How To Get Rid of Bathroom Mold
“What’s that dark stuff in the corner of the ceiling?” You ask yourself one morning as you’re in the bathroom brushing your teeth. You lean over the tub to get a better look, and, to your horror, you realize that a black mold has started colonizing in your home. What’s worse is that when you try to scrub it off with a rag and bleach water, you find that the bathroom mold seems to be coming from the inside of the wall!
Is it serious?
While serious or fatal health effects of indoor bathroom mold are still being researched, it has been shown, according to a study by the Institute of Medicine in 2004, that the presence of active mold in a home is likely to cause respiratory complications such as wheezing, coughing, nose and throat symptoms, and asthma.
How did you get bathroom mold build-up?
Mold is nature’s way to dispose of neglected material through decomposition. Therefore, whatever substance the mold is growing on will be deteriorating and drifting through your home on the mold spores; this is where negative health effects come into play. Paint, plastic, bacteria, and other microscopic organisms are essentially being released as poisonous inhalants.
The danger of bathroom mold is that it often goes unnoticed for some time. This happens when there is a compromise in the barrier of your shower or tub that is letting even a small amount of water through.
Removing mold on tiled walls
Mold can also grow in the sealing-calk of a bathtub, or the grout of a tiled surrounding. You can use a few common household tools to remove mold on tiled walls. Be mindful if you have colored grout to avoid damage or discoloration!
Bleach
While not super lung friendly, bleach is incredibly effective at killing mold. You can even purchase chlorine bleach cleaners that are specifically meant to tackle bathroom mold. If you don’t have colored grout, you can spray the cleaner directly onto the mold. Follow the directions on the bottle for bathroom mold specific cleaners. If you’re using traditional household bleach, let the bleach mixture sit for 30 min on the mold. Scrub with a stiff brush and then rinse the area with warm water.
Vinegar
If you want a more natural way to get rid of bathroom mold, try vinegar. Fill a spray bottle with straight white vinegar and spray directly onto the mold. Let sit for 30 minutes, scrub, spray again with vinegar for another 30 minutes, then rinse the area with warm water.
For a more effective scrubbing agent, you can create a baking soda scrub using ½ c baking soda mixed with a few teaspoons of water. Spread the baking soda paste over the mold, let sit for 10 minutes then scrub the mold away and rinse with vinegar and/or water.
Getting bathroom mold off painted walls
To get mold off of your bathroom walls, use a mixture of 2 Tablespoons of borax with ¼ cup of white vinegar and 2 cups of hot water. Combine this mixture in a spray bottle and liberally apply onto the mold on the walls. Scrub thoroughly, spray more mixture over and let sit for 10 minutes before wiping dry with paper towels.
When handling bathroom mold, be careful
This is especially important if you’re dealing with black mold. You want to make sure you protect yourself from direct exposure to and inhalation of the mold. You also want to be careful not to knock up spores that can be transferred throughout the rest of your home.
- Wear a set of old clothes and shoes that you can throw in the laundry ASAP or just throw away after cleanup
- Wear an 9-95 respirator, goggles, and rubber or latex gloves
- Open any windows in the bathroom and set up a fan to get adequate ventilation
If you are experiencing bathroom mold that has escalated beyond a simple cleaning fix, it may be time to consider a professional solution.
Bathroom Renovation
Our bathroom renovation team at go2-pros specializes in tub/shower removal and installation, as well as eradicating any mold that we find in the process; because we know the harm that it can cause. Furthermore, we inoculate our tub liner products with Microban protection which prevents mold and microbial growth from getting a foothold in the future; this feature makes us unique from any other business in North America.
If you are ready to have a trusted team of specialists make your bathroom beautiful and safe again, contact us. We have been the go-to experts for over 70 years, and we are honored to serve you.
