• December 01, 2019

Cleaning Mold with Vinegar

Here at MI&T, we recommend Cleaning Mold with Vinegar on hard, non-porous surfaces. Tile, counter-tops, glass, and other hard/flat materials that have surface mold can be easily cleaned with white Vinegar.

In our opinion, vinegar gets the nod for cleaning these types of surfaces because it kills almost as much bacteria without any of the harmful side effects. Vinegar in natural, organic, and non-toxic. Bleach on the other hand is extremely destructive to both humans and materials they are put on. You might think you are getting rid of a harmful mold, but risking your health in another way by releasing toxic vapors throughout your property.

Killing mold with Vinegar is only a viable option when the growth is of the non-toxic variety that is occurs naturally. Small instances of mold growth like that found on bathroom tile, in the kitchen, on A/C vents, and window sills occurs naturally and is perfectly acceptable. This mold growth is usually cladosporium and presents the perfect scenario for when to use vinegar to clean mold.

On the other hand, when extensive mold growth can be seen on building materials such as drywall, wood, or other porous materials; we recommend using biocide and antimicrobial products to deal with the problems instead of vinegar. It is also important to realize that there is probably a much larger underlying problem and getting rid of it will require more work than simply spraying the product and wiping away. If a problem is serious enough to have contaminated these materials we almost always recommend professional mold remediation. Restoration companies have equipment like HEPA vacuums, containment areas, and air scrubbers to make sure they problem does not spread and hurt the indoor air quality as the work is performed. All this work is done wearing full personal protective equipment.

Unless you are absolutely positive that you are not dealing with a serious problem, trying to clean  mold with Vinegar by yourself is really not worth the risk it poses on your health. If you are unsure  about the extent of your problems. Give MI&T a call to discuss your situation and possibly schedule a inspection with an expert inspector in your area.