Are Bleach, Vinegar or Hydrogen Peroxide Effective for Removing Mold in Buildings?

Are Bleach, Vinegar or Hydrogen Peroxide Effective for Removing Mold?

By Edward R Close, PhD, and Jacquelyn A Close

Copyright © September 6, 2017

Bleach is about 97% water and only 3% chlorine. When you use bleach, it will kill mold and bleach the color out of any mold that you might have seen, so the mold then appears to be cleaned up. However, the chlorine evaporates before the water and that leaves water in the areas where you have had mold. 

Water feeds mold. That is why when you use bleach, you will normally see mold growing in the same areas in just a few days. In fact, mold will begin re-establishing itself in areas treated with bleach within 24 hours. This is one of the main reasons Bleach is NOT recommended for removing mold from buildings.

Using bleach, you can only address mold on surfaces, and primarily visible mold. Breathing mold spores is the first pathway of admission to the body. To address mold spores in the air, you must use something that disperses into the air. Bleach has no effect on mold spores in the air. Therefore, Bleach is NOT effective for removing mold from buildings.

What about vinegar and hydrogen peroxide? 

Vinegar is about 5% acetic acid and 95% water. The same is true for most all forms of vinegar. And, like bleach, the acid will evaporate prior to the water. White Vinegar is widely used in household cleaning because it is acidic, and can dissolve mineral deposits from glass, coffee makers, and other smooth surfaces. For most uses, dilution with additional water is recommended for safety and to avoid damaging the surfaces being cleaned. Vinegar is NOT effective for removing mold from buildings for many of the same reasons bleach is not effective.

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2 O2) is generally sold in dilutions of 3% H2 O2 to 97% water. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent used in water as a bleach, and as a topical anti-infective. It is relatively unstable. Although nonflammable, it is a powerful oxidizing agent that can cause spontaneous combustion when it comes in contact with organic materials. And like bleach, it is largely water. So again, you have the same problems with using Hydrogen Peroxide as you do in using bleach and vinegar.

How do these three options, which are promoted by many as effective agents for remediating mold, stack up?

 

1. All three of these options can only be applied to mold on surfaces. 
2. All three will have some impact on mold found on surfaces, killing some of it, but not all of it. 
3. Mold will re-establish itself within 24 hours following application of any of these three water-based solutions. 
4. None of these three options (bleach, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide) will address mold spores in the air. And remember, it is the mold spores in the air that contribute to more than 90% of illnesses associated with mold exposure. 

What do you recommend?

We strongly recommend diffusing the EOB2 oil blend tested and using The Close Protocol for Remediating Mold in Buildings. This approach has proven over and over again in tests conducted since 2005, and verified by EPA approved independent laboratories, to be the best option for eliminating mold both in the air and on surfaces. And testing has also shown that diffusing the recommended essential oils provides a residual effect that can last at least 3-6 months. This residual effect is not available with any other known option available today.  

Diffusing EOB2 allows you to address mold on surfaces and in the air at the same time. For information on how to use essential oils for diffusing, you are invited to contact us.

If you have visible mold, then you may also need to use the recommended Household Cleaner.

We have more than 20 years of mold remediation experience, over 12 years experience using The Close Protocol to Remediate Mold in Buildings, and many hundreds of personally-supervised mold remediation projects where The Close Protocol was employed at hospitals, schools, State of Missouri agencies, and in businesses and homes across the country. We have found that EOB2 and the EOB2 essential-oil based cleaner have proven far more cost effective, as well as more complete in addressing and remediating mold in buildings.

Basic information about the Close Protocol for Mold Remediation in Buildings is presented in Chapter 7 of our book, “Nature’s Mold Rx, The Non-Toxic Solution to Toxic Mold.” The book also discusses twenty (20) case studies in detail, and most of the questions that may arise when the protocol is applied are answered in the book.

If you have questions about how to use oils and diffusers, please contact us.

May you be richly and abundantly blessed, and may you always enjoy Vibrant Health!

Very Sincerely,

Dr. Ed And Jacqui Close

Owners, EJC Advantage LLC

Copyright  © 2017

P.S.:  If you have gotten value from the information shared, please take just a couple of minutes to comment on our posts in the Comments Section below and share your experiences. We love to hear from you this way. We also invite you to share this on Social Media. Thank You!

NOTE:  The information above is copyright protected and all rights are reserved.

 
Copyright © EJC Advantage LLC and Edward R Close and Jacquelyn A Close, 2018 and continuing.  This information and parts thereof may not be reproduced, copied, pasted, or posted elsewhere through any means whatsoever without written permission from the authors. We invite you to provide a link to this webpage if you wish to share this information with others.

UV and MOLD

Is Ultra-Violet (UV) Light the Right Solution for Mold Remediation?

