Product Review: Concrobium Mold Control

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I've been owing you guys this review of Concrobium Mold Control spray for a few months. Sam, the witty Canadian guy who invented it, sent me a sample months ago. I was a little surprised when he emailed me about it, because I've never written about the mold that plagued our bathroom walls and ceiling, but I was super-happy to accept a sample to test.

See, the mold I had is all over the ceiling above the shower. But I live in a building that was built in the 1890s, so we have high ceilings. And there's no way to put a step-ladder in the bathtub (sloping sides), so I was basically going to have to reach over my head to spray blindly up at the mold.* Which meant that whatever toxic mess I was spraying up there would get all over me.

Sam solved my problem, though, because the beauty of Concrobium is that it's non-toxic. He says it's made from two "food-grade additives" that when combined kill mold spores and prevent them from coming back. But since they're food-grade additives, they're not going to hurt you. Or your kids. Or pets. (Sam claims that he's done demonstrations in which he drinks some of the Concrobium to prove how harmless to humans it is. I wasn't willing to go that far, personally, without some dark rum and crushed ice.)

So I tried it out on my ceiling and walls. Concrobium has no scent whatsoever. And when I sprayed it over my head and it misted back down onto me, it felt like water. My dumb cats came in to see what was happening before I could shoo them away, and neither of them suffered any ill effects from getting it on their fur and licking it off.

I wished that the Concrobium would make the mold stains just vanish like magic. It didn't, but the part that I could reach on the wall (a spot that I'd scrubbed at at least four time with bleach cleansers, but it always came back after a month) came off easily with a damp sponge the next morning. And no mold has come back to that spot in two months, which to me is a miracle.

A miracle of chemistry! I'm wracked with curiosity about what those two additives are now. MSG and guar gum? It's clear, so it's not a dye. Soy lecithin and HFCS? Whatever they are, I'm pretty sure I'd rather have them on my walls controlling mold than in my stomach.

You can buy Concrobium at hardware stores and home centers in the US and Canada, and conveniently for me, at Amazon through this link. Check out their site for more info on the product.

* I took pictures of the mold, but can't find them now. Perhaps the computer ate them because they were so disgusting? If they turn up I'll add them to this post later on.

Comments

[Allison]

Man, I could have used this a year ago. We lived in an apartment for 2 years where no matter WHAT WE DID, the mold on the walls and ceiling would ALWAYS come back. There was no vent fan in the bathroom, so it always stayed foggy. I ruined so many outfits and hand towels from spraying bleach all over the place. And for the first time in my life, I think I hurt my lungs and almost passed out from spraying too much bleach. I had never had that happen to me before.

I'll definitely have to try this though. I still have some icky bathroom caulking I'll try to tackle.

[Beth]

We're in the same boat- a bit of mold on the ceiling in a bathroom with high ceilings and no windows, plus bathtub with sloping sides, so no ladder. Will definitely give this a try!

[Diane]

We have mold issues as well, but not in the walls or ceiling. We get mold growing in and around the window frames in our house. It usually happens in the winter. We live in FL, so the hot-cold-hot-cold combined with the ridiculous humidity seems to cause it. Moxie, do you think it might work for this type of mold? We usually scrub it with bleach, but it always grows back.

[Helena]

Couldn't you use a mild bleach solution with a foamy/sponge paint roller? That's worked really well for our mold problems.

[Rachel]

I'm so happy you reviewed this! I LOVE Concrobium and use it regularly. I even used it to treat my fruit cellar when I was 9 months pregnant (and should note that no mold has ever grown there) and my baby doesn't have 2 heads or anything! I've cleaned everything from window ledges (that get moldy in the winter when condensation builds up) to under the kitchen sink to the seam at the edge of the tub where my 3 kids splash water all over. I'm very happy with the lack of mold in our house and the fact that the product is totally safe to use around our kids (who, lets be honest, still lick every surface in my house!). I highly recommend it ;)

[Moxie]

Helena, the mold always comes back for me with bleach. The mold hasn't come back with the Concrobium.

Diane, it's worth a try. I'd spend $10 to try it out, personally.

[Rachel]

@ Diane- It's perfect for your windows. I'd suggest first cleaning the frames with it (spray it on like you would Lysol or whatever and then wipe it all down with paper towel or a cloth). This will remove any mold and give you a clean surface. Then spray it again and let it dry this time (the second spray protects it). We live in a really humid province so this was a big problem. We did our windows mid-winter and haven't had any mold return. Hope that helps.

The problem with bleach is that it doesn't always kill the mold so it can regrow. It also smells terrible and it's poisonous so not so safe around kids and pets (never mind that I always end up wrecking my clothes if I use bleach).

[hedra]

Oooh. I want some... will click through on the weekend, though, not from work.

[Miriam]

We also live in an old New York apartment, and since we keep humidifiers running all winter (we're singers), we have the perfect environment for mold -- it's all over our bathroom and window areas. And yes, I tried cleaning it with bleach, but it always comes back. I'll have to try this soon! Thanks!

[electriclady]

Ooh, I'm excited about this. I have the same problem--poorly ventilated bathroom in ancient NYC apartment with high ceilings, mold coming back every few months whether I use bleach or vinegar or what have you. I am curious about what the "non-toxic" ingredients are, though--my latest obsession is full disclosure of ingredients, which no company that makes household cleaners does except Seventh Generation. So you're left staring at the bottle of Method or Mrs. Meyers or whatever thinking, but is this REALLY safe if my kid licks the floor?

[shirky]

@electriclady I was thinking along those lines too. the term 'non-toxic' isn't a regulated term so it's not that reassuring by itself. The concrobium website says that it uses "patented blend of naturally occurring inorganic compounds which have been combined in a proprietary way". So they ain't sayin', but there is an MSDS up there on the site.

