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.
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 mold, use regular white distilled vinegar, typically sold with five percent acidity. You can also use “cleaning vinegar” with its six percent acidity. Both are effective at killing mold.
White vinegar is a mildly acidic product that cleans, deodorizes, and disinfects. It can also kill 82% of mold species, including black mold, on porous and non-porous surfaces. You can use it safely on most surfaces, and its offensive odor goes away quickly. Pour undiluted white vinegar into a spray bottle.
Distilled white vinegar is non-toxic but acts much more slowly than chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide. While it will kill the mold, the discoloration and stains may remain and require additional scrubbing with a household cleaner. Distilled white vinegar can be used safely on most porous and non-porous surfaces.
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.
Molds are fungi and they can, and will, grow back after bleaching. There are 4 simple ingredients you can safely use to clean away mold in your home: white vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and detergent or soap.
So when it comes to removing mold with vinegar, it's best to avoid leaving it overnight and stick with the 30 minutes to 1 hour sitting time.
Mold generally looks slimy or fuzzy, tends to have a raised texture, and can come in a rainbow of colors, including deep green and black. Mildew is powdery, looks white or gray, always appears flat, and grows on surfaces.
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.
Hydrogen peroxide kills mold effectively on materials such as clothing, floors, bathroom fixtures, walls and items such as kitchen appliances. Pour 3% concentration hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. Spray the moldy surface completely to saturate the area with hydrogen peroxide.
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.
Pour enough undiluted white vinegar into the empty spray bottle to cover the area of mold growth. Spray the mold directly, fully saturating it with the vinegar, and allow the vinegar to sit for at least an hour. Don't be tempted to scrub or rinse; the mold needs time to completely absorb the vinegar.
It takes at least 1-2 hours for sunlight to kill and dissipate most mould and mildew. Therefore, it is recommended to leave mould affected items in direct sunlight for at least two hours to ensure effective mould removal.
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.
Normal vinegar concentration (usually around 5% acetic acid) is too acidic to grow mold in the vinegar itself. Mold can sometimes grow on the bottle or on the surface of the vinegar. It isn't dangerous and can be wiped/skimmed off.
Cleaning vinegar, which contains 6% acetic acid, is the best type for killing mold. White vinegar containing 5% acidity will also work just fine. If you don't already have some at home, white vinegar can be inexpensively purchased at most grocery stores.
Use undiluted white vinegar on hard surfaces in kitchens and baths. A bleach solution also works to kill mold. Mix one cup of bleach in a gallon of water, apply to the surface and don't rinse.
White and distilled are types of vinegar. They differ fundamentally in their acetic acid content. White, also known as spirit vinegar, has 5% to 20% acetic acid. This is generally higher as compared to distilled vinegar's 5%-8%.
This will tell you if you can clean the mold yourself, or if it's reached a point where you need to bring in the pros. If the outbreak is less than 10 square feet, the EPA says it's safe to handle the cleanup yourself (FEMA sets the limit at 25 square feet, so there's some wiggle room).
The only difference between cleaning vinegar and the distilled white vinegar is their levels of acidity. White vinegar is usually 95 percent water and 5 percent acid. By contrast, cleaning vinegar contains up to six percent acid and is around 20 percent stronger than regular white vinegar.
You can also use Lysol® Disinfectant Spray to control and prevent the spread of mold and mildew, as well as its nasty odor. Simply pre-clean the surface, hold can 6” to 8” inches from surface and spray for 3 to 4 seconds until covered with mist. Let it stand for 3 minutes before allowing to air dry.