By Edward R Close, PhD and Jacquelyn A Close

© EJC Advantage, July 22, 2016

Ultra-Violet Light (UV) is best known for its ability to eliminate bacteria. And the effectiveness of germicidal UV has not only been recognized but also incorporated in the Facilities Standards for Public Buildings as follows:

"Ultraviolet light (C band, UVC) emitters/lamps shall be incorporated downstream of all cooling coils and above all drain pans to control airborne and surface microbial growth and transfer. Applied fixtures/lamps must be specifically manufactured for this purpose."

http://www.americanairandwater.com/mold/mold-uv.htm

You need to know, however, that while UV emitters placed in the airflow downstream of AC coils and drip pans may help improve the air quality coming from HVAC systems, they will have no effect on mold colonies growing elsewhere in a building.  In addition, the effectiveness of UV in HVAC systems depends on a number of factors such as: rate of air flow, humidity, placement and distance between the UV light and the microorganisms it targets, irradiation time, as well as other variables occurring in real world environments that make calculation of effective UV dosage very difficult.

It is true that UV light will destroy the DNA of harmful microorganism given a high enough dosage over a sufficient length of time. And germicidal UV systems may be successfully utilized in hospitals and public buildings to inhibit microbial growth in HVAC systems, thereby improving the quality of indoor air and decreasing the risk of bacterial and fungal infections in people with compromised immune systems and/or open wounds. But the question is this:  Is it an effective solution for remediating a building infested with mold? In a word: NO.

The problem with UV or UVC systems for addressing mold infestations is the fact that they only treat the airstream within the HVAC system, and cannot safely address the many sources of mold spores that may exist in a building in places other than inside the air-handling system.

Sources of mold around leaks, in moisture from humidity condensation, and other conditions that lead to the growth of mold super-colonies, are not affected by the air flowing through an HVAC system. Sources of mold spores can be also be found on surfaces, such as the exterior of HVAC ductwork, walls, floors, in bathrooms, in fact almost any surface inside or under a building. While some spores in the air flowing through a UV system may be killed, UV only treats the air that flows through the system and nothing more.  

For UV light to destroy mold spores, one must have two things —

1.  Sufficient UV light intensity, which decreases rapidly with distance from the bulb, and
2.  Sufficient “dwell time” which is the time that the mold spore is actually exposed to the UV light.

The amount of exposure time required to destroy a mold spore varies greatly for the different species of mold. Some spores are destroyed after a few seconds — others require 8,000 seconds or more. That’s more than 2 hours.

The air traveling in an air duct is moving at a minimum of 100 feet per minute. You have to ask: what are the chances that a mold spore in the airstream inside the ductwork will be exposed to the UV light for a sufficient length of time? Pretty slim.

And while the air may be re-circulated, mold spores can fall out anywhere along the path from the outflow vent to the intake vent, and never be returned to the UV system for additional treatment.

“UV lights have been shown to reduce mold when exposed continuously to the coils of the HVAC system. Cleaning the coils periodically would accomplish the same result.”

http://www.allergyclean.com/youve-got-mold/

Cleaning with essential oils and essential-oil-based cleaners will be far less costly. 

So, UV and UVC systems may be helpful in improving indoor air quality, however, they are not effective in eliminating most mold infestations and may pose health dangers if not properly installed, shielded and maintained. In general, they are far more costly and less effective than using essential oils and essential oil-based cleaners.

Limitations of UV or UVC Systems

1. They cannot address many sources of or surfaces infested with mold
2.   Intensity and “dwell time” requirements do not address all mold species
3.   Humans have DNA, and since UV and UVC are known to destroy the DNA of microorganisms, special handling of lamps, installation of shielding, and added protection for human inhabitants increase the risk of damaging the DNA of humans that come in contact with the light, as well as increasing the costs associated with its installation and maintenance.

Is UV right for your mold problem?

The best answer is that it depends on the building and the budget. It is only one of a number of options that can be utilized for improving air quality as part of the solution for a building with a mold problem. It is not a solution in and of itself, and not necessarily even a part of the best possible solution for a given mold problem. There are far more cost-effective options available that can help you address all sources, surfaces, and air streams. 


We have more than 20 years of mold remediation experience, over 10 years experience using The Close Protocol to Remediate Mold in Buildings, and many hundreds of personally-supervised mold remediation projects where The Close Protocol was employed, and we have found that essential oils and essential-oil based cleaners have proven far more cost effective as well as more effective and complete in addressing and remediating mold in buildings.

Many discussions of mold remediation options and detailed answers to questions about using the Close Protocol for Mold Remediation in Buildings are freely provided on this website. For those of you who require additional help, please contact us.

Basic information about the ten-step protocol is presented in Chapter 7 of our book, Nature’s Mold Rx, The Non-Toxic Solution to Toxic Mold. The book also discusses twenty (20) case studies in detail, and most of the questions that may arise when the protocol is applied are answered in the book.

Be blessed richly and may you always enjoy Vibrant Health!

Very Sincerely,

Dr. Ed And Jacqui Close

EJC Advantage LLC

P.S.:  If you have gotten value from the information shared, please take just a couple of minutes to comment on our posts in the Comments Section below and share your experiences. We love to hear from you this way. We also invite you to share this on Social Media. Thank You!

NOTE:  The information above is copyright protected and all rights are reserved.

 
Copyright EJC Advantage LLC and Edward R Close and Jacquelyn A Close, 2016 and continuing.  This information and parts thereof may not be reproduced, copied, pasted, or posted elsewhere through any means whatsoever without written permission from the authors. We invite you to provide a link to this webpage if you wish to share this information with others.