What Causes Black Mold In Shower Caulk
Black mold is caused by fungal growth. The mold spores are carried in the air, and when they land on a suitable surface, they can start to grow.
Black mold prefers warm, humid environments and its preferred food is cellulose, which is present in paper, wood, particleboard, drywall, your shower curtain and more.
It also requires oxygen and prefers low light, and it loves the kind of leaks, humidity, condensation and moist environment found in bathrooms. Then, when it finds the perfect combination of conditions, it can spread extremely quickly.
If it finds its way into the grout between your tiles and your shower caulking, it can be hard to clean off. This is because even if you clean the visible part, some may be left behind the grout or caulking where you cant see which will then quickly regenerate after cleaning is finