Crawlspace Mold Removal - Why Soda Blasting Beats Sprays Every Time

So you’ve received a few estimates at this point, and each company has a different “treatment” or “approach” for eliminating the mold and fungus in your crawlspace. The reality? Most of these suggestions aren’t backed by science or industry standards. As crawlspace repair has grown into a booming industry, it’s turned into a kind of wild, wild west.

Companies are popping up like popcorn, and many are leaning on product manufacturers to tell them how to “fix” a crawlspace. These manufacturers lure contractors with “free” training sessions or “exclusive” agreements that give them access to buy products—but the training revolves around selling more product, not teaching science-based solutions.

Crawlspace Repair Wasn't Even an Industry!

Rewind almost 20 years ago, when we started as Crawlspace Doctor in Huntsville, AL. Back then, crawlspace repair wasn’t even an industry. There were just a handful of people doing the work. Fast-forward to today and the market has exploded—so much so that one private equity holdings company now pulls in over $1 billion annually from crawlspace repair. That’s right, one billion.

The good news? This growth has raised consumer awareness about crawlspace issues 👏 . The bad news? Most of the people selling and installing these projects have only a few years of experience, and their “training” comes from product manufacturers, not from decades of real-world work.

We follow the Standards & Science

At Heartstrong Crawlspace, we’ve spent 20 years building knowledge from science, data, and hands-on experience. When it comes to mold and fungus treatments in crawlspaces, we don’t just follow trends—we follow the standards and science, backed by the authorities we cite for you in this article.

So while we are asking you to trust us, we’re also asking you to trust the science, the data, and our professional experience when deciding how to repair the mold and fungus problem in your crawlspace. Your family’s health and your home’s longevity depend on it.

Why Spraying Isn't Enough

The EPA’s remediation guide says it plainly: “The purpose of mold remediation is to remove the mold... It is necessary to clean up mold contamination, not just to kill the mold. Dead mold is still allergenic... The use of a biocide... is not recommended as a routine practice.”

In other words, if you only spray, the particles and residues are still there.

And those leftovers matter. Research shows tiny fungal fragments can be far more numerous than whole spores and can carry allergens deep into the lungs - another reason source-removal beats “spray and pray.”

Why Soda Blasting Wins on Wood Framing

Your crawlspace framing is rough, knotty, and full of edges—hard to clean by hand. Soda blasting (compressed air + sodium bicarbonate media) gently abrades the surface so growth and residue are physically removed from grain and crevices - fast and thoroughly.

Effective on framing without chewing it up. Restoration pros (SCRT) note soda blasting is very effective at removing mold from framing because the media is soft.

• Effective on framing without chewing it up. Restoration pros (SCRT) note soda blasting is very effective at removing mold from framing because the media is soft.
• Built for irregular wood. InterNACHI explains abrasive/media blasting (including sodium bicarbonate) reaches irregular, hard-to-scrub surfaces better than traditional wiping.
• Gentle on the substrate. A Forest Products Journal study on sodium-bicarbonate blasting found effective cleaning of wood without significant surface damage when properly set up.
• Backed by standards. The industry standard (ANSI/IICRC S520) emphasizes source removal as the core of professional remediation; abrasive cleaning methods for semi-porous wood are part of that toolkit.

Bottom line: If the wood is already colonized, soda blasting takes the contamination off. Spraying only “treats” what’s still on the wood.

But I Encapsulated - Aren’t We Good?

Encapsulation with a dehumidiJier is smart—it keeps humidity down and prevents new mold. But it doesn’t erase what’s already there. Mold that has grown on your joists and subfloor must be removed, not just dried out.

And here’s why: certain molds produce toxic byproducts that can linger in fine particles, especially when surfaces are disturbed. Encapsulation alone doesn’t deal with that risk.

At Heartstrong Crawlspace, we often see homes where encapsulation was installed over a dirty, moldy crawlspace. The result? A “clean-looking” space that’s still polluting the indoor air above it.

What a Good Crawlspace Cleanup Looks Like

At Heartstrong Crawlspace, our proven 5-step process includes:

• Containment & safety so dust doesn’t drift upstairs.
• Soda-blast the wood framing to remove visible growth and residues from grain and edges.
• Install a footer drainage system to stop water intrusion at the foundation.
• Keep encapsulation & dehumidification to maintain dry conditions.
• Verify the result - your crawlspace should be clean, dry, and visually clear.