There seem to be as many claims on the internet about what cleans mold as there are stars in the sky! Everyone has an opinion on what gets rid of mold. So, how do you know what is actually the best mold killer for wood? We recommend you go with the advice of actual mold experts who have been professionally dealing with mold for decades! They probably have a better idea of what actually kills mold than random people on Reddit.
We’re Cleaner Guys, a professional mold remediation company. We’ve been successfully removing mold from buildings of all types for over 20 years! In this article, we’re here to share what, in our experience, actually works to kill mold on wood. Read on!
Table of Contents
- What is the Best Mold Killer for Wood?
- Why Don’t Most Cleaners Work on Mold Effectively?
- What to Do About Mold on Wood
What is the Best Mold Killer for Wood?
In our decades of experience dealing with mold, by far the most effective method of getting rid of mold on wood is to remove the mold-infested wood entirely and replace it with new wood. This is, of course, not the answer most people want to hear, because they’d rather just be able to spray a chemical on the moldy wood themselves and have done with it. Unfortunately, that’s simply not how mold works.
This advice may contradict other opinions you’ve seen on the internet on the best mold killer for wood. Other publications and chat forums like Reddit often suggest that you can effectively clean mold off of wood with bleach or some other topical chemical. However, the people writing these opinions are rarely actual professional mold experts, like we here at Cleaner Guys are. They don’t have the experience to know why those methods are rarely truly effective. We’ll explain why in the next section.
Why Don’t Most Cleaners Work on Mold Effectively?
Most cleaners do not work on mold effectively because mold roots and spreads far deeper than most people know. With the exception of the subspecies mildew, mold is not a surface-dwelling fungus. It likes to grow on porous and usually organic materials, and it likes to spread its roots deeper and deeper into whatever material it grows on. This simply means that in most cases, cleaning chemicals cannot soak in and penetrate deeply enough to reach all of the mold, all the way down to its root.
If you catch the mold growth very early on in its spread, when it has just started growing, you may sometimes be able to successfully clean it without replacing the material, because it hasn’t rooted very deep yet! More on that later. But in most cases we’ve seen in our decades of mold remediation work, by the time the mold is discovered or visible, it has usually already spread too far to just spray and wipe off.
Popular mold cleaners like bleach and vinegar may remove the mold on the surface, which is why many non-experts mistakenly think those cleaners are great at killing mold! But the mold will nearly always return, because the bleach or vinegar only killed the mold on the surface.
Cleaning mold on wood with cleaners like bleach or vinegar is like pulling off the top of a weed in your garden, but not pulling out the root. It may look like it’s gone, but as long as the root is still there under the surface, it will eventually return.
What to Do About Mold on Wood
Generally, the best thing to do with mold on wood is to remove the mold-infested wood and replace it. In some cases, if you have the experience, you may be able to replace it yourself, such as with a wood furniture item, or an easily replaceable wooden railing. But sometimes, the moldy wood in question may be house framing that can’t be removed without compromising the structural integrity of the building. Attic struts, crawlspace framing, and load-bearing interior framing are all examples of this.
In instances where the moldy wood is not easily replaceable, there are two potential routes to take. Professional mold remediators should be the only ones to undertake both. For your own safety, do not attempt either of these methods on your own!
Solution 1
First, professional mold remediators will look at the condition of the moldy wood. Sometimes, the mold infestation may not be very bad, and we may be able to kill it with a sprayable chemical detergent! However, the only chemical cleaners strong enough to kill a mold infestation in an attic, crawlspace, or framing are extremely strong commercial chemicals, not to be handled by anyone but professionals.
In our line of work, if we come across mold in an attic or crawlspace that we can kill without removing the wood, we have to use an extremely strong professional-use-only bleach solution product to kill it down to the root. This solution is so strong, we have to wear hazmat suits and full-face respirators to use it safely!
Solution 2
In some cases, the mold infestation has spread too far and too deep to be able to destroy all of it with a chemical solution — even one as strong as what professional mold remediators like us use! In cases of such rampant infestation, the wood will probably have to be removed, even if it is load-bearing or tricky to replace. Professional mold remediators should definitely be the only ones to do this. Do not attempt such mold removal on your own!
Conclusion
Unless the mold you can see on wood is an extremely small amount (think, 1 square foot of area or less), and you can see that it is only on the surface of the wood, you really should call a professional mold remediation company to take care of most mold on wood. Mold roots much more deeply and spreads much more rapidly than most people think, and generally, the only way to completely get rid of it is to have the wood removed and replaced.
If you’re unsure how to find and select a good mold removal company, check out this article we wrote on how to choose the right mold removal company for you!
If you need mold removal in Western Washington state, Cleaner Guys is one of the best options around! We’re the only mold removal company around that boasts award-winning customer service, and a price-match guarantee! Call or message us today through the menu at the top of your screen.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.
