Yes, due to its pH level, vinegar can kill and prevent mold in many cases. When you discover mold in your home, it is often a cause for concern. A Jacksonville cleaning and home improvement service can help you get your home feeling safe again.  

Vinegar Has a Multifunctional Use in Household Cleaning

The use of vinegar for cleaning has long been a common practice among many Americans. Many prefer vinegar to bleach due to a preference for using more natural cleaning materials, allergies, or a dislike for the bleach smell. However, it is hard to argue that it cannot be a helpful tool, regardless of one’s reasoning. 

Cleaning is chemistry. An imbalance of any component can result in poor quality or even damage, and understanding the functional components, such as whether vinegar is an acid or a base, is integral to a successful clean. While it may help kill mold, using vinegar on some surfaces, like stone, metal, or upholstery, may cause further damage. 

It typically exhibits a pH of 2 to 3, indicating that it is a strong acid. This is acidic enough to offset the environmental pH needed to sustain most types of molds. When you begin to explore whether you can get rid of mold with vinegar, you’ll find that some sources report that vinegar can kill more than 80 kinds that we may find in our homes. 

Considerations For the Safe Use of Mold Removal 

While vinegar is generally considered safe, there are a few factors to consider when using it to kill mold. Although vinegar is relatively safe, an article about acetic acid and the skin notes that prolonged or improper use may cause skin damage. 

The risk of irritation, combined with that of mold, means you should still take certain precautions, like the following, when using vinegar to kill it:

  • Use gloves: This is widely considered the safest practice in most situations, especially when using them to kill and clean mold.
  • Protect your eyes: This may be through safety goggles or glasses that provide adequate coverage, but you do not want back spray from a vinegar solution, or mold getting into your eyes while cleaning.
  • Wear a mask: Any time you try to clean mold with vinegar or any other product, you should avoid inhaling the spores or any small droplets from the solution.
  • Try to ventilate the area: You will be scrubbing and agitating mold while you clean, which may release spores into the air, so working in a well-ventilated area is best.

Once you have gathered your supplies and prepared the area, you can spray the mold with undiluted vinegar and let it sit for approximately an hour. This allows the vinegar to disrupt the pH of the mold and the surrounding area, killing it, and if the initial problem has been addressed, preventing regrowth.

It Is Important to Know When to Call a Professional

We all want to be able to manage our problems ourselves. When it comes to mold, it’s crucial to know when to contact a professional. Some indicators that you have a bigger problem and it’s time to call for help include:

  • The mold consumes a large area of your home, such as a portion of drywall or flooring larger than a door or your shower.
  • The mold has moved to your air ducts or ventilation system.
  • You have recurring mold.
  • You find mold or mildew under caulking in your tile and grout.

If you have mold that grows in large areas of your walls or ceilings, you may also need to consider calling a plumber or handyperson who can help identify a possible leak that may cause ongoing problems. In the case of a leak in the walls, you may not see mold until the situation has escalated. 

A Well-Maintained Home Can Prevent Mold 

While there are many ways to kill mold in your home, including using vinegar, it is a problem best managed by preventing the conditions that allow it to grow. This can include significant measures, such as avoiding carpeting in basements or bathrooms, but may also involve smaller actions, like maintaining humidity levels below 50% or 60%.

Managing humidity levels in areas such as basements and bathrooms can be challenging. However, regular cleaning can help this, even if you struggle with higher humidity. You can follow our guide for 10 steps to a clean bathroom to help guide your process and make it easier.  

If you don’t think you can fit a regular deep clean into your busy schedule, we offer house cleaning and maid services to our clients in Jacksonville and across Florida. Our team offers services that can help you maintain leather, tile, grout, and other surfaces of your home to ensure a safe and clean environment. 

Call First Coast Home Pros Today To Keep Your Home Surfaces Clean and Free of Mold

Mold can appear in your home in numerous ways, whether it’s a buildup behind a leaky faucet or that stubborn, gray-brown mold that seems to accumulate in the corners of the shower. For daily maintenance and general cleanup, you can often use vinegar to kill mold in your home. 

However, if you have been unsuccessful or simply don’t want to tackle the job on your own, First Coast Home Pros is here to help. Our team values good communication and trust. Your cleaners work in pairs, and we assign a group of our staff to your home, ensuring you have someone familiar who knows how you prefer your cleaning done. 

You can contact us online at any time to receive a free estimate for your home. However, if you would prefer to speak to us in person, you can call or visit us between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Call us today.