Why Bleach Should Be Avoided This Winter

Mould is a nasty beast. It can take hold of a house and is extremely tough to get rid of.

There are two things you may not know about mould.

It gets worse in winter thanks to winter habits like running the dryer, keeping windows closed and operating humidifiers.

You should never treat mould with bleach. Bleach is the active ingredient in Exit Mould and similar products and is spruiked as a mould killer, which it isn’t.

Why Should I Avoid Bleach?

Trusted consumer website Choice named Exit Mould in its 2012 Shonky Awards for falsely claiming it can remove mould from your home. Choice bestows Shonky Awards each year to companies or products that don’t do what they claim – Exit Mould and other similar products fit the bill.

Your grandmother’s generation turned to bleach to clean mould for many years, but now we know better. Bleach will make the mould disappear, but all it is doing is bleaching the colour out of the mould, not treating the problem underneath.

The mould membrane is still alive, spurting out poisonous spores and likely to reappear on the surface sooner rather than later.

Can Bleach Cause Damage?

Bleach is a caustic material so it can wear down many materials. This includes grout lines, prominent in bathrooms and kitchens (where mould often appears). Bleach will break grout down over time, which could make your grout become more porous, and even more susceptible to mould.

Bleach can also be detrimental to your health.

Strong solutions can irritate the mouth lungs and skin, and in strong enough concentrations it can actually burn human tissue (internally and externally). Bleach fumes can also be a serious irritant for asthmatics.

How Can I Treat Mould?

See visible mould on your walls? Chances are, there is much more mould under the surface that you can’t see.

You may not realise but the signature black marks you see on the wall are actually mould waste. The real mould issue is hiding in your walls and is so small, you can’t see it.

For lighter mould contaminations, here is what you can do.

1. Run hot water across the mould.
2. In a spray bottle, combine 1:1 mix of vinegar and water along with about 30 drops of tea tree oil for a 500ml spray bottle (15 drops per 250ml).
3. Shake well, spray onto the problem area and leave for 20 minutes before rinsing.

Vinegar is effective on mould because it generally comprises about 5% acidity, making it a great cleaning acid with disinfecting and antibacterial properties.

Do You Have a Severe Mould Infestation?

If you have a larger contamination, you will need to contact a professional mould treatment service. A professional service includes an anti-microbial solution to find the source of the moisture. This will treat hidden mould for long-lasting results.

Your E-Dry expert will treat airborne mould spores to improve the air quality in your home.

How You Can Keep Mould Away This Winter

Open Up Your Windows

It only needs to be for a little while. A little natural UV light from the sunshine outside will keep the air circulating inside.

Run the Bathroom Exhaust Fan

Try not to forget! Keep it running for a little longer after you leave the bathroom, as moisture will hang around for a while afterwards.

Use Damp Rid or a dehumidifier

Dehumidifiers work by taking moisture out of the air to bring the relative humidity back to 35%; this is below the humidity level required for mould growth.