/USPS delivering.
This post was edited on 8/17/16 at 5:54 pm
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:47 pm to Bucktail1
Dude, use what you want, I could care less, for $30-$40 extra for a house, you wanna take the chance?
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:48 pm to Boston911
quote:
I'm in Abbeville, only place I know of is Brasseuxs True Value and he has a bunch, I just called,,,www.brasseuxs.com. 337-893-1824.
Thanks, you are the first person to post a local source.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:49 pm to Boston911
there may be some points there that are factual...but in general, it reads like a bunch of bullshite published by some company who is trying to sell their product.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:49 pm to Boston911
quote:
I could care
So how much do you actually care?
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:50 pm to Boston911
Stine lumber in Broussard
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:51 pm to pjab
the next house in see with treated studs will be the first
OP is correct about the bleach it is not the best treatment for mold
it will however kill mildew which is far more common after a flood than mold
OP is correct about the bleach it is not the best treatment for mold
it will however kill mildew which is far more common after a flood than mold
Posted on 8/17/16 at 5:55 pm to cgrand
quote:
the next house in see with treated studs will be the first
Maybe not the studs, but the bottom plate is always treated.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 6:00 pm to cgrand
Yes, you're right. Not treated.
My limited experience showed there was no mold/growth expect for the sheetrock. The bleach certainly made everything smell better. The worst was some Asian guy with dead parrots and multiple aquariums. The mold looks like hamsters crawling on the walls. By the time it was gutted, the house looked like every other one.
My limited experience showed there was no mold/growth expect for the sheetrock. The bleach certainly made everything smell better. The worst was some Asian guy with dead parrots and multiple aquariums. The mold looks like hamsters crawling on the walls. By the time it was gutted, the house looked like every other one.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 6:05 pm to pjab
Call National American Sales in Thibodaux. Ask for Mike. They have a ton of the mold chemical that kills all spores.
1 800 821-3732
1 800 821-3732
Posted on 8/17/16 at 6:10 pm to Spankum
quote:
there may be some points there that are factual...but in general, it reads like a bunch of bullshite published by some company who is trying to sell their product.
Just got off the phone with my college roommate from LSU who owns one of the largest cleaning chemical manufacturing and distribution companies on the Gulf Coast (lucky fricker). I asked him about this thread and, we are still close / he wouldn't BS me, he says that while the bleach WILL initially kill everything the issue is that it isn't persistent. As soon as it dries it is done. The "multi spectrum" cleaners (he went into some science shite I didn't understand at this point) are preferred because they keep working.
Long story short, he is going to send me some legit info in the morning along with locations to purchase locally and I will start a thread.
Posted on 8/17/16 at 6:19 pm to Boston911
BS, I used bleach on plenty of houses (20 or 30). Works fine until you can get new wood in or someone in to clean the old stuff. What you're doing is telling people to let mold grow on everything in their house until they can get the expensive stuff, and that's wrong
This post was edited on 8/17/16 at 6:21 pm
Posted on 8/17/16 at 6:32 pm to Boston911
Too many exclamation points in the paragraph. Briefly reading through, this article reeks of a lot of half information.
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