We Remove Mold The RIGHT Way…
With Elbow Grease & Inch-By-Inch Cleaning
The Result? Chemical-Free Remediation
That’s Safe AND More Effective.
Contrary to popular belief (and what many remediators will tell you) chemicals are almost NEVER needed when it comes to dealing with mold.
Sounds strange, right? Like a surgeon saying he doesn’t need a scalpel to perform an operation. Or a mechanic saying he doesn’t need a wrench to fix your car’s engine.
But it’s 100% true. On this page, we’ll explain why.
The Truth: Chemicals Are Almost NEVER Needed
Ask anyone on the street what to do with mold and the most common answer is “kill it with bleach.”
Press them for more details, and people might tell you to spray it, scrub it, kill it, paint it, or mist it with bleach, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and so on.
But did you know none of that effectively removes mold for porous surfaces (ex: drywall, carpet, insulation, etc.)?
It’s Grade-A pseudo-science.
How do we know? Because the national mold remediation standard (ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard For Professional Mold Remediation, or S520 for short) says so.
The S520 was created by the Institute Of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration Certification (IICRC). In the S520, the IICRC has established the following protocols for proper mold removal:
- Contain the affected area and put it under negative air pressure
- Tear out moldy objects and materials that can’t be saved (i.e., porous materials like carpet, drywall, vanities, clothes, mattresses, and most cabinets)
- Strip the mold out of objects and materials that can be saved (i.e., semi-porous materials like wood studs, floor joists, plywood, plaster, and concrete)
- Clean up all the mold spores
In other words: Mold removal isn’t rocket science. And there is no magic chemical or “silver bullet.” Removing mold right simply involves hard work, meticulous attention to detail, a whole lot of elbow grease. Even the Bible says so! (Leviticus 14:33-47)
As for non-porous surfaces, many mold guidelines you can read online advise you wipe off mold with soap, bleach, and so on.
So what’s non-porous? Windows. Lawn furniture. Plastic toys. Dishes.
What’s not? Everything that freaks people out when it gets moldy. Drywall. Carpet. Insulation These types of materials are all porous… and the absolute last thing you should be wiping with chemicals.
Mold Remediation
Regulations & Standards
The national mold remediation standard (S520) doesn’t come right out and say, “Stop using chemicals.” It does, however, make a clear-cut case against the use of chemicals many, many times in the text.
Here are a few examples:
- “Physically removing mold contamination is the primary means of remediation. Mold contamination should be physically removed from the structure, systems and contents…. Attempts to kill, encapsulate or inhibit mold instead of proper source removal generally are not adequate.” [Section 4.4 – Principles Of Mold Remediation; page 18]
- “Source removal of mold contamination should always be the primary means of remediation. Indiscriminate use of antimicrobials, coatings, sealants, and cleaning chemicals is not recommended.” [Section 5.8.1 – Chemicals (Antimicrobials & Biocides); page 20]
- “Porous building materials (e.g., drywall, insulation and ceiling tiles)… should be removed and discarded. Remediators should remove mold growth on wood framing members by HEPA-vacuuming followed by damp wiping, wire brushing, sanding, or other appropriate method.” [Section 12.2.6 – Demolition & Surface Cleaning; pages 47-48]
- “Using antimicrobials, fungicidal coatings, mold-resistant coatings, or sealants… during mold remediation as a substitute for proper source removal is discouraged. If [they are used], remediators should apply them after completion of remediation, and after completion of post-remediation verification, when necessary.” [Section 12.2.9 – Clean-Up; page 50]
We could keep the quotes coming, but you get the idea.
Yet even still, there are no federal regulations for mold remediation. In fact, only a handful of states require licenses for mold remediation. Due to this lack of accountability, many mold remediators get away with using harmful chemicals.
For example, fogging is notorious for sending homeowners to the emergency room and/or leaving a residue on everything in the house. As a result, the IICRC hasn’t recommended it since the 2008 edition of the S520.
Yet 50% of remediators still use fogging. And the reason why is that no one holds their feet to the fire. There is no federal or state agency that regulates mold remediators, mold testers, and mold chemicals sold in big-box stores. So these remediators are under zero pressure to change their ways.
Why don’t remediators have to change their ways? Because if they fail testing, then they just run their air scrubbers for another few days.
If they fail testing again? They run the air scrubbers for another few days.
Eventually, they’re going to drop the mold levels in the air enough that they’ll eventually pass airborne testing.
Why this is bad: The remediator didn’t do the hyper-intensive cleaning, so there are still mold spores covering the floor that won’t ever get analyzed during the airborne testing. When the containment comes down and you live in that area again, you and your family will be kicking up these spores and breathing them in for the next few years.
Why Using Chemicals To Kill Mold Is The Wrong Approach
The Right Way To Remove Mold: Patience + Elbow Grease
Bleach, encapsulants, and mold stain removers are all ways to cover up sloppy workmanship. As the S520 clearly states, the only way to remove mold effectively is by…
- Removing the moldy source
- HEPA-vacuuming followed by damp wiping, wire brushing, sanding, or other appropriate cleaning method.
At Valor Mold Removal, that’s exactly what we do.
Our Mold Remediation page describes our process in great detail, but here is the “nutshell” version:
- We set up comprehensive containment of the project area
- We create negative air pressure in the area to ensure no mold gets out
- We tear out the moldy things we can’t save and strip the mold out of the things we can save
- We perform hyper-intensive cleaning using special methods (visit our Clean Freaks page for more details)
The result?
Higher Success Rate
Companies that use chemicals have a 65% success rate. We have a 96% success rate—the highest in the industry!
Better For Your Health
Our process is safe for chemical-sensitive individuals and removes mold’s allergenic and toxigenic properties.
Better For Your Home
Our state-of-the-art containment setup prevents mold spores in the project area from spreading to other parts of your home.
When Chemicals Are Useful
Chemicals can be useful in limited situations. We use chemicals on less than 2% of mold jobs, and for the following reasons:
- We spray down the area with an antimicrobial if the area was wet from a sewage backup or flood. This kills the viruses and bacteria that come with these types of water damages.
- We apply mold stain remover if the client wants mold-stained wood to look better—but only after we’ve properly remediated it first.
- We apply a mold encapsulate if the area might get wet or humid again. Encapsulate is like an anti-mold paint that delays mold growth. We paint it on wood framing when the area might get wet again or our client isn’t positive the water problem was fixed.
That’s it!
If your project is in the 98% that doesn’t call for chemicals, we don’t use them. It’s that simple.
Bottom line: If you want mold removal done SAFELY and done RIGHT, we’re the remediator for you. Get in touch today.
Why Choose Us
We remove mold the right way… and it would be an honor to hear from you.
96% Success Rate
Your home is in the best hands—our chemical-free remediation has the highest success rate in the industry.
Instant Mold Testing
You get the answers you need—our special mold testing provides 99% accurate results on the spot.
300+ Happy Clients
You can trust our process—we’ve performed over 300 successful projects since we opened in 2006.
Get In Touch
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