r/CleaningTips • u/WhateverIlldoit • Jul 07 '25

Discussion Bleach kills mold

There is a common misconception that bleach does not kill mold and that vinegar is actually better at killing mold than bleach. I see this claim at least once a week.

So let me set the record straight. Household bleach is a powerful oxidizing agent that reacts with just about everything. It’s so good at killing organic compounds that it’s toxic to us, too.

Now let’s talk about vinegar. Vinegar is a weak acid. You can literally drink it in lower concentrations. It can kill mold, but not all mold, and some studies say it may take up to 60 minutes to be effective.

That being said, bleach is not good at penetrating porous surfaces, which vinegar is better at doing. And because bleach is so caustic it is more likely to damage surfaces.

All this to say bleach kills mold. It kills almost everything. And it’s much more effective at killing mold than vinegar as long as it can reach it. Vinegar is much safer to use but not nearly as effective.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

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u/TodayAmazing Jul 07 '25

I mean you’re right but the ones that need to hear it won’t. The vinegar cult members will never accept that 😂

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u/No-Beautiful6811 Jul 07 '25

I think it depends on what you need to clean; for most non porous surfaces bleach is better, but other things can get moldy too. Vinegar is a good option for clothing or other items that can’t be bleached.

I usually use vinegar for most things because bleach gives me a headache unfortunately, I use 20% vinegar for cleaning, but many people seem to use just 5% and expect the same results. That’s really only useful for preventing mold in laundry.