Why Choice Awarded Exit Mould A Shonky in 2012
Published on Oct 15, 2018
Mould is a type of fungi that thrives in warm, moist environments, which is why it loves bathrooms after a hot steamy shower! You’ll also notice that the mould invasion often becomes worse after cold weather when the bathroom never seems to dry out or after lots of rain when you’ve had the dryer running in the laundry.
We know how frustrating it is spending your hard-earned weekend cleaning instead of relaxing, so we want to make sure you’re making the most of your cleaning time by letting you in on a little secret.
Bleach is often spruiked as an active ingredient that kills mould – it’s the key ingredient in Exit Mould and similar products. But bleach shouldn’t be used to remove mould from your home. It just doesn’t work and it could be doing more harm than good.
Shonky, indeed!
Don’t just take our word for it. Consumer website Choice awarded Exit Mould a ‘Shonky’ in 2012’for falsely claiming it can remove mould from your home. Choice holds annual ‘Shonky’ awards, naming products that don’t do what they advertise – ironically Exit Mould won’t make your mould, well, exit.
Why doesn’t bleach work on mould?
According to Choice, bleach will recolour the mould and leave behind a ‘clean’ smell, so you think the job is done. But don’t run off to the beach to enjoy the weekend just yet. All that you’ve done is take the colour out of the mould. Unfortunately, the mould membrane is still hiding underneath the surface, emitting mould spores and is likely to appear on the surface again very quickly, which is very frustrating!
Does bleach cause damage?
As if the above wasn’t bad enough, bleach is a caustic material that can slowly wear down the protective coating of the materials you’re using it on. Choice tell us this is particularly worrying if you’re using it on your grout lines – over time the bleach is breaking the grout down potentially making your grout become more porous, therefore even more susceptible to mould. Bleach could also strip your paint if you’re using it on your walls. Not ideal if you’re trying to improve the look of your home, not make it worse!
Can bleach be bad for my health?
A strong bleach solution can irritate the mouth lungs and skin, and in strong enough concentrations it can actually burn human tissue (internally and externally), especially in small children. Bleach fumes can be a serious irritant for asthmatics so if you’re going to use bleach around the home, load up on all the PPE (personal protective equipment) you can get including a respirator mask, goggles and gloves.
Make your own safe mould treatment solution
Instead of using bleach heavy mould treatment products that don’t work, you can make your own mould remover at home. Using a base of either tea tree oil or vinegar will safely and effectively treat your mould problem. Better still, you can put this solution together using just a few items from your kitchen or bathroom cupboards.
How do I remove large areas of mould?
Mould can grow in hard to reach places like wall cavities, making it extremely difficult to clean. You should call a professional mould remediator if your mould issue area is bigger than 1 square metre.
Electrodry’s professional mould cleaning service includes an anti-microbial solution that will trace the source of the moisture, treating hidden mould for long-lasting results. It’s a safe, quick and highly effective service perfect for cases of significant mould contamination. Better still, we can remove mould stains with repainting not needed in 95% of cases. We can also restore air-quality to healthy and safe levels by removing mould spores in the air.
Note: We have contacted the manufacturer of Exit Mould regarding whether the product's ingredients have changed since the Choice 'Shonky' was awarded in 2012. The manufacturer advised the formula has not changed since that time. Here's a safety data information sheet issued in 2016 for Exit Mould, which includes a list of ingredients.