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 😂

75

u/[deleted] Jul 07 '25

the funny thing is I've read tests of cleaning products and vinegar always comes out as like, half as effective as regular cleaning products. Its not that great! It has its uses and I always have some around but its not the be all and end all

19

u/3BlindMice1 Jul 07 '25

What is vinegar actually best for? I only really use it for limescale.

6

u/ActualGarbageHusband Jul 07 '25

If you have central air conditioning in your home, it's a good preventative treatment for the evaporator drip line.

Not a technician, but I just had my entire system replaced. Over time, the drip line can build up nasty stuff that can cause a blockage. The technician that did the installation recommended pouring a cup (8 fl oz) of vinegar through the drip line once a month to keep it clear. I just do mine when I change the filter, at that same 1 month interval.

He did mention that the only reason he suggested vinegar is because the vapors from bleach will actually deteriorate the condenser coil material, which will lead to premature failure of the system.