Are you struggling with pesky and smelly mold in your home? You aren’t alone. Luckily, you don’t need professional help to solve the issue. Along with a bit of elbow grease, these could be the best mold remover products to get the job done.
5 Best Mold Remover Products
The mold remover that works for some might not be the best for you. If you have tried products recommended by your friends but still aren’t satisfied, we have a few top options for you to use in your home.
Let’s take a look at our picks for the best mold and mildew remover and where you should use them.
Top Pick: RMR-141 Disinfectant and Cleaner
We’ve chosen RMR-131 Disinfectant and Cleaner as our top pick for the best mold remover because it’s not only effective at getting rid of mold but also prevents future growth as well. It’s a potent product that is safe to use on any surface in your home.
RMR-141 is the only EPA-approved mold remover that is 100% safe for various soil types. You don’t need to be a professional to use it effectively. Just spray the affected surface generously until it’s visibly wet. Then, let it air dry or wipe the surface down with a dry towel.
Not only does RMR-141 remove mold, but it is also a powerful disinfectant. It eliminates 141 microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and various kinds of fungus. You can also use the spray to stamp out pesky odors in places like the bathroom or garbage area.
While RMR-141 is the best product to get rid of mold, it is not suitable for mold stain removal. You may need another product specifically designed to remove mold stains to keep the surfaces in your home looking fresh and clean.
Pros
- Safe for outdoor use among plants and animals
- Kills 141 other harmful microorganisms and prevents them from reproducing
- Deodorizes areas without leaving a chemical smell
Cons
- Not an ideal solution for stain removal
Best for Shower/Bathroom: RMR-86 Instant Mold and Mildew Stain Remover
It’s no surprise that the mold and mildew that accumulates in your bathroom can be some of the toughest to get rid of. RMR-86 is a mold remover developed specifically for bathroom surfaces such as tiles and grout and is highly effective at eliminating pesky stains.
Mildew tends to grow in hard to reach corners of your shower where steam gets trapped. It can penetrate the wall and leave disgusting stains that are extremely hard to remove even with hours of scrubbing. RMR-86 makes cleaning these stains way easier.
To use RMR-86, just spray the affected surface until wet and let it sit for 15 seconds or more. The product should work its magic, penetrating the surface and breaking up the mold particles that create the stain.
Before you use this product, you should be aware that it’s one of the stronger smelling mold removers out there.
Pros
- Ideal solution for tiles and other surfaces in the bathroom
- Great product for mold and mildew stain removal
- Formula requires minimal effort to use effectively
Cons
- Strong smelling product requires adequate ventilation
Best for Wooden Surfaces: Concrobium Mold Control Household Cleaners
Mold in wooden surfaces like furniture or flooring can be harder to eliminate than in other areas. This is because wood is porous, meaning it has small holes throughout the material where mold can hide and continue to grow unchecked.
Concrobium Mold Control is a great product for wooden surfaces throughout your home, penetrating the porous surface without destroying the material. The chemicals work by crushing and then suffocating mold particles, preventing their ability to reproduce.
This mold remover contains no bleach or similarly harsh chemicals. This makes it a good option for wood, as stronger chemicals can stain or damage the material more than mold might. You don’t want a solution that’s worse than the problem itself.
Mold often leaves behind stains, especially on wood. If you’ve sprayed down the wood with Concrobium, but it’s still stained, consider giving the surface a light sanding. The product should have dragged all the mold to the surface, so sanding should eliminate any remnants left behind.
Pros
- Excellent product for wooden surfaces and furniture
- Non-corrosive formula doesn’t stain or damage delicate surfaces
- Chemical smell isn’t as strong as other products
Cons
- Doesn’t clean non-wooden surfaces as well as advertised
Best for Outdoors: Oxy Solve Total Outdoors Pressure Washer Cleaner
Oxy Solve works on a wide range of outdoor materials, such as wood, tile, concrete, brick, stone, and asphalt. It gets underneath the mold particles and expands, lifting the mold off from the surface. If you have access to a power washer, then Oxy Solve might be the best product for you.
This mold remover product doesn’t contain bleach, which can be stain surfaces and harm organic materials like soil and plants. It doesn’t have a super-strong odor, and since you would use it outside, you probably don’t need to wear a safety mask. Oxy Solve is also orally non-toxic, so it won’t make wildlife or your pets sick if they lick it by accident.
If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can mix this concentrate with water and use a tough scrubber to do it by hand. However, the product works best with a pressure washer to cover a larger surface area as most outdoor mold requires.
Pros
- Excellent on durable surfaces found outside like concrete
- Penetrates to where mold grows from and eliminates the source
- Doesn’t contain any toxic chemicals harmful to plants or animals
Cons
- Best used through a pressure washer
- Can be expensive
Best for Mold and Mildew Stains: Starbrite Mold and Mildew Stain Remover
Starbrite Mold and Mildew Stain Remover is a great product when you need to get rid of pesky mold stains. It is a powerful, bleach-based product that could be your best option if you are having trouble getting your surface to look the way it did before mold intruded.
