How To Clean Bathroom Mold Here Are The Facts
Because of regular water exposure, bathrooms become highly susceptible to mold and mildew growth over time. Mold in the bathroom does not only make your bathroom look off-putting, but it can also cause severe allergic reactions and respiratory complications. So, knowing how to clean bathroom mold can be a pretty useful trick in a homeowners toolbox.;
You can clean bathroom mold applying homemade and commercial cleaning agents. Some widely used cleaning agents are vinegar, baking soda paste, anti-mold spray, etc. In most cases, you will not require any professional help.
In the following sections, we will talk in details about how to clean mold from different parts of your bathroom. Shower caulking, grout, tiles, ceiling,black mold, toilet, and even shower curtain-we will cover it all.
Things Required
Shower Mold Symptoms: How To Know Its Really There
If you think you have a mold issue in your bathroom, there are some simple steps that you can take to find out for sure.
You just have to know the signs and smells that can alert you to the fact that you could have a mold issue.
- Look For Water Damage
One of the first things you want to look for is any sign of water damage.
This could be soft walls, peeling paint, loose wallpaper, discoloration on the walls, cracked or loose tiles falling from the shower wall.
Even gaps in the grout lines, if the bathroom surround looks warped, or you can see crumbling drywall around the shower.
- Checkout The Mold Prone Areas
The next thing you may want to look for is any signs of mold growth on ceilings, and around the base of the shower and toilet.
Often when you have a moisture problem or a leak, these areas will look discolored and feel soft to the touch.
Often you will be able to see visible mold on the grout between the tiles and the caulking within the shower compartment.
- Use Your Nose To Detect
A smelly musty odor in your bathroom is another way to find mold problems as well.
Sometimes you may mistake this smell for wet musty towels or damp clothing laying around in the bathroom.
Especially if there is a dirty laundry basket in that bathroom.
When you smell musty odors in the bathroom, find out where its coming from.; This smell is a dead giveaway that some form of mold growth is taking place.
Dont make the mistake of not fixing the problem.
Tips For Preventing Mold In Showers
Youre now an expert on how to get rid of mold in showers, and you know why it happens. Its time to discuss prevention so that you dont end up in the same situation again.
- Increase ventilation: Aim to boost air circulation in your bathroom as much as you can. Switch on the vents after you shower, or at least leave doors and windows open. If your bathroom has no windows, you might want to invest in a dehumidifier to take moisture out of the air.
- Fix leaks: Now is the time to repair that leaking shower hose or dripping faucet. A constant source of moisture makes for prime real estate for the opportunistic fungi.
- Clean regularly: It sounds obvious, we know. But cleaning your shower regularly at least once weekly can inhibit mold from settling in and growing.
- Be thorough: When youre in cleaning mode, dont forget cracks and crevices. As you know, mold can grow anywhere in your shower. Take your shower head down every so often and give it a good soak in your favorite cleaning agent.
Read Also: How To Properly Remove Black Mold
Cleaning Shower Tile Grout With Chlorine Bleach
Bleach is a strong oxidizer. Its like getting out the big guns for cleaning shower tile grout. It works similar to OxiClean, but you wont have to go to the store to buy it. Youve probably got a bottle sitting in the laundry room. We recommend using bleach as a last resort, however, when it comes to those tough grout stains.
Bleach Grout Cleaner
Remember always to use caution when cleaning with bleach. This bathroom grout cleaner method is not recommended for use on colored grout. Occasional use of bleach in showers is thought to be safe for tile sealant. Ensure the room is ventilated before you begin cleaning.
Fill a small bowl with chlorine bleach such as Clorox. You may want to set the bowl in the shower or tub in case of accidental spills. Dip a toothbrush into the bleach and scrub it into the grout lines.
Continue doing this until you have scoured all of the stained grout lines. Remove yourself and the bowl from the tub and rinse the tiles with plenty of clean water.
How To Get Rid Of Mold In Shower Grout With Tea Tree Oil
If you have some tea tree oil at home, this recipe is an easy way to learn how to get rid of mold in shower grout. Do not rinse this recipe away quickly. It has to sit and kill the mold over a few hours.
- Old toothbrush
Mix this cleaning solution in a spray bottle and shake it up a bit. Before you spray it on the tile, make sure the grout is dry. You might want to run a dry cloth across it first to make sure.
Grab an old toothbrush, scrub away, and your mold problem will disappear. All it takes is some scrubbing of the grime on your grout. Thats how to remove mold from grout.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Get Rid Of Mold In Your Body
Why Does Mold Love Tile Grout So Much
Mold spores are always around us, both indoors and outdoors. Sure, you could drastically reduce their numbers with the help of an air purifier, but completely eliminating them is impossible.
