Does activated charcoal kill mold?

Mold is ugly to look at, smells awful, leads to health complications, and causes the destruction of any structure it attacks. It is for these reasons that people are always clamoring to find a suitable solution to the mold problem, either at home or commercial spaces.

Since the air naturally has mold spores floating around, it is fairly easy for them to find a food source that is dark and damp to thrive in. However, you need not worry as you can naturally rid yourself of the menace by using activated charcoal, as explained below.

So does activated charcoal kill mold?

First off, the answer is yes, and no! Activated charcoal indeed does capture mycotoxins that eventually create mold, but, on the other hand, it doesn’t destroy the source. So the possibility of the mold producing more mycotoxins is still quite high.

Keeping into account that when mold releases mycotoxins and they land in a susceptible environment, it will grow again. Therefore, when it comes to destroying mold, activated charcoal cannot be your only fighting mechanism.

If you are looking to completely eliminate mold, consider using an ozone generator or mold removal chemicals alongside the best activated charcoal brands.

How is activated charcoal created, and how does it work?

Activated charcoal is created by burning bamboo stalks, coconut shells, olive pits, or sawdust in very high temperatures. This creates some black particles like char.

activated charcoal

Treatment of the char is done by passing it through oxygen, which will reduce the sizes of the pores. At the same time, it increases its surface area to about 200-3000 2m/g. Burning is necessary as it helps rid of any impurities the carbonaceous substance had previously bound to. Overall, the process is so simple that you can do it by yourself at home.

The pores that develop in the burnt charcoal will be very small and absorbent so that any mold spores or germ particle will not be able to filter through. Also, activated charcoal contains positive charges that cause the negative spores (or any germ particle) to gravitate towards it and bind entirely.

The ability to capture any small particle in the air is why activated charcoal is vital in the making of almost all air and water filters.

How best to use activated charcoal to get rid of mold

Typically, you can find bags of activated charcoal in any home department store or convenient store. If the mold infestation is little, you only need one bag. But if it is vast, you should buy it in bulk.

If you bought a bag, place it next to or near where the mold is/was and leave it for two weeks or more. The best part about activated charcoal is, you can recycle it for almost a year. All you need to do is empty the bag outside and leave it in the sun to dry.

If you bought in bulk, empty the char into containers with poked holes at the top. Place the containers in every corner of the room where there is mold infestation. Leave for two weeks and recycle.

Don’t use activated charcoal as your sole remedy for mold

Mold is a tiny but disruptive thing that need not stress you. It helps to know that many people have had it before you and thankfully came up with a solution. Don’t make the mistake of using activated bamboo charcoal to kill mold as a means to an end.

All it does is remove mycotoxins and rid of the awful mold smell. So come up with a way to remove the root of the problem for long-lasting results.