The Science of Home Fogging for Mold Explained

If you are someone who is mold sensitive, you you may be spending hours cleaning counters, floors, fixtures, and furnishings.  You may also be vacuuming regularly, with or without HEPA filtration.  In reality, these manual cleaning efforts still miss numerous microorganisms, including mold, bacteria, and viruses. Germs travel on bags, clothes, shoes and anything else moved from one location to another. They also make their way into cracks, crevices, and corners.   Germs thrive on often used devices such as remote controls, cell phones and laptops as well as doorknobs. The most diligent cleaning efforts using conventional means will not reach all surfaces or eliminate all microorganisms, however, there is a safe tool you can use to significantly reduce microorganisms in your environment by combining your cleaning efforts with hot fogging your home. Learn more about hot fogging for mold: 

Hot or Dry Fogging Safety

Thermal fogging is a means of quickly reaching all exposed areas in your home.  This includes inside of cabinets and the exposed surfaces of all individual or home furnishings. Thermal fogging devices use heat to create a visible, fog-like, dry mist or “smoke”. They produce a large amount of fog that fills the room volume. One can clearly see the smoke displace clear air to visually confirm surfaces and furnishings are been exposed to the fog.  The fog itself does not impact the active ingredients of the mold treatment solution, so it does not lose effectiveness. Fogging reaches difficult areas such as cracks and crevices throughout the home and its furnishings, including out of reach surfaces, under furniture, carpets, and curtains. Using thermal foggers is safe and effective. There is also the option of activating the  fogger remotely and allowing the fog to naturally spread throughout a room and into open cabinets and drawers and dissipate over time.

How it works? Home Fogging for Mold

Hot fogging allows you to fill the entire volume of space within a home or office without getting anything wet.  The hot fog rises and fills the entire space.  Cabinets and drawers should be opened during the fogging process in order to aid in reaching everything in the household.

Chemicals or all-natural active ingredients can be delivered with fog to great effect. For example, professionals use fogging to apply disinfectants for cleaning projects, pesticides to eliminate pests the environment, and to deodorize or neutralize troubling smells. Fogging is the means used by many food and quality manufacturers, which require disinfection or cleaning after a production run.  This eliminates the need to have entire production lines stripped down and individually clean each part in order for the disinfectants to reach all surfaces of the equipment.  If the disinfectant is delivered with fog, a complete strip down is not required and the process of disinfection can be done very quickly and efficiently.  The main issue for manufacturers and producers using chemicals or active ingredients in fog is that the is chemical must be safe to use, if people are in the area when fogging occurs, and for any microscopic residues to remain safe.

Propylene Glycol is An Optimal Delivery Mechanism as a Mold Fogger

The Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (AGTSDM) has issued a public statement regarding propylene glycol:

“Propylene glycol is used by the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries as an antifreeze when leakage might lead to contact with food. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified propylene glycol as an additive that is “generally recognized as safe” for use in food. It is used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture in certain medicines, cosmetics, or food products. It is a solvent for food colors and flavors, and in the paint and plastics industries. Propylene glycol is also used to create artificial smoke or fog used in fire-fighting training and in theatrical productions.”

There is some misinformation in the public regarding safety in the use of propylene glycol.  To that end, the following elements of misinformation must be understood.

What is Propylene Glycol?  Is it Safe?

Propylene Glycol is a viscous, colorless liquid, which is nearly odorless and possesses a faintly sweet taste. It belongs to alcohol groups of substances; however, it should not be mistaken for ethylene glycol (used to make anti-freeze and is extremely toxic to humans). It is very mixable with a broad range of solvents, including water. In general, glycols are non-irritating, have very low volatility and very low toxicity.”

Propylene glycol is also used in various edible items such as coffee-based drinks, sweeteners, and soda.  It is a thickener for ice cream, whipped dairy products and doughs.  It is used in lotions to prevent the skin from drying and as a carrier in alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Propylene glycol is also used as a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable, and topical formulations.

Most fog machines use a propylene glycol mixture to produce special effects (e.g. – smoke or fog used in theater, night clubs, and Halloween displays). Many commercial smoke machines use ‘fog juice’ that consists of food grade propylene glycol with varying amounts of distilled water. The glycols are heated and forced into the atmosphere under pressure to create a fog or haze. Inhalation safety has been demonstrated over 70 years of use in commercial and entertainment activities.

Propylene glycol has been used as a carrier for antibacterial products for over 70 years.  It has been pumped through vents in hospitals and other buildings to disinfect and is used in asthma inhalers for the purpose of keeping bacteria from being able to spread as easily. It has been considered to be one of the safest synthesized inhalants by the FDA.