These spores float around the air and eventually settle down on various surface areas including tile grout. Once they enter the grout pores, they sit and wait for a food source so that they can grow. Food sources are water or high humidity levels which is why mold on tile grout in the bathroom is so common.
The good news is that there are a number of steps you can take to make your bathroom less humid, which you can read about here. However, it is vital to clean tiles and grout especially in the bathroom, regularly.
Why Do I Have Mold In My Shower
Its very common for mold to be found in the shower. There is lots of water and humidity in the bathroom which mold just adores.
Frequently running water in the shower creates wet surfaces and puddles of water. If you dont dry this moisture out quickly it can easily lead to mold growth.
On top of this, when the water in the bathroom does dry out it evaporates into the air and increases the humidity. Steam from the shower or a hot bath also makes the bathroom more humid. Since bathrooms are often not well ventilated the humidity tends to hang around and wet surfaces take a long time to dry out. Enter mold.
Another reason mold grows in theshower is because grime from body oils and soap scum which is washed off andonto the shower or tub create a food source for mold to feed on.;
Basically, if mold were to have achoice vacation destination it would be the shower. Soooo inviting.
Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Mold On Vinyl Siding
How To Clean Shower Tiles
While youre busy focused on the shower grout, consider the best ways to clean build-up from the surface of the shower tiles, too.
A simple white vinegar wash is a good solution for non-porous tile surfaces, while marble or other porous stone surfaces are more safely cleaned using plain water or cleaning products specifically formulated for stone to avoid damaging the color or finish.
Warm Humid Conditions Encourage Mold Growth In Bathroom
Simply put, bathrooms are a prime breeding ground for mold and fungus. Mold grows best in warm, humid conditions a perfect description of nearly every bathroom. While many bathrooms are outfitted with an exhaust fan, it is often not utilized properly. Additionally, poor ventilation or bad cleaning habits can accelerate the growth of mold on the already porous surface of your grout.;
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How To Prevent Mould & Mildew In The Bathroom
In order to prevent such a bad build-up of mould in the future, there are several precautions you can take:
- Air the bathroom as much as possible, especially when taking bathing/showering.
- Run the extractor fan not only during your shower but for at least 10 minutes after to extract moisture from the air.
- Wipe the shower walls with a squeegee after use.
- Always scrub your grout during the weekly shower clean.
- Periodically treat shower grout with bleach to kill any mould spores.
Here’s to stepping out the shower feeling clean from now on!
Wow! The difference in that filthy grout is seriously amazing. Will you be trying this method?
How To Remove Mould From Grout
Its a fact of life that mould thrives in warm, moist conditions. This makes kitchens, bathrooms, basements and utility rooms prime locations for the development of mould. With moisture and humidity levels often high in these rooms, and air circulation limited, the presence of mould on plastered walls, ceilings and window sills is common. However, thanks to its porous nature, tile grout is where mould is most often located.
When allowed to build up on your bathroom or kitchen grout, mould not only ruins the aesthetic of any room, making it look unclean and unkempt, it also poses a serious health risk to you and your family. But what actually is mould, how can you remove it from your grout and is there a method of preventing it from growing in your home in the future?
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Mold In Car Air Conditioner
How To Get Rid Of Black Mold In Shower Caulking
I wrote a whole post about removing black mold from shower caulking, though my bleach method has been critiqued for not actually doing more than removing the stain and color of the mold. And the mold did come back 6-9 months later.
You can see my video tutorial about how I did it though:
This is because;bleach is no longer considered to be the;best;way to remove mold. It is only effective if the mold is on a non-porous material like tile, bathtubs, glass, and countertops. It doesnt reach the mold growing underneath the surface. Also, bleach can damage the materials it is used on as its a harsh, corrosive chemical. The fumes are strong and harsh and it must be handled with gloves.
But, it does do a great job at removing the mold stains, but the mold isnt truly killed.
You can instead use vinegar, baking soda, ammonia, oxygen bleach, borax or hydrogen peroxide.
I, however, have not been able to find many tutorials on how to use these products specifically for cleaning moldy caulking in bathrooms, so if anyone has tried using them, with success, Id love to know! I tried making a paste of water and OxiClean and slathered it onto the moldy caulking, but it did absolutely nothing. It dried out shortly after application and didnt remove the mold or the stains at all.
Use A Vinegar Solution
Vinegar is an acidic solution. It effectively removes bacteria from floor tiles. Follow the process below to clean mold from shower grout.
- Take a bowl take one part of vinegar. Then mix one part water with it. It is a diluted water and vinegar solution.
- You can take this solution in a spray bottle to easily use it.
- Now spray it on the tile of your shower and let it sit. It will take a few minutes.