[Moxie]

Sam told me they were approved as "food-grade additives." And he literally drinks the stuff during demos. I think the reason they don't disclose what they actually are is that otherwise we could just buy them and mix up a batch on the cheap.

I don't trust food-grade additives to be *healthy* for me, but I also don't think they'll hurt in the amount that a kid would lick (unless you have a kid who needs to be on the Feingold Diet) or you'd get on you from spraying. And head and shoulders above bleach.

[Sam Title]

Hi everyone!

Sam the "witty Canadian" here to say thanks first and foremost to Moxie for this fabulous review of Concrobium. She's our new star here in our Toronto office!

And thank you to all readers of this review who have weighed in with comments and questions about the product and your mold issues.

I thought I would take this opportunity to answer some of your questions...

Diane in Florida - Concrobium most definitely works in your situation. In a warm climate like Florida, air conditions tend to cause a house or building to "sweat", which then causes mold to grow. Follow Moxie's directions and you should be ok.

Helena - Bleach-based products really only serve to whiten an area where mold is found. It doesn't really get to the "root" of the problem. It's a temporary fix.

Concrobium doesn't use a poison to eliminate mold. The way it works is, upon drying over top the moldy surface, it physically crushes that mold dead. You could then wipe off that dead mold with a Concrobium-dampened cloth and reapply. The reapplication would protect that surface from further growth.

electriclady/shirky - We tend to say that Concrobium is a patented blend of FDA-approved food-grade additives. It's no more toxic than table salt. It's EPA registered/Health Canada approved and we do, in fact, drink the stuff. Not in our morning coffees mind you, but the demo certainly strikes a chord to those who see it.

There you have it folks. We are a very approachable company and love your comments and questions. Do click through to our website and please keep in touch.

Thanks again for your support!

Sam "witty Canadian"

[hydrogeek]

I have been looking for this product. Maybe I can click trough Amazon and buy it???

[Diane]

Gosh, wow. Thanks for all the great answers everyone. My husband will be thrilled when I tell him about this later. We've been so frustrated with this for years.

[Colleen]

Wow! That stuff sounds great! I'll have to pick some up because there's an oddly musty odor in my cabinet next to my dishwasher even though we've pulled that thing out several times to check for leaking...kinda wonder if the leak is in the wall.

[sue]

I'd be willing to bet that GSE (grapefruit seed extract) is in there somewhere. It's such a great anti-fungal/anti-microbial.

I'll definitely have to check out this product.

[alana]

msg - monosodium glutamate
hfcs - high fructose corn syrup
guar gum - gum (thickener)
soy lecithin - emulsifier

[Moxie]

Alana, that's not what the ingredients are. They're what I'm speculating they could be. Those were the only food-grade additives that popped into my mind this morning so early.

Ooh, it could be agar-agar, too. Maybe Sue's right and it's GSE and agar-agar....

[shirky]

it says there is some kind of polymer in there...pretty clever

[Sue]

I went and checked the MSDS because I'm a geek, and really it doesn't look too bad. They aren't actually saying what's in the product, so the only clue a person could get as to what's in there is the specific chemical info. It does have quite a high pH, which means it's about as strong as ammonia, but it isn't ammonia. I would say that you would probably just have to realize it's a fairly basic solution, but not as basic as bleach. Anyway, it must have some hydroxide it it to make it a pH of about 11.

[Julie]

leave it to the women of moxie to crack the secret recipe!!!!!

[Julieta]

Wow, Moxie. Your review of Concrobium is kismet: my husband was just complaining this morning about the kids' tub seam being all gunky. He gets the "I'm sensitive to those toxic cleaners" excuse, so I was not looking forward to blasting the tub with eye-watering sprays. Plus, the children.

So thanks, great timing - doesn't Moxie seem to have that knack?

[Joy]

Anybody know if it might work on old mold stains on clothing that has been stored in a basement for a while?

[Sam Title]

Joy...You can certainly use Concrobium on moldy clothing and other fabric items.

Simply use it as you would on other surfaces (spray, let dry), only this time after it's dried, launder the clothing.

We've had reports of people actually adding it to their laundry and it working quite well. But that technique is difficult to recommend because the product is most effective undiluted. But who knows? Give it a try if you'd like and let us know!

Good luck!

[Kerry]

Sounds good -- I'll have to try it.

Moxie, have you tried using a sponge mop to get the high walls and ceilings?

[Norm Sherwood]

Hi All - Before getting all crazy do your research on this product and its EPA related claims. Share the EPA mater label on file with EPA and see if the product is in compliance. Also, check with your local, regional and national remediation companies and see what they use to treat mold. I can assure you it is NOT concrobium. It is an EPA Registered Disinfectant, Fungicide and Mildewstat like Moldex - www.moldexbrands.com

Also, think logically and read the label. How effective can a product be at killing mold when you can drink it? Also, ask how long it prevents mold from returning?

[Moxie]

Norm, if you want me to review your MoldEx product, the cool thing to do would be to email and offer me a sample. Not to post a drive-by implying that there's something wrong with Concrobium. (If the EPA uses MoldEx isn't it possible that they just won a bid? Not that they're better than Concrobium? Lots of things at play here and your implications are shady.)

I can drink Coke and Coke will clean a penny, so that test doesn't hold water.

[Matt]

The active ingredient in Concrobium is sodium carbonate, a.k.a. soda ash:

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Product.jsp?REG_NR=08255200001&DIST_NR=082552

It is a known fungicide that is indeed nontoxic. The wikipedia entry has more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_carbonate

It can be purchased in stores as "washing soda", and is used as an ecosafe general purpose cleaner.