Most people know the smell of chlorine bleach and associate it with cleanliness. It can also be associated with burning eyes and noses, and it can create toxic fumes if mixed with the wrong cleaning ingredient. Oxygen bleach has sodium percarbonate in it (as opposed to chlorine bleach’s sodium hypochlorite). It has many advantages over chlorine bleach.
Advantages of Oxygen Bleach
1. Eco-friendly
One of the primary advantages of oxygen bleach is that it breaks down into the water, oxygen, and soda ash. It is non-toxic and doesn’t harm the environment one bit.
2. Colorless
Oxygen bleach is colorless, and it is typically a better whitener for laundry use than chlorine bleach.
3. Sanitizes
The cleaning power of oxygen bleach does not last as long as chlorine bleach, but it is just as powerful while it is active.
4. No fumes
Lastly, oxygen bleach doesn’t stink! Can you imagine using an effective mold killer without suffering chemical scents and burning eyes? It is a reality with oxygen bleach.
Oxygen bleach is a little spendier than chlorine bleach, but it is available in local grocery stores. It’s a great addition to any laundry room, and it is a better option for mold removal than chlorine bleach because it is non-toxic.
How to Use Oxygen Bleach to Clean Mold
- Mix bleach powder to water according to instructions. Warm water is best to dissolve the bleach. The ratio is typically 1 cup/1 gallon of water.
- Put the solution in a sprayer or bucket to apply to mold.
- Let the solution sit on the moldy surface for 15 minutes.
- Clean the area with water and dry.
Bleach will not kill mold, but it will remove the color of mold when cleaned properly on non-porous surfaces. For surfaces that are porous, further remediation is required.
Any mold in the home or business can be a major health hazard and needs to be cleaned properly. It can cause respiratory distress and Toxic Mold Syndrome if not taken care of. If visible mold is present, one of the first things to find out is the source of the problem…typically standing water or moisture. Then, whether or not the visible mold is the only mold needs to be considered. It probably isn’t the only mold.
Mold remediation is complex, and professional mold remediation is recommended to ensure that mold is detected and removed properly and safely. Give us a call, your local mold removal specialist, to make sure the mold is gone for good.