First General Services of SE Minnesota

In your home:

• When water leaks or spills occur indoors, ACT QUICKLY!
• If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after the leak or spill happens, in MOST CASES, mold will not grow. If you are already seeing mold or you have an ongoing water problem, bring this to a professional's attention right away so they can give you the proper advice or treatments.
• Clean and repair roof gutters on a regular basis.
• Make sure the ground slopes away from your building foundation so water does not enter or collect around the foundation.
• Keep air conditioner drip pans clean and drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly.
• Keep your indoor humidity low. We recommend below 40% relative humidity. Relative humidity can be measured with a moisture meter or humidity meter.
• If you see condensation or moisture collecting on windows, pipes or walls, ACT QUICKLY to fix the problem.

Affects of using bleach to treat mold

According to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, bleach use has very limited effectiveness. In their book Bioaerosols Assessment & Controls, they state “sodium hypochlorite (bleach) must be used with extreme caution because it is a strong bleaching agent, corrodes materials, and is inactivated by organic matter.

Chlorine (bleach) reacts by "adding" chlorine atoms. This can create trichloromethanes residue (food for mold) and dioxins (Any of several toxic or carcinogenic hydrocarbons that occur as impurities in herbicides), both known to be powerful carcinogens. What this means to you is, to kill any biological contaminates, the concentration of chlorine (bleach) would be so high, it could have adverse health effects or could be potentially deadly.

In conclusion, chlorine bleach has been widely accepted as a cleaner for many years in various areas of your home. It is still good to use when you are washing your clothing, dishes, or in your bathroom (Solid surfaces). Keep in mind you are constantly rinsing these areas or items so you don't get the harmful effects from its reactions.

An industry standard does not recognize chlorine as a good agent for eliminating biological contaminates such as mold and mildew from porous organic surfaces (concrete, drywall, wood). As an IICRC certified firm, we highly recommend you do not use bleach as an agent to try to eliminate mold and mildew in your home after your home has been affected by these biological contaminates.