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Mold Product Reviews

Cleaning & Fogging For Mold

Tackle moldy situations with the right products.

As a General Contractor who had his health severely impacted by moldy buildings, I know that excellent construction design is paramount to prevent mold growth.

Fogging, spraying, and ozoning are different: Their purpose is to, hopefully, improve living conditions temporarily.

There are no complete solutions to reverse all mold growth. There are no silver bullets. No single product will truly eradicate all existing mold in a building.

However, frequent cleaning and applications of disinfectant products can noticeably help in a moldy environment. And of course, regular cleaning and (especially) maintenance are essential for the prevention of mold in the first place.

Companies who claim that their products can eradicate mold issues entirely simply should not be trusted.

For a building to be truly healthy,

existing mold growth must be completely removed and remediated,

all moisture intrusion and excessive humidity must be stopped,

and contaminated materials must be safely removed

from the premises.

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Cleaning/Disinfectant Products

These products can be applied via sprayers & foggers to combat mold growth on surfaces.

These products can be applied using sprayer bottles, cloths, or foggers and allowed to dry on surfaces or wiped clean.

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CONCROBIUM

Best For:

Concrobium is best for severely moldy situations, in hard-to-clean crawl spaces, attics, HVAC systems, & moldier homes. This is due to more aggressive anti-mold action and the fact that Concrobium is designed to remain on surfaces long-term, killing and sealing mold underneath a layer of hardened product.

How It Works:

Concrobium actually encapsulates and suffocates (& crushes) mold, killing it.

The product is designed to invisibly remain on surfaces indefinitely, acting as a mold deterrent.

How To:

Apply via sprayer, cloth, or fogger and leave on surface indefinitely.

Note:

Concrobium highly recommends reapplying another coat if you wipe up residue, to prevent more mold growth.

NOT an all-purpose cleaner and disinfectant.

2

Benefect Decon30

Best FOr:

Benefect Decon 30 is best for non-porous, hard surfaces where mold growth can be properly removed — as well as prevention.

How It Works:

100% natural, essential oil-based thymol is the active ingredient. It is a potent disinfectant.

How To Apply:

Apply via sprayer, cloth, or fogger and leave on surface for at least 30 seconds before wiping up.

  • Benefect claims there is no need to remove the product by wiping it — even on food-prep surfaces. The product will dissipate.

For all-purpose cleaning and disinfecting.

3

VitalOxide

Best For:

Vital Oxide is best for non-porous, hard surfaces where mold growth can be properly removed — as well as prevention.

HOW IT WORKS:

Powerful ammonium compounds oxidize and disinfect surfaces, safely.

Vital Oxide claims there is no need to wipe up — even on food-prep surfaces. The product will dissipate over a few weeks.

HOW TO APPLY:

Apply via sprayer, cloth, or fogger and leave on surface -or- wipe up after several minutes.

For all-purpose cleaning and disinfecting.

4

EC3

BEST FOR:

EC3 is best for any room or building that causes an immune reaction.

HOW IT WORKS:

This product uses citrus seed extracts.

EC3 doesn’t really make specific claims about disinfection.

EC3 is marketed specifically for mold — whereas Benefect and Vital Oxide are all-purpose cleaners and disinfectant.

HOW TO APPLY:

EC3 Mold Solution needs to be diluted with water and then “misted” by a spray bottle or fogger.

It makes 1 gallon of product — similar to the others on this list.

NOTE:

EC3 recommends using HEPA vacuum after application to remove spores.

NOT an all-purpose cleaner or disinfectant. Company claims: “EC3 is used to manage mold counts indoors” — but no claims of disinfection are made.


My favorite: Benefect Decon 30.

  • Vital Oxide is a very close second (and cheaper).
  • Concrobium is best for porous surfaces and heavy mold growth (which should be remediated).

For everyday cleaning, use…

Microfiber Towels

Microfiber fabric has an incredible surface area and holds up to 100x more moisture and dirt than typical cloth. This makes cleaning with microfiber much more effective and efficient. Microbes and spores are better trapped by microfiber than traditional cloth.

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Foggers

Foggers disperse a mist uniformly around a room or area.

Fogging is advisable when an entire space, or entire house, has been impacted by significant mold growth. Fogging will coat most surfaces with product; Be sure to test for safety on your belongings.

Typically, foggers are placed in a room for a single session, but they can be used as a handheld.

Many foggers seem to be made by the same manufacturer and then sold by various companies under different labels. (This is known as “white labeling” — something to watch out for in any industry).

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Concrobium Fogger

View on Amazon.

This has great reviews — but looks very similar to the “TriJet”, which is cheaper.

VIDEO Demonstration:

2

EC3 Fogger

View on Amazon.

This has all the same qualities as the rest of the foggers.

There are reports of questionable construction on these.

VIDEO Demonstration:

3

B&G Ultra Lite 2400 Fogger

View at Sears.com.

This might be the most rugged, well-built option.

The upgraded model (2600) has a hose for more portable spraying:

B&G Flex-A-Lite 2600

VIDEO Demonstration:

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“TriJet” ULV Fogger

View on Amazon.

Great reviews, and usually cheaper than the Concrobium Fogger, despite most likely being the exact same product.

VIDEO Demonstration:

All of these can be carried by hand and applied to specific areas — but you’ll probably need an extension cord.

The BioBalance Fogger

There’s another fogger out there: The BioBalance Fogger. This product may be well-made. However, I have a few reservations about the product for these reasons:

  • BUNDLED — You cannot purchase the product on the website without also buying their $100 cleaning product.
  • OVERHYPE — The BioBalance website speaks as though fogging is a total, complete solution for mold growth.
  • OVERHYPE — They claim their product will kill mold inside walls after a single treatment.