Starbrite has a tried and true “spray and forget” formula that doesn’t require any scrubbing to get rid of most mold or mildew stains. Just spray on the solution until it’s wet, then walk away. Once the stain has almost completely disappeared, give the area a rinse, then dry, and you should be good to go.
Also, Starbrite is a great option if you’re on a budget, as you’re able to purchase the product in bulk. Not only does this save you money if you want to sit on a big supply of mold remover, but it gives you enough product to tackle a huge project like flood damage in your basement.
Pros
- Formula is the best for mold stain removal
- Very affordable and great for big projects
- Simple use means you spend minimal time cleaning up
Cons
- Not great for removing the source of mold
Mold Remover: Things to Consider
No one is an expert on mold remover products their first time around. Here are some things you should know about mold remover and a few tips to use it efficiently.
Ventilation for Mold Removers
It’s no secret that mold removers have some toxic chemicals in them. They can make you lightheaded and even make you sick if you inhale too much.
When using mold removers, it’s best to wear a mask and keep the area well-ventilated. N95 masks are ideal because they block the mold and mold remover particulates from entering your lungs. Also, opening all of the windows and turning on a fan are good ways to ensure your space has enough airflow to keep you safe as well.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Mold Removers
Most often, mold removers are divided into two categories: indoor and outdoor.
Indoor mold removers are the most common and regularly double as multipurpose cleaners. They address the common types of mold found indoors in areas like the bathroom, under the kitchen sink, and anywhere else you may get wet.
Outdoor mold removers are for harder to clean molds that accumulate over time due to weather exposure. You would sometimes use a power washer to disperse the product, as the mold needs high pressure to get rid of the spores and wipe away the stains the mold leaves behind.
How Much Mold Remover You Need
Nobody likes to start a project and then realize they don’t have enough material to finish the job. The same goes for mold removal. Measure the area that’s affected by mold.
If the space is small, then a spray bottle or small bucket will be fine. If it’s an especially large area, common when flooding occurs, get a gallon or more just to be sure you have enough.
Concentrated cleaners, like Oxy Solve, also allow you to choose how much mold remover you use with each project. You can mix it down with water to as high or low a concentration as you need.
Tips for Using Mold Remover
Here are a few tips and techniques for using mold remover more efficiently.
- If a leak is the source of mold, repair it before attempting to clean the mold. Dry the area completely, and then apply the mold remover. Any moisture increases the chance that the mold will return.
- Use a brush or rag to scrub mold off hard surfaces completely. Once you remove the mold, dry it with a different rag. Make sure the surface is completely dry.
- Wash the clothes you wore when using the mold remover separate from the rest of your load, and throw out the rags you used to clean and dry the surface.
- If mold has penetrated into wood or other porous surfaces, it might be impossible to clean completely using mold remover. You may need to replace these items to prevent future growth.
FAQs
People often have a lot of questions when using mold remover for the first time. Take a look at some of the most common ones.
Can Using Mold Remover Make You Sick?
All mold removers have harmful chemicals in them, even if labeled as non-toxic. You must follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions on the label to make sure you use the mold remover correctly. Ingesting or inhaling mold remover can make you very sick and could possibly send you to the hospital. No one wants that!
What’s Better: Mold Remover Gel or Spray?
The answer to this question will often depend on where the mold is. Mold remover gels are usually the best option for narrow and indented surfaces like the grout between tiles. Sprays are often ideal for larger surface areas, like walls and floors. However, you may find that you have a personal preference for gel or spray, so use whatever you’re most comfortable with.
Can I Use Bleach to Kill Mold?
Many websites say that a mix of bleach and water can get rid of almost any mold you find. While it’s true that bleach kills surface mold, it often fails to treat the spore growth beneath the surface. If you use a bleach/water/vinegar solution, you’ll probably end up with more growth in a few weeks or months.
Can I Use Mold Remover Without a Professional?
All of the products we’ve listed here are for home use. You don’t need to be a professional to use them effectively. Just make sure you follow the instructions on the label, and you should be good to go.
However, if the mold you want to kill is a result of sewage or is toxic black mold, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. The risk that you get sick is much higher in these situations, and professionals have better equipment and training to prevent that from happening.
Conclusion
Even if you don’t have mold, you should always have a good mold remover on hand. Owning a home is a continual process, and leaving mold growth up to chance can result in expensive consequences.
While every product on this list deserves your attention, our top pick is still the RMR-141 Disinfectant and Cleaner. It is more versatile than other products, making it useful in both indoor and outdoor environments across a wide variety of surfaces and materials.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s the best product for everyone. Or it could be that you’ve already removed the mold, but there’s a stain left behind. In that case, Starbrite Mold and Mildew Stain Remover could be a smarter option.
No matter which product you choose, we’re sure that whatever mold you have will be gone in no time!
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