Bio-Balance Hot Fogging Mold Solutions

For over 15 years, Bio-Balance has provided DIY hot fogging solution to combat mold.  Propylene glycol fog machines have been used for over 70 years safely by several industrial and consumer industries.

The Bio-Balance Hot Fogging Solution:

Bio-Balance offers two fogging kits for DIY consumers who suffer from mold sensitivity.

Both packages include:

• A hot-fogging machine that is turned on remotely so that occupants can avoid inhalation of the fog if desired.
  
• Food grade propylene glycol-based solution that has been designated by the FDA  as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS).  (This designation serves as general recognition of safety through experience based on common use in foods and requires a substantial history of consumption for food use by a significant number of consumers);
  • 1 or 4 Quarts of Bio-Balance Solution or “Fog Juice” consisting of propylene glycol as a carrier along with CitriSafe’s proprietary combination of various citrus seed extracts known for antifungal activity. The product has a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of all zeros, suggesting it is the safe choice for mold treatment.
  • The Bio-Balance fogging kits come in two sizes.
• The BioBalance HavenFog Mini Kit includes 1 quart of Bio-Balance Solution to effectively fog 1000 sq. ft.
•  The BioBalance HavenFog Kit includes 4 quarts of Bio-Balance Solution and will fog up to 4000 sq. ft.
• BioBalance HavenFog Solution can be purchased by the Quart or Gallon at any time for future fogging efforts
• Instructions to use involve:
  • Setting up the fogger in the middle of a room
  • Opening all cabinets, and areas desired to be fogged
  • Turning the fogger on and letting the fog fill the room(s) completely
  • Allowing 12-24 hours for the fog to dissipate

The hot fogger distributes particle sizes of <5 microns so that it can reach all surface areas exposed as well as reaching between crevices, cracks, or textiles. After allowing the fog to naturally vent, all exposed areas will be free of any substance with the exception of a microscopic layer of Bio-Balance active ingredients to combat mold.

Fungal loads in air will be reduced to minimal and safe levels for mold sensitive individuals.  It is important to note that if the source of the moisture is not found and controlled, this will be a temporary solution to reduce systemic mold in homes.  This process does not address moisture problems or water damage that must be fixed and remediated before the home can be maintained free of mold.

Bio-Balance Cold Fogging Maintenance Solutions

Bio-Balance also offers cold fogging/misting solutions.  Cold misting is an effective means of treating a home to reduce the fungal air count.  The misters aerosolize the solution and sprays droplets of approximately 25 microns.  Simply mist all surface areas of any home and furnishing including carpets, upholstered furniture, curtains, etc. The maintenance solution should NOT be sprayed on any items that might be ruined by moisture or water (electronics, artwork, etc.). The Bio-Max Maintenance Solution does not contain any propylene glycol.Cold fogging reaches the exposed areas misted and will be effective in any area reached; however, it will not penetrate corners, crevices, wall spaces, and ceiling spaces the hot fog will reach because of the ability for the hot fog to penetrate, rise, and surround items.  Cold misting is an excellent maintenance solution as you can mist any time without preparation and without having to leave the area for 12-24 hours while the hot fog vaporizes.  It is all natural and safe to breath.  Fogging a home does require some effort as the fogger must be manually waved to reach all areas desired.

Bio-Max Commercial Maintenance Mister

• HavenMist Large Kit with shoulder strap to support against hip.
• One large 1000-Watt mister (Continuous Application)
• One Bottle of The HavenMist Solution (treats up to 3,000 ft2)
• ImmunoLytics Mold Test Kit for Before and After Testing. Additional mold tests can be purchased from ImmunoLytics HERE.

The fogger 1 gallon tank is filled by mixing one 16 oz. bottle of HavenMist Solution with 112 oz of distilled water.  (Tap water contains chlorine and minerals)

Bio-Max Home Maintenance Mister

This fogger is smaller, lighter, and easier to maneuver than other cold foggers that can weigh 15-20 lbs.  The fogger has a 1 quart tank that is filled with 4 oz. of HavenMist Solution with 28 oz. of distilled water.
·       One 360-Watt mister (Continuous Application)
·       One Bottle of The Bio-Max Maintenance Solution (treats up to 3,000 ft2)
·       ImmunoLytics Mold Test Kit for after treatment testing

HavenMist is a more potent product than CitriSafe Mold Solution Concentrate: however, they are both made with the same active ingredients and can be used effectively to reduce mold counts during maintenance.