Here's the best way to sum up just why:
- Bleach is a solution composed of Chlorine (or Sodium hypochlorite if "household / laundry bleach") and mostly Water. The Chlorine or Sodium Hypochlorite is the active ingredient, and therefore the disinfecting portion of the solution.
- The ionic structure of bleach prevents Chlorine molecules from penetrating into semi-porous materials such as drywall and wood. The active chlorine molecules remain on the outside surface, and only the water portion of the mixture absorbs into the wood. Mold has roots, known as "hyphae", growing into the porous construction materials, and the Chlorine or Sodium Hypochlorite molecules never reach the roots of the mold. In turn, the water content in bleach penetrates and actually FEEDS the mold. A few days later you will notice darker, more concentrated mold growing (faster) on the bleached area of a porous surface. This is why you cannot find an EPA registration number on a bottle of bleach for use in mold remediation on semi-porous surfaces.
- The remediation products used by AdvantaClean (ShockWave, Microban, Fosters 40-80, Sporicidin, etc.) although also water based, have active ingredients of ammonium chloride, which can be and is absorbed into the wood at a molecular level and given a proper dwell time of a 10 minute saturation, to allow the active ingredients (not just the water) to penetrate to the roots of the mold colonization. Therefore, these solutions carry an EPA Registration for use against Fungi on semi-porous surfaces.
To find out why AdvantaClean doesn't use bleach to solve our customer's mold problems, give us a call!
