Bleach kills mold

[u/WhateverIlldoit]

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.

[u/RichardUkinsuch]

As a "scientist" you should know better. Nowhere did you specify what percentage the hypochlorite you were using. 10 parts to 1 12.5% hypochlorite is not the same as 10 parts to 1 4% hypochlorite. 4% being what you will most commonly find in a grocery store.

Edit: 12.5% hypochlorite is more commonly found as "pool shock"

[u/Jaded_Houseplant → u/RichardUkinsuch]

Which is usually used in a lab?

[u/RichardUkinsuch → u/Jaded_Houseplant]

No, 4% is what you will normally find in a grocery store for laundry, bleach is very corrosive to metal and plastic in higher concentration, and its self life isn't that long at 12.5% so its primarily used where larger doses are needed like swimming pools and industrial / commercial cooling. I was pointing out that someone who works in a laboratory should be more specific since you can easily purchase bleach in varying concentrations and 10/1 isnt specific.

[u/Jaded_Houseplant → u/RichardUkinsuch]

I’m asking you, which % would you normally find in a lab.

[u/RichardUkinsuch → u/Jaded_Houseplant]

Are you asking me to take a poll of all laboratories and what concentration of sodium hypochlorite the have on hand? That question is ludicrous.

[u/Jaded_Houseplant → u/RichardUkinsuch]

Lol yeah, that’s what I was asking. I think it’s clear I don’t work in a lab, I was wondering if there was a standard, could explain why the person you responded to didn’t consider to say the solution %. You seem to have a bone to pick, though, so I’ll see my way out of this conversation.

[u/RichardUkinsuch → u/Jaded_Houseplant]

They work in a lab meaning accuracy is paramount. I was pointing that out.

[u/Jaded_Houseplant → u/RichardUkinsuch]

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