Is Shower Mold Toxic
Due to the way bathrooms and showers are constructed today, the black mold you see in your shower is less likely to be the really hazardous type of mold. This is because your shower areas and surfaces dont have cellulose which is required for most of the really hazardous types of mold to grow.
That isnot to say that one of the more toxic molds cant ever grow in your shower. Theycan. If you have a bigger issue in your bathroom or home and THOSE spores haveinfiltrated your shower then your shower can become a breeding ground for somereally bad mold. But regular ol mold in the shower usually more allergenicthan anything.
What Are Health Issues Associated With Exposure To Mold
Many people experience no physical symptoms from being exposed to black mold in showers, but those who have asthma, weakened immune systems, or sensitivities or allergies to mold can experience some physical symptoms from the exposure. These include things like:
- sneezing
- depression
Even if you dont show symptoms now, repeated and prolonged exposure can lead to a mold sensitivity over time and affect your health. Bathroom mold isnt something to ignore at all.
For many people though, simply the sight of mold in their shower makes them annoyed! It isnt pretty to see and it isnt healthy.
Anytime you encounter a mold growing in your home, it is best practice to just get rid of it as soon as possible.
Just be aware that mold damages what it grows on, so the sooner you attack the mold the better! The first step is to realize that there is an issue that you need to correct!
How Often Should I Slean The Shower Head
We advise you to give your shower head a really thorough cleaning once every three months, but its a good idea to include it in your weekly cleaning routine. All you need is to wipe it down with a paper towel soaked in vinegar. This will prevent a serious build-up of limescale, dirt, and the bacteria and mould that thrive on limescale.
Do remember that bacteria and mould can live in other parts of your domestic water system so it isnt enough to just keep the shower head clean. To reduce the presence of bacteria and especially if your water system is at risk from Legionella, you might like to have a professional plumber flush your system and carry out an inspection.
Regulations vary in different countries, but in the UK, only public and commercial buildings, and at risk locations like hospitals and care homes require an annual inspection. If youve just moved into a new house, it might be a good idea to get an assessment done. The inspection will highlight potential fungal and bacterial breeding grounds and the plumber will suggest ways to fix the problem.
Read Also: How To Tell If You Have Mold In Basement
Mold Cleaning Trick #: Keep Mold Away With Preventative Measures
Once mold is removed you can keep it away by:
-Always remove moisture from shower walls .
-Regularly spray vinegar to prevent the formation of mold and kill existing mold spores.
-Wash rugs, shower curtains and other bathroom accessories on a weekly basis.
-Control humidity in rooms prone to moisture and try to promote better airflow, for instance add a fan to small rooms without windows or natural airflow.
-Add ventilation
-Limit the number of products in your bathtub/shower, the more cluttered the area the more chance mold can hide and thrive.
And most importantly.
How Do You Clean The Drain Pipes
I recommend that you inspect your drains often for any signs of leaks, microbial growth, and foul smells. If any leaks and or smells are found, fix or clean them immediately.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not want to pour bleach down your drains. Bleach is made with highly toxic chlorine that can produce gasses that you are your family breathe in and it also contaminates our environment and our oceans. People who use bleach in their homes and poisoning themselves, their families and the world so dont let that be you!
A quick, safe and easy fungicide you can make that will kill the mold and get rid of the smell is a combination of baking soda, white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, and hot water.
Here are 3 quick steps to cleaning your drains:
Step 1: Get a half a cup some baking soda and slowly pour down the offending drain and let it sit overnight. This will start to kill the mold and dry up the slime.
Step 2: The next day, get 2 cups of white cleaning vinegar or hydrogen peroxide and pour it down the same drain. It should start to foam. This will also kill the mold and start to loosen the mold colonys hold on the inside of the pipes.
Step 3: Next, get about 5-6 cups of very hot water and then pour it down the drain to wash away the dead mold, baking soda, and vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. You do not want to use boiling water because it can damage your pipes and connections. Especially if they are made of PVC.
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Do You Need To Use Protective Equipment When Cleaning
When using powerful cleaning products, you should always use the right protective gear to prevent potential accidents.
When working with vinegar or bicarbonate of soda, youre safe without any protective equipment but with any bleach mixture, you should wear gloves and protective eyewear at the minimum.
With ammonia, you should also wear a respirator and if you dont have one, its inadvisable to continue with that product.
