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Mold killing guide: this document explains a very common mistake in mold cleanup jobs: relying on bleach, biocides, or fungicides to "kill" toxic mold.

This is a chapter of the Mold Action Guide, a document which provides an easy to understand step-by-step guide for dealing with toxic or allergenic indoor mold and other indoor contaminants: what to do about mold. The steps in this article series will be sufficient for many building owners who want to do their own mold investigation, mold testing, mold cleanup, and mold prevention in their home or office.

Readers should also see FUNGICIDAL SPRAY & SEALANT USE GUIDE, see BLEACHING MOLD, Advice about and step by step mold cleanup advice at MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD and also MOLD CLEANUP - MISTAKES to AVOID. See CRAWL SPACE DRYOUT PROCEDURES if your building is built over a crawl area.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

HOW TO KILL MOLD: Should We be Trying to Kill Mold?

Many readers have contacted us to ask about using bleach, fungicides, or biocides as a "mold remediation" step and many mold remediation projects we've seen have placed too much reliance on attempts to spray or gas mold to try to "kill the mold and render it harmless" that we've added this brief article on what's "right" and "wrong" about relying on any spray, gas, chemical, or "treatment" to treat problem mold in buildings.

Here is what the U.S. EPA says about using biocides, bleach, mold killers, mildewcides:

Cleanup and Biocides

Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present). In most cases, it is not possible or desirable to sterilize an area; a background level of mold spores will remain - these spores will not grow if the moisture problem has been resolved. If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors. Never mix chlorine bleach solution with other cleaning solutions or detergents that contain ammonia because toxic fumes could be produced.

Spraying, Bleaching, or Killing Mold Does Not Kill All of the Spores

First of all, after spraying or gassing "toxic mold" or "black mold" in a building, the bad truth is that the mold is not dead - at least not all of it. Even if you spray bleach all over your "black toxic mold" you won't kill every single spore. I've examined bleached mold samples in the lab. I can usually tease out viable spores from the supposedly "dead" mold sample. To kill every single mold spore using bleach, for example, you'd have to use such a high concentration of disinfectant and you'd have to keep it on the surface for so long that more likely you'd damage the structure - and still miss some toxic spores.

This is particularly true when people rely on spraying rather than physically cleaning or removing moldy surfaces or materials.

To be scrupulously fair, if we sprayed a surface with sufficient force as to actually physically clean it (and if we removed all of the sprayed-on liquid and debris, we'd do a credible job of cleaning the surface of problem mold. Of course in fact, you could use water or deck cleaner or a dry product like baking soda for such purposes just as well as a disinfectant. See our Report on Media Blasting for an example of using a "spray" approach to physically clean a surface.

- Thanks to Arlene Puentes for technical edits.

Killing Mold Spores Leaves Toxic or Allergenic Particles in Place

Second - even if in theory we could "kill" every spore, the assumption that they are unimportant is highly questionable. "Dead" spores often contain allergens or toxins that are just as harmful to someone breathing them or getting such mold in one's eye or in a cut, as before.

Relying on Mold Sprays, Bleach, Biocides, Fungicides Risks Taking an Ineffective "Short Cut" to Mold Removal

Third - when I hear remediators or testers focused on whether mold is "alive" or "dead" we are immediately concerned that they do not understand the best practices regarding mold problem diagnosis and cure.

The object is not to "kill" mold, it is - to remove the mold reservoir in the building by physical cleaning or in cases of items that can't be cleaned, such as drywall, soft goods, carpets, furniture, or insulation, remove the moldy material - to identify the cause and make sure that's been corrected (which in your case you think has been done but I'm doubtful where a crawl space is involved - wet conditions that made part of a building wet have often affected other building areas that are less obvious).

It is Important to Find, Identify, and Remove All of the Problem Mold Reservoirs in a Building

Fourth and very important - we need to be very confident that ALL of the substantial mold reservoirs at a building have been identified and cleaned-up or removed.

