Why you should never use bleach to remove mould

What not to use to remove mould

It’s been proven that harsh chemicals such as bleach and ammonia aren’t effective in removing mould. The problem with bleach is is does nothing to remove the mould. Instead it bleaches the colour of the mould, giving the illusion of a mould-free surface. 

"The fungi contain melanin, and the bleach just takes the colour out, but the fungi are still there, you are just masking it," Mycologist Heike Neumeister-Kemp told the ABC. "Six weeks later it appears to come back, but it was never gone.

Heike recommends a vinegar solution to break down the fungi.

"The vinegar attacks the fungi mechanically," she said, "so it actually, via osmosis, penetrates into the structure and explodes it, so you actually kill the fungi."

How to remove mould 

Start by sorting mouldy items into non-porous (hard plastics, wood, steel), semi-porous (walls and surfaces) and super-porous (clothes, carpet, paper, furniture).

Throw out anything that is super-porous and covered in mould – it’ll be hard to restore it, unless you have your carpet professionally cleaned.

Next, create the vinegar solution:

Steps

1. Pour a concentration of 80% vinegar to 20% water into three buckets
2. Grab a microfibre cloth, dip it into the first bucket and clean a patch of mould
3. Rinse the cloth in the second bucket, and rinse again in the third
4. Repeat until all mould is cleaned off
5. Wipe areas with dry microfibre cloth when finished

Alternative solutions to try

1. Tea tree oil

Steps

1. Add 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil to a spray bottle filled with water
2. Spray on problem areas and do not rinse
3. Wipe areas with dry microfibre cloth when finished

2. Grapefruit seed extract

If you don’t like the smell of tea tree oil, grapefruit seed is just as effective.

Steps

1. Add 20 drops grapefruit seed extract to a spray bottle filled with water
2. Spray on problem areas and do not rinse
3. Wipe areas with dry microfibre cloth when finished

3. Bi-carb soda

You can use bi-carb with vinegar too.

Steps

1. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda into water and spray onto surface.
2. Let it sit, then scrub and wipe with a damp cloth.
3. Wipe areas with dry microfibre cloth when finished