All of these claims lead me to not trust the company. Therefore even though it’s possible their products might be great, these observations do not invoke trust. I’d love to be proven wrong. Perhaps they can address these issues at some point.

3

Cordless Electrostatic Sprayers

Electrostatic spraying is a remarkable technology that uses electricity to deliver a perfectly-even coating while using very little product.

These electrostatic sprayers achieve perfectly-even coverage, while using much less product, and now offer easy, cordless operation.

These sprayers also seem to be “white labelled” — made by one manufacturer and sold by various companies under their different brand names.

1

 Victory Sprayer

2

Protexus PX200ES

At this link, the product claims to be made by the same manufacturer as the Victory sprayer.

3

Marketlab Sprayer

Electrostatic Technology

The technology is fabulous: Electrostatic spraying allows you to entirely coat a surface — perfectly and evenly — while using minimal product (whether disinfectant cleaner or paint or something else).

People who use these sprayers rave about how well they disinfect rooms, as well as their unparalleled usability.

Industry folks love these products and have apparently used them for years without problems.

I’m hoping more similar products will enter the market. There’s a real need for them.

Electrostatic Sprayer

Video Demonstrations

4

Ozone Machines

Ozone is a potent oxidizer, second only to fluorine gas in nature.

It breaks down chemicals on contact and is powerfully antimicrobial against all manner of microbial life on surfaces and in the air.

Ozone breaks down mold’s mycotoxins and noxious VOC’s, as well as retards its growth. Ozone will kill bugs and break down the toxic chemicals in industrial and home products.

Ozone gas has been proven to kill the SARS coronavirus and since the structure of the new 2019-nCoV coronavirus is almost identical to that of the SARS coronavirus, it is relatively safe to say that it will also work on the new coronavirus.

https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/ozone-can-be-used-to-destroy-the-new-coronavirus-and-disinfect-areas

Understand Ozone Output

Ozone generators usually describe their output in terms of milligrams per hour.

7000+ MG/hr

7000+ mg/hr

A more powerful ozone generator will create 7000-10,000 mg of ozone in one hour.

For larger living spaces.

3000 MG/hr

3000 mg/hr

Smaller units will create 3000 mg per hour.

For normal-sized rooms.

Like the other products listed above, ozone machines are often made by the same manufacturer and marketed as different brands.

Unfortunately, ozone machines tend to come and go online. It’s also possible the current trade wars (and now global pandemic) are temporarily affecting the availability of products, too. Hopefully, we can start recommending specific products again, soon.

Fortunately, I’ve had good results with five different ozone machines on Amazon.

An ozone generator doesn’t have to cost hundreds to perform well. The lower tier of $80-100 USD provides great quality.

The more expensive items aren’t any more durable. Based on my experience with these products, a unit will likely last you for 18 months to 2 years. After that, the ozone plates can be replaced for roughly $20. It may be a hassle to disassemble the machine and replace the plates.

Airthereal 10,000mg

Click to view on Amazon.

10,000 mg/hr is extremely powerful — more powerful than most homes need.

Has a “hold” feature for maximum dosage, long-duration ozone sessions.

Airthereal 5000mg

Click to view on Amazon.

5000 mg/hr is quite powerful. Several years ago, it was the strongest available.

Has a “hold” feature for maximum dosage, long-duration ozone sessions.

What About This Style?

I have changed my mind over time on products that release small amounts of ozone.

Don’t get this. Get a real air purifier instead (and maybe a wall-outlet mini-ozone generator for low-level ozone emissions).

The upside? They can release small amounts of ozone continually, which can retard mold growth.

The downside? Breathing ozone continually just isn’t a good idea. It’s linked to lots of health problems, including lung damage, cytogenetic damage, and cancer (source).

These devices are usually quite limited in their air purification capabilities, as well, with cheap filters.

I use small ozone generators like this to treat a bathroom for a few hours, or in the garage. This releases a small, adjustable amount of ozone continually.

This is an excellent, cheap choice for bathrooms and intermittent use in other areas around the house. Just don’t breathe the ozone it produces.

How Frequently Should I Ozone?

Moldy Situation

In a very moldy situation, consider ozoning weekly. Move the generator from room to room, close the doors, and treat the space for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size of the room. Treat moldy spaces more aggressively, for longer durations each session.

The longer you treat a room, the longer it will take to air out. Do not enter an ozone treated room until it is completely aired out.

Prevention

For prevention, ozone each space once every 2-3 months. In prevention, shorter durations for each session are adequate.

It must be noted that ozone treatments cannot fully prevent mold from growing. Behind walls, inside cabinets, or anywhere there is an ongoing leak — mold will grow, and ozone will not be able to stop it completely. All leaks & humidity must be addressed to stop mold growth.

Be Sure To Ventilate Afterward

“Air out” the space after ozone treatment.

This is critical to remove the chemicals that have been broken down by ozone. Sometimes harmful chemicals break down to even more harmful chemicals. They must not become trapped in the space.

If the smell of the ozone is bothersome, the only real answer is to aggressively air out the room for many hours at a time. Put box fans in windows and create a cross-flow to turn over the indoor air. For especially sensitive people, it can take a day or more for a room to become tolerable again. If this is you, only ozone for 5-10 minutes at a time — even short sessions are beneficial.

Sometimes, the materials in a room can determine how strong the ozone smell lingers. Oftentimes, porous items will absorb the ozone smell the most, especially certain synthetic fabrics.

When ozone odor is especially strong — clinging to porous or synthetic fabrics — the only answer is additional, extremely intense airing-out. It can take 24-36 hours of airing out to fully remove the odor. Create a cross-draft by opening two windows on opposite ends of the space. Utilize box fans in one or both windows to encourage air flow.


I’m a General Contractor and National Board Certified Health Coach.
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