My experience is that very often people focus too quickly on the mold that they see, say on wood in a crawl space, and fail to detect an as large or larger and as problematic or more harmful mold reservoir that they didn't "see". Examples of this mold killer approach error include:

• Missing hard to see but important mold contamination: Failure to recognize that other materials exposed to moisture or leaks, such as insulation, have become a mold reservoir, because to the eye the look "clean"
• Failure to identify all of the mold reservoirs in the building
• Mistaking the visible mold for the most problematic mold - a simple identification test of the visible mold may, for example, show that it is a different genera/species from mold showing up in settled-dust tests or air tests in the same building. If that occurs, further investigation is needed.

Hire a Competent Professional for a Thorough Visual Inspection for Problem Mold and Its Causes

SO what you need (and might already have) is great confidence that the expertise of the mold or building inspector and the scope of the investigation have been very accurate and thorough before any remediation project is begun. Otherwise the risk is that you have to repeat the process again later.

Even if you clean or remove problem mold thoroughly, if you do not correct the original cause of mold growth, you are likely to face this trouble and cost all over again.

How Should Small Areas of Mold be Handled?

Small Areas of mold: clean and disinfect surfaces: small areas of mold (less than 10 sq.ft. or less than 30 sq.ft. in some guidelines)can be cleaned by most property owners using common household cleaners or simple soap and water; if using bleach, extra caution is in order.

While demolition/removal of building components in of small areas of mold may not be required, in some cases removal/replacement of moldy materials permits valuable additional investigation for hidden mold, and may be easier than cleanup, particularly where surfaces or materials are in poor condition or where mold is on drywall or other components such as fiberglass insulation or duct work which can't be cleaned. If further investigation, renovation or repair discloses mold or conditions which cause growth of large areas of mold, professional cleanup/removal by an expert remediator would be needed.

How Should Large Areas of Toxic or Allergenic Mold be Handled?

Large areas of mold (more than 30 sq.ft. of contiguous problem mold): professional cleanup is needed by an expert remediator and is likely to involve significant expense. "Large" is more than 10 sq.ft. according to the US EPA, or 30 sq.ft. per the NY City Guidelines. For instructions for remediation see the NY City guidelines at http://InspectAPedia.com/sickhouse.htm#action. If your remediator is not familiar with these guidelines s/he may not be properly informed to do the job

Questions & Answers regarding this article

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Technical Reviewers & References

• InspectAPedia.com^® - Daniel Friedman - Publisher & Editor.
• InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
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• Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
• Arlene Puentes, an ASHI member and a licensed home inspector in Kingston, NY, and has served on ASHI national committees as well as HVASHI Chapter President. Ms. Puentes can be contacted at ap@octoberhome.com

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

MOLD KILLING GUIDE

• "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• Adkins and Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religion discusses Robigus, the Roman god of crop protection and the legendary progenitor of wheat rust fungus.
• Kansas State University, department of plant pathology, extension plant pathology web page on wheat rust fungus: see http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Leaf%20Rust.asp
• "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
• US EPA - Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [ copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
• US EPA - Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - - en Espanol

