The recent weather events have seen an increasing number of people experience mould in their homes. As a result, the demand for store-bought mould killers is higher than ever.
However, most of the big brands you’ll find on the supermarket shelf aren’t as effective at eradicating mould as they claim to be.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most popular store bought mould cleaners, if they work as well as they say they do and when its best to seek professional help.
Firstly, Can Store Bought Mould Killers Actually Kill Mould?
More often than not, no.
While most store bought products look like they’re removing the mould, they could in fact be making the problem worse.
Most store bought ‘mould killers’ utilise bleach as an active ingredient (often listed as sodium hypochlorite). While bleach at a 10% concentration can kill mould, most of these supermarket products only contain 5% or less.
And even then, the drawbacks associated with bleach far outweigh its benefits when it comes to mould removal.
5 Most Popular Store Bought Mould Killers: Our Technicians Weigh In
These days, supermarket shelves are littered with ‘mould killers’ all claiming to kill mould and stop it from returning in one way or another.
However, the majority of these popular products are often incapable of completely removing or killing mould as they claim to do. Some of these products include:
Exit Mould
Bleach is one of the key ingredients in Exit Mould, among other corrosive ingredients such as sodium hydroxide.
The lack of effectiveness in these ingredients was highlighted when consumer watchdog CHOICE awarded Exit Mould a ‘Shonky Award’ in 2012. The title was awarded after an investigation into bathroom mould killers that don’t do what they claim to – kill mould.
Ajax Professional Mould Remover
Ajax Professional Mould Remover is another product that claims to ‘effectively kill mould in seconds’. However, like its competitors, it also contains a bleaching agent as the number 2 ingredient.
The label also suggests you can use Ajax on surfaces like grout and ceramic tiles. However, the bleach will only make these surfaces more porous and susceptible to mould growth over time.
Selleys Rapid Mould Killer
Selleys Rapid Mould Killer claims to ‘destroy’ mould in as little as 30 seconds. However, it contains two corrosive ingredients – sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide.
What does this mean? Well, the product may do more harm than good – corroding tiles and grout and making them more susceptible to future mould growth.
White King Mould And Soap Scum Remover
White King is a popular brand and a staple cleaner in most Australian homes – but that doesn’t mean it’s an effective mould killer like it claims to be.
Why? It’s active ingredients are (again) sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide: two corrosive ingredients that simply mask an infestation rather than killing it.
Dettol Healthy Clean Mould Remover
Dettol’s ‘Healthy Clean Mould Remover’ contains a 2.6% of sodium hypochlorite as well as sodium hydroxide.
The amount of bleach this product contains is too weak to kill mould, meaning you’re exposing surfaces to the damaging effects of bleach without it even solving the problem at hand.
Our advice? Steer clear of it if you want to effectively kill mould.
The Final Verdict
You probably get the idea by now – many of the brands that people know and trust when it comes to off the shelf mould removal products are not up to scratch as effective mould removers.
And the idea of using straight bleach for mould removal is becoming increasingly unpopular. However, when it’s packaged in a bottle with a few other ingredients and a promising slogan, people seem to forget just how damaging bleach can be.
Any store-bought products containing bleach should be avoided to prevent masking the mould and making the problem worse in the long run.
In a nutshell, MouldMen does not support the use of any of the above store-bought mould removal products as they are simply ineffective at killing mould.
So, What Can I Use?
For treating small spots or patches of mould, the only products MouldMen recommend are those containing a bleach-free quaternary ammonium base solution.
Products containing this solution, such as MouldMen’s ‘Mould Removal Liquid’, help safely remove and kill the mould without the use of harmful chemicals or bleaching agents.
However, it is always important to note that without treating the source of mould, such as excess moisture or poor ventilation, the mould will always continue to return.
When Should I Call In A Professional?
If you find yourself dealing with large or reoccurring patches of mould, it could be the sign of a larger issue at hand. Therefore, we recommend going straight to a reputable mould remediation company for an inspection.
A mould remediation company will help safely and effectively remove the mould from you home, as well as identify what’s causing it and the best steps for future prevention.
Better yet, MouldMen offers these initial inspections for FREE, costing you nothing but often saving you thousands in the long run. So, to help remove and keep your home free from mould call us on 1300 60 59 60 to book your free inspection today.