Is Bathroom Mold Harmful
While not all mold is harmful, some types can release spores that cause respiratory problems, trigger allergies, and irritate your skin. If you have a mold problem in your bathroom, its important to take care of it right away to prevent these health risks. If you see small patches of mold, you can usually handle the problem yourself with some elbow grease and the right cleaning supplies. For larger mold problems, its best to call in a professional.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of Mold On Outdoor Carpet
No Need To Replace The Caulking Just Yet
So as we have seen, if black mold starts to develop in your shower caulk, there are several methods you can employ to get rid of it before you need to start thinking about removing the caulk and starting again.
However, if the stains are left long enough to become extremely encrusted, removing the caulk might be your best option in which case, you should learn your lessons and take steps to ensure the black mold doesnt return after the new caulk is in place.
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Can I Leave Vinegar On Mold Overnight
Vinegar is a popular household cleaning agent that can also be used to remove mold. However, some people wonder if its safe to leave the vinegar on mold overnight. The answer is yes, you can safely leave the vinegar on mold overnight. Vinegar is an acidic substance and will kill mold spores. However, its important to make sure that the area is well-ventilated so that the vinegar doesnt cause any respiratory irritation. If youre concerned about the smell of vinegar, you can add a few drops of essential oil to help mask the scent. If you have a severe mold problem, its best to call a professional mold remediation company. They will be able to safely and effectively remove the mold from your home.
Read Also: How To Make Large Plastic Molds
Tips For Cleaning Mold On A Shower Made Of Marble
In a memorable episode of the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kylie Jenner mentioned that her office featured a marble shower, which wasnt actually shown until she posted a photograph of it on Instagram. While a marble shower in an office may seem to be over the top, light-colored natural-stone surfaces are part of Jenners life. Her Southern California mansion features white marble in both kitchen and bathroom spaces. Marble in the shower is highly desirable, but like any other type of natural stone it has the potential of developing mold. Luckily, mold growth on marble tiles or panels is something you can prevent or eliminate. Here are some recommendations for how to clean natural-stone showers made of marble and avoid mold buildup.
Keep Your Marble Dry
Mold is just one of the issues you have to watch out for with marble showers. Water stains on marble surfaces are the result of hard minerals such as magnesium and calcium, which cause the phenomenon known as hard water. In the case of mildew and mold colonies, theyre the result of excessive moisture on marble, which you can keep under control with a squeegee tool, sponges, and absorbent cloths. If possible, all members of your household should make routine contributions to this drying effort, ideally after each shower.
Keep Your Marble Sealed
The Dangers of Mold
Safely Cleaning Mold on Marble Surfaces
We teach about the health effects of mold in the Mystery Symptom Master Class :
Mold Resistant Shower Curtains
Most resistant liners are made of polyester, vinyl or plastic, which are treated with chemicals. While they do seem to delay the formation of mold, they wont protect indefinitely. The reason is that the soap scum and bacteria that will eventually coat the resistant liner is what the mold will actually feed on. So, yes, the resistant ones do work, but only until they get a bit grimy. The trick is to clean them frequently and spray with a vinegar solution after each shower. Be sure to close the curtains completely after use so that they will air dry.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Black Mold Yourself
How To Wash Your Moldy Shower Curtains
If you have fabric shower curtains, you can wash them in your washing machine along with a couple of towels. Add a cup of detergent and 1/2 cup of either borax or baking soda. A cup of white vinegar added to the rinse cycle will help remove black mold too. After washing, hang the curtain outside to dry in the sunshine.
How To Whiten Grout
Even after a comprehensive clean using chemical and natural cleaning agents, its common for white grout to still appear stained, damaged and cracked particularly after the removal of black mould. While the repeated use of bleach, vinegar or baking soda should eventually yield results when it comes to whitening, once all mould has been removed, there are easy methods of getting your grout to gleam again.
In recent years, the practice of painting your grout with a special grout paint has become increasingly popular. This grout paint, or ink as it is sometimes known, is designed not only to paint over stained areas of grout, instantly improving the aesthetic of any tiled room, it also helps to prevent mould from returning thanks to anti-fungal and water-resistant properties.
Ideal for tiled floors and large tiled walls, applying grout paint is a simple process and can restore the original look of your grout in no time. Before painting, it is vital to thoroughly clean your tiles and grout, ensuring no mould or mildew remains attached. Using masking tape to prevent paint overlapping onto your tiles, apply the paint using a bush almost exactly the width of the grout line itself. If your brush is too small, youll end up creating more work for yourself, but if its too large, you run the risk of splattering paint on the tiles.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Mold From Your Roof
How To Remove Mold From Shower Grout
Now, you might be wondering how toclean mold in shower grout naturally. Valid question seeing that everyonerecommends bleach. This is where there is no one size fits all shower moldcleaner so let me share my three methods.
