Mold can be extremely hazardous and dangerous to your health and your property. When you notice mold in your home or office, you want to act quickly to help avoid further complications. Many property owners try to remove mold on their own with household cleaners. But does vinegar kill mold? At the basic meaning of the question, the answer is yes; vinegar does kill mold. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should use it when facing mold damage in your home or office.
Why Does Vinegar Kill Mold?
While its main purpose is usually cooking and food preservation, vinegar has long been used as a staple in many home-cleaning regimens. Vinegar contains a small percentage of acetic acid. Acetic acid has a strong PH of 2.5. This high PH level allows the acid to disrupt and prevent the growth of mold, mildew, and other fungi. However, it’s important to note that this level of acetic acid isn’t effective on all kinds of mold. While vinegar can kill a majority of mold species, about 20% of mold growth is unaffected by it.
When NOT to Use Vinegar
Vinegar can be an effective and quick solution for mold. However, it’s not always recommended. In fact, a vinegar treatment should really only be used as a last resort if you are unable to get mold treated professionally in a timely manner. Mold species can be extremely toxic to your health, even if you’re just breathing in the spores. It can be difficult to tell what kind of mold you’re dealing with from looks alone, and trying to remove a hazardous mold species on your own could result in injury or illness.
If you do need to remove mold on your own, it’s important to understand times when vinegar isn’t the best option. Vinegar will not effectively clean mold, for example, on certain surface materials in your home. These include:
- Wood
- Metal
- Stone
- Electronic Screens
- Porous Surfaces
Trying to clean mold with vinegar on these surfaces could damage your property further or result in a less-than-accurate job that allows mold growth to return.
Tips for Cleaning Mold
If you absolutely must deal with a mold problem on your own, it’s highly critical that you follow strict safety procedures. While you won’t have access to the industry-standard safety equipment and cleaning solutions a professional has, you can still take steps to ensure you minimize health risks. These precautions include:
- Wearing gloves and ensuring all skin on your arms is covered
- Wearing an N-95 mask
- Opening windows and ventilating the area
- Immediately washing your clothing in hot water with an added cup of vinegar
By taking the time to protect yourself, you can minimize mold damage on your property while maintaining your health.
Need Help with Mold Removal?
While vinegar can be effective in killing mold, it’s still best to let the professionals handle mold removal. At Dryman Group, our mold remediation technicians are fully trained in the safe and effective removal of mold. Call us today at (972) 646-8564 for a quick response to mold damage 24/7.