Mold Contamination Testing, Cleanup, Prevention: references & products

• The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems
• Aerobiology, Building Science, Microscopy, & Laboratory References, an extensive technical bibliography
• Allergens: what they look like in buildings
• Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
• Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd Ed., GS deHoog, J Guarro, J Gene, & MJ Figueras, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 2000, ISBN 90-70351-43-9 (you can buy this book at Amazon)
• Atlas of Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms and health, physical, neurological, psychological, and other complaint which people suspect may be mold or building-related.
• Atlas of Indoor Mold, Online Clinical Mold Atlas, Toxins, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
• Black Mold that is Harmless Photos of recognizable, usually harmless black mold on wood, bluestain, ceratocystis, ophistoma
• Building Floods: quick steps after a building flood or plumbing leak can prevent costly mold contamination
• Classes of Mold: what types of cosmetic, allergenic, or toxic mold are a problem? Can mold be cleaned-up successfully?
• Clinical Mold References - Detailed bibliography of mold reference texts
• "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
• "Disease Prevention Program for Certain Vegetable Crops," David B. Langston, Jr., Extension Plant Pathologist - Vegetables, University of Georgia (PDF document) original source: www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/209797.html
• "Disease Prevention in Home Vegetable Gardens," Patricia Donald, Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology, Lewis Jett
  Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri Extension - extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6202
• "Management of Powdery Mildew, Leveillula taurica, in Greenhouse Peppers," Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, British Columbia - Original source: www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/peppermildew.htm
• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• Fiberglass: Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
• Fifth Kingdom, Bryce Kendrick, ISBN13: 9781585100224, is available from the InspectAPedia online bookstore - we recommend the CD-ROM version of this book. This 3rd/edition is a compact but comprehensive encyclopedia of all things mycological. Every aspect of the fungi, from aflatoxin to zppspores, with an accessible blend of verve and wit. The 24 chapters are filled with up-to-date information of classification, yeast, lichens, spore dispersal, allergies, ecology, genetics, plant pathology, predatory fungi, biological control, mutualistic symbioses with animals and plants, fungi as food, food spoilage and mycotoxins.
• Fungi, Identifying Filamentous, A Clinical Laboratory Handbook, Guy St-Germain, Richard Summerbell, Star Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-89863-177-7 (English) (buy at Amazon)
• Looking for Mold Procedure: what mold is often found where in buildings - simple technical presentation
• Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
• Mold Action Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions, What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens
• MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE Photos of what mold looks like in buildings
• MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD Photos of NOT-mold material that is sometimes mistaken for mold
• MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
• MOLD BY MICROSCOPE Mold under the microscope - photo identification of the most common indoor molds found in buildings
• Mold FAQs Answers to Most Questions about Indoor Mold, Mold Related Illness, Mold Cleanup, Mold Prevention
• US EPA: Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [ copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
• Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
• Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab or to any mold lab you wish
• Most Common Indoor Molds Found in buildings, A Table of
• Mycology, Fundamentals of Diagnostic, Fran Fisher, Norma B. Cook, W.B. Saunders Co. 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6 (buy this book at Amazon)
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Rot concerns in buildings-some building mold such as Meruliporia incrassata "Poria" risks serious rot and hidden structural damage
• US EPA: Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - - en Espanol

OTHER IAQ ISSUES: How To Find and Address Other Indoor Air or Indoor Environment Contaminants Besides Mold

Mold or allergens may not be the only or even the main indoor environmental contaminant. Don't let media attention to mold cause so much enviro-scare fear that other, possibly more urgent hazards go un-addressed.

• Fiberglass building insulation and HVAC duct work insulation hazards
• Sewage and Septic backup contamination in buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
• Other environmental risks: Asbestos, carbon monoxide, electromagnetic fields, environmental illness, fiberglass, MCS - multiple chemical sensitivity, toxic gases, etc
• Indoor Gas Sampling Plan for Residential buildings lists a number of toxic indoor gases which we test for, depending on the building complaint and building conditions
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Pet control - if you can't say goodbye to your bird, cat, dog, guinea pig, hamster, tropical fish, then limit the areas they occupy and limit the airflow from that area to sleeping or other areas of the building, use allergenic bedding, eliminate wall-to-wall carpeting, improve housecleaning including use of a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner. For more details see our article Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Information for Asthmatics and Indoor Air Quality
• Rodents, Mice, Squirrel Control - I find high levels of mouse and rodent dander, fecal dust, and urine-contaminated dust in some buildings, and high levels of these materials in building insulation in those locations. If you have a mouse problem, particularly if mice and their waste (fecals or urine) are contaminating the building HVAC or building insulation, may need both steps to clean up or remove infected materials and steps to stop an ongoing rodent problem. If squirrels are a problem, the cleanup needs to include closing off entry openings into the building. Get some help from a licensed pest control expert.
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