For each of these methods you will need this electric scrub brush. Trust me. It cuts your cleaning time down by hours. You are welcome to put some elbow grease in there and use a scrub brush like this but be sure you have a lot of free time.
Make sure you are wearing gloves when you remove mold from shower grout.
How To Get Rid Of Shower Mold
Mold in the shower can be a problem for several reasons. First, mold loves warm, damp environments, and the bathroom is often both of those things. Second, mold can cause respiratory problems for some people, particularly those with asthma or allergies. Finally, mold can be unsightly and difficult to remove. If you have a problem with mold in your shower, there are a few things you can do to get rid of it.
First, try to identify the source of the mold. Is there a leak in the shower that is causing water to accumulate and create a damp environment? If so, repair the leak and dry the area thoroughly. You may also want to consider ventilating the bathroom more to reduce the amount of moisture in the air.
If you cannot identify the source of the mold, or if the mold seems to be coming back despite your best efforts, you may need to use a mold removal product. There are many products on the market specifically designed for removing mold from showers. Follow the directions on the package carefully, and be sure to wear gloves and a mask when working with any chemicals.
Once the mold is gone, take steps to prevent it from returning. Make sure the shower is well ventilated, and dry the area thoroughly after each shower. Consider using a mold-resistant shower curtain or liner, and clean the bathroom regularly with a mold-killing cleaner.
Also Check: How To Tell If I Have Mold In My Basement
Effective Bathroom Mould Removal
Black mould can occur on your bathroom ceiling, walls and shower. Here are the best tips for how you can remove mould from these places.
Mould on bathroom ceilingBefore removing mould from your bathroom ceiling, wed recommend wearing gloves and a face mask to avoid coming into direct contact with the mould.
Next, spray HG mould spray onto the ceiling from 3-5cm away. Be careful to use too much, as this could mean some of the spray could drip into your eyes. Leave the solution to set for 30 minutes, then wipe it clean using a sponge and warm water.
Mould on bathroom wallsWhen removing black mould from your bathroom walls, follow the same process as for the ceiling. Apply HG mould spray onto the wall from 3-5cm away and leave it to set for 30 minutes. Then, wipe the formula and mould clear using a warm, wet sponge.
If you have tiling for your bathroom walls, the mould can be more difficult to remove than on painted walls. Follow the steps as above. After waiting 30 minutes, wipe it clean using an old toothbrush or something similar, rather than a sponge. Clearing mould from the tiling is easy enough, however, it is mould sticks to grout more firmly than it does tiles and walls.
Black mould in the showerRemoving mould from your shower can also be tricky. The shower isnt as flat a surface as your bathroom walls and ceiling, so this may require more time to clear the mould completely.
What Kills Mold Better Bleach Or Hydrogen Peroxide
There is some debate over which one of these two common household products is more effective at killing mold. Both bleach and hydrogen peroxide can be effective, but they each have their own pros and cons. Bleach is a strong chemical that can kill mold quickly. However, it can also be corrosive and harmful to surfaces. Hydrogen peroxide is a weaker chemical than bleach, but it is less likely to harm surfaces.
Ultimately, the choice of which product to use depends on your personal preference and the situation. If you are trying to kill mold on a surface that is sensitive to chemicals, hydrogen peroxide may be a better choice. If you are trying to kill mold quickly, bleach may be a better choice.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of Mold On Ceiling Above Shower
How To Prevent Black Mold In Your Bathroom
To keep the black mold away, you need to do the following:
- Let natural light into the bathroom. Natural light kills mold and most types of harmful microorganisms.
- Ventilate the bathroom as much as possible. This may take the form of allowing in natural currents of air or creating some with a fan .
- Eliminate the dampness and keep your bathroom dry. As stated earlier on, damp conditions are a breeding ground for mold. Having a dry bathroom entails cleaning any remaining water after a shower, fixing leaking taps or pipes and wiping off water from the walls and floor.
- Spray the bathroom walls and floors with white vinegar. This kills the mold and any remaining spores.
- Frequently wash your shower curtains and liners. Also, it is better to go for curtains and liners that are resistant to mildew. The same goes for bathroom rags and any clothing materials including your towels.
- Avoid leaving bottles or other items in the bathroom. These provide crevices for mold to thrive.
With these tips, your bathroom will easily be free of mold and mildew. While cleaning is easy, prevention is far much easier and safer.
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Is It Safe To Clean Black Mold Yourself
Not really. You can wear protective gear before you clean the black mold and save yourself. But what about the next? When you cant contain them properly after removal? Black mold spreads firstly, they will release pores and will spread to other areas. We know how harmful black mold is. So its better to clean black mold yourself.
Also Check: How Can Black Mold Hurt You
