What products kills mold in a garage?

I think you've got a misunderstanding of mold. Mold is naturally occurring & is around us all the time. Normally our immune system prevents our day-to-day exposure from harming us. In closed areas like our homes, growing & blooming mold spawns spores in concentrations that overwhelm many immune systems.

You will never completely kill all of the mold around you, however, you can reduce the possibility of it growing & blooming in your home, by allowing sunlight into otherwise dark rooms, by allowing better ventilation throughout your house, especially along walls & around windows and doors.

You need to also keep humidity levels at around 40% or less. Stop the moisture allowing it to grow & you stop the growth of mold.

Bleach and vinegar will both kill surface mold, however, more aggressive mold remediation is needed if the mold has been allowed to grow for a long period of time & it has grown into walls, woodwork or other soft materials.

Without actually seeing it, I cannot be completely sure, but I don't think what you are seeing is mold on your concrete floor. I'm pretty sure what you've got is efflorescence of the concrete & has nothing to do with mold growth or blooming.

Here's a link that explains what this is & why it happens:

http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/efflorescen...

Good luck...

Added -

Yes, vinegar is a byproduct of fermentation, but it is not a food source or host for mold except when it itself is allowed to spoil.

Vinegar, before it breaks down or decomposes, is an acid and will kill mold growth and mold spores.

The proof is in the pudding, try it, or do your own research...which will also show that the effectiveness of bleach is rather short lived.

And yes, all molds are not bad, however, the original posting was regarding a white powdery substance on a concrete floor. Digressing to discussions of food molds & other beneficial molds only serves to confuse some people and prevent them from getting the answers they seek.

Just my 2 cents.

Bleach works fine.

Most of the commercial products you can buy in stores are bleach-based. Such as Tilex, mentioned above, which also works fine.

One tip: To prevent a recurrence, make sure the area is dry. Mold grows in moist, dark areas. (And the warmer it is, the more the mold likes it.) You were right to try exposing it to sunlight, but that's more a preventative. It won't kill it. So, when you've killed it, make sure you identify the source of the moisture. Then stop the moisture.

Also, you may have to treat the area several times, or treat the surrounding area. Problem is: Mold spreads with spores. So there may be (very likely are) spores elsewhere in the garage where, perhaps, the mold isn't growing. But over time, breezes will redistribute the spores. And if the spores land on a most area--especially moist and dark--they'll grow. Spores can last for months or longer.

So, as best you can, wipe everything around there with a diluted solution of bleach. Find the source of moisture and eliminate it. And watch out for recurrences.

Hope that helps.

1

A solution of clorox/bleach. I just did this last week. Get an old towel enough to cover the mold, then pour this mixture on the towel to wet it down. Be sure not pets or kids are around, let is set for let's say 3 days. Remove the towel, let the area dry, this should do it. Be careful when you are around the mold, wear a mask around the mold and clorox as you are applying it. And, remember you are working with clorox so anything you use it around, clothes, shoes, items in the garage it comes in contact with may ruin that item too. Don't throw the rag/towel you used on the mold, with the clorox on it, in the washing machine with other items, those will be ruined too.

Do not use vinegar. It is produced by a mold and contains mold spores. Yeast is a mold and a type of yeast makes vinegar. You will be supplying the affected area with a fresh supply of mold spores.

Bleach will kill and dissolve the mold spores. Use it undiluted in a spray bottle. Or you can go to the local super mart. and purchase any number of mold removing house hold chemicals.

You won't be able to kill the mold permanently. The spores are in the air and will settle and grow when they find a spot with everything that type of mold needs to grow. You inhaled a couple hundred thousand spores when you walked into the garage. Don't worry about them, You inhaled the same amount when you were in your house, from bread that has molded, blue cheese, Roquefort dressing, even wine and beer that uses yeast to make alcohol has spores, and they are airborne in your house.

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RE:

What products kills mold in a garage?

My garage has just gotten infested with mold in the past couple days. I've read that vinegar or bleach may work but I'm not positive. If anyone has tried one of these products could you please tell me if it actually works? I'm afraid that if you use vinegar it will stink up the garage,...

First, the good news. Mold is not a terribly robust or active organism, and killing it is easier than you may imagine. General disinfectants and bleach may do the trick just fine, though you may also want to look into more advanced biocides to ensure every inch has been covered. Often a few passes with a sponge or rag are all you need to destroy full populations, and removing fully infected items such as drywall can be an additional help. Unfortunately, mold has a tendency to recur – often within a matter of days. Needless to say, this hardly represents a satisfactory outcome.

The real way to rid your home of mold is to cut off its supply of moisture. Too many homes harbor leaky pipes and poor grading that may contribute to flourishing mold populations. Even simple issues such as poor ventilation can do the trick in humid climates, accounting for that unmistakably musty smell you often get in attics and basements. If you want to rid your home of this dangerous problem for good, it’s essential that you take some simple measures to address the root causes of mold, not just the symptoms.

If there is mold, there is a moisture issue. Buy a dehumidifier and let it reduce the moisture. Clean up the existing mold with bleach.

Bleach works on anything. I'm not sure about the vinegar part because I've never heard of using it, but bleach with a little bit of water will do.

50/50 mix of bleach and water. It could well be mold rather than algae.