- Then use a brush and scrub away the mold. To remove stubborn stains and grout, apply some pressure.
- It is better to spray the vinegar solution every day after your shower. Or you can do it three times every week to prevent the growth of mold.
Use baking soda
Now I am describing how to clean shower grout mold by using baking soda. It is another useful thing to do this work naturally.
- Take some baking soda and make a paste with water.
- Use a brush or a sponge to dip it in the paste. Apply the brush in a circular motion on the grout or mold. To clean the mold thoroughly, you should apply enough pressure.
- If you see that it is getting dry, apply some vinegar solution on this. It will foam up the baking soda. Then scrub harder to get rid of the stubborn grout on the shower tiles. It also brightens your tiles.
Use hydrogen peroxide
You can use hydrogen peroxide if you find that the grout is stubborn and cannot be removable by baking soda. Vinegar also can leave some residue. In this case, try hydrogen peroxide.
Borax washing soda and baking soda mixture
Use apple cider vinegar
Read Also: What Do You Do To Get Rid Of Mold
Preventing Shower Tile Issues
Of course, youll always have to clean your tilestheres no way to get around that. But there are some preventative measures that can make the job easier for you.
- Seal your grout. First, youll want to seal the grout in order to block mildew and debris from penetrating the surface. Grout sealers can be found at most home improvement stores, and are available in spray and roll-on varieties. Be sure to follow the package instructions carefully.
- Ventilate. After your shower, be sure to run your bathroom fan, and open the bathroom door if possible. Mold thrives in a humid environment, so be sure to let your bathroom air out.
- Wipe your tiles down. Get into the habit of wiping down your tiles after every shower, using a towel or a squeegee. Removing the excess water from the surface of the tiles will prevent at least some of it from soaking into the grout.
Clean Bathroom Tile Grout
To recover your ceramic tile shower to near ideal condition, you are going to require numerous things. Get a brand-new scrub brush that has stiff nylon or plastic bristles,;a spray bathroom cleaner or ultra moderate abrasive cleaner, and your birthday fit.
The very first thing to do is to make use of the scrub brush to remove as much mildew, dirt, soap movie and so on as possible from the tile and grout. Get into the shower and scrub well utilizing lots of water and plenty of cleaner.
You will remove those utilizing some paper towels and white vinegar. Fill some paper towels with the vinegar and position them over the difficult water spots. Vinegar is an extremely moderate acid and it works gradually however effectively to liquefy the alkaline water mold deposits.
Stop back every hour to make sure the towels are still damp with vinegar. If they do not, put fresh vinegar on the towels to keep the cleaning chemical response. The technique is to keep fresh vinegar on the towels mold.
As soon as you have all of the tough water deposits eliminated, clean the shower once again to remove all traces of vinegar. Fill as numerous towels as required. It can take hours and potentially days to bleach out all of the mildew in the Bathroom Tile Grout From Mold.
Read Also: How To Clean Mold Between Pavers
Clr Bath & Kitchen Cleaner
CLR bath & kitchen cleaner is an over the counter product that is not as toxic or abrasive as most other heavy-duty cleaning solutions. It removes everything from stubborn hard calcium deposits to lime build-up without the need for scrubbing. All you have to do is spray it onto problem areas and wipe the surface clean.
Using this product on moldy tile grout is not as easy as merely spraying and wiping clean, though. Spray along the tile grout and scrub with a brush before rinsing off. You will be left with mold-free and sparkling clean tile grout.
The best part is that it does not contain toxic chemicals such as bleach or ammonia. Its also made in the USA and is biodegradable.
Get the latest price from .
Keeping That Shower Tile Clean
Once you have done a deep cleaning of the shower tile grout, you should make it a habit of doing regular shower maintenance. Performing regular light-duty cleaning ensures that your shower stays clean.
Who wants to stare at gross stains again while showering, after all? Use one of the many ways to clean a marble tile shower or one made from other materials on a regular basis to keep your shower shiny.
Daily Cleaning Routine
Keep a spray bottle of the Vinegar Grout Cleaner handy . Make it a point to use the spray each time that you shower. Giving those shower tiles a good spray down after showering will ensure that mildew and mold cannot grow on the grout and cause stains.
Another great tip is to use a squeegee to remove excess water from the shower tiles to help prevent future mildew. Try adding some essential oil to your cleaning solution to help to eliminate that strong vinegar odor and leave the bathroom smelling fresh.
You can also spot-treat small areas with tea tree oil to remove mold and clean shower tile mildew if it does happen to appear in the corner.
If you have inherited or purchased an older home and the grout is beyond repair, it is likely time to remove shower grout and start over with nice, fresh clean grout that you can maintain yourself.
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