Mold Remediation - Decontamination Or Disinfection?

The hygienic normal condition can only be restored by properly removing the infected material and the particles from the damage.

When decontaminating mold, professional decontamination (removal of the microbially contaminated material) is generally assumed. Disinfection would kill germs at best. However, non-germinable (killed) microbial constituents can be as harmful to health as germinable constituents. It should therefore be avoided to try so-called "anti-mold sprays" to kill the mold and then paint it over. The use of "old household remedies" such as vinegar solutions is also not advisable. This can lead to a reaction with alkaline building materials and an additional nutrient substrate for mold. Disinfection is not a professional remediation.

For clarification:

Disinfection is carried out under completely different conditions, e.g. B. in the hospital (use class I) to avoid infections, to protect immunosuppressed patients and is not applicable in normal living areas. Even if biocides are used for mold remediation in living rooms, offices etc., it is therefore not a disinfection. With disinfection, under the conditions, such as those found in living areas, no or no lasting effect is achieved through biocide treatment.

Since the biocide treatment is unsuitable for the removal of the biomass, it is also not necessary for the restoration of microbial damage.

Disinfection is by no means a substitute for decontamination. The hygienic normal state is only restored by removing the infested material and the particles from the damage.

The following also applies:

The effectiveness of a product to be used (biocide) should be proven. However, no biocide is currently approved for use in the case of mold on building materials in the interior.

In a few exceptional cases, a biocide treatment (hydrogen peroxide) can still be useful for mold remediation. Eg:

- if the building material should not be removed for reasons of monument protection, - to inhibit growth before renovation, if rapid drying is not possible, - to delay or slow down growth on hard-to-reach surfaces.

With this application, however, only growth is inhibited. The biomass and thus the health impairment remain. This measure therefore does not correspond to that of a professional mold remediation (decontamination).

Part 1: Definition of terms - What is mold?

Part 2: Cause and extent of damage

Part 3: What is the remedial goal?

Part 4: Eliminating the cause of damage

Part 5: Required specialist knowledge

Part 6: Planning and preparation

Part 7: Protection of users

Part 8: Technical drying

Part 10: The usage classes define the scope of renovation