While a significant mold infestation is best handled by a professional restoration company, you have a powerful weapon against occasional mold growth in your kitchen cupboard: white vinegar. This humble household staple can kill more than 80% of mold species, including hazardous black mold.
Does Vinegar Kill Mold? Yes, vinegar is a mild acid that kills 82% of mold species. It's often used as a natural and nontoxic alternative to cleaning chemicals when it comes to killing household mold. Cleaning vinegar, which contains 6% acetic acid, is the best type for killing mold.
Vinegar is a bold mold killer. According to ServiceMaster Restoration and Cleaning, the mild acid in vinegar kills about 82% of known molds and can help prevent future outbreaks.
How Long Does it Take for Vinegar to Kill Mold? Depending on the amount of mold, let the vinegar sit on the mold at least 60 minutes before wiping or scrubbing.
3 Distilled white vinegar in the condiment aisle contains around 5% acetic acid and 95% water. Cleaning vinegar contains about 6% acetic acid. While vinegar will kill the mold, it is slow acting, and the discoloration and stains from the mold may remain and require additional scrubbing with another household cleaner.
Bleach kills virtually every species of indoor mold that it comes into contact with including mold spores which leaves a sanitized surface making it resistant to future mold growth.
Vinegar can kill black mold and is best used on nonporous surfaces. White vinegar is a powerhouse for cleaning, deodorizing, and disinfecting around the house. It can also kill black mold, a mold that commonly appears when there is water damage. Spray vinegar onto the moldy surface and leave it for an hour.
While it is possible to use bleach to kill mold as well, experts agree that vinegar is a much better option. Unlike bleach, vinegar can effectively kill the mold at the root, which means it's less likely to return. Vinegar is also less toxic than bleach, making it a better choice for household use.
To clean mould and mildew and kill their spores you will need white distilled vinegar – the cheapest brand from the supermarket will do just fine. Mix 1 part of vinegar with 1 part water and pour into a spray bottle. Apply the solution onto the mouldy area and leave it to sit for one hour.
Vinegar is a natural alternative that can kill mold on porous and nonporous surfaces. However, spraying vinegar is not an effective way to kill mold spores in the air.
Why vinegar and baking soda: Vinegar is a super powerful tool! It kills around 82% of mold species because it has acetic acid. On the other hand, baking soda is great because it absorbs moisture.
'Bleach will kill mold spores growing across a hard surface, but if the mold has extended below the surface, then white vinegar is the best choice,' she says. 'The vinegar will penetrate to kill the mold and mildew at the root, preventing it from regrowing.
If you're not wearing any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), you're inviting all of those mold spores to settle on your clothing, the area you're cleaning, your shoes (allowing mold to travel to other areas in your home), in your eyes, and up your nose into your upper respiratory system.
Baking Soda. Used with vinegar and water or alone with water, baking soda is effective at removing mold naturally. Dissolve baking soda into water or water-and-vinegar solution, and spray onto surface. Let it sit, then scrub and wipe with a damp cloth.
To Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home. Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can—no higher than 50%–all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your home's humidity at a home improvement store.
Mildew refers to certain kinds of mold or fungus. The term mildew is often used generically to refer to mold growth, usually with a flat growth habit. Molds include all species of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments, called hyphae.
Use a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup (8 ounces) household laundry bleach per 1 gallon of water to kill mold on surfaces.
Mold hates light. Other than moisture there's nothing mold loves more than dark places. An easy prevention against mold growth is opening your blinds and shades. If it's warm enough out, open the windows.
Without constant moisture, mold will become inactive but they never die unless you get rid of them completely. They can always come back to life in the presence of moisture and multiply rapidly causing serious health problems.
Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin.
So, if you are sleeping in a damp or mouldy room, you're spending about a third of your time inhaling dangerous mycotoxins spores. Frequently inhaling these spores leads to a plethora of health problems for both healthy and vulnerable people.
If you have to stay in a moldy home, you need to take steps to reduce your exposure to mold. If you have asthma, COPD, or if you are immune-compromised you should not stay in a moldy home, or even be there while it is being cleaned.
Use soap, water and a scrub brush or sponge to scrub the mold from surfaces. Get rid of any items that have the mold, such as old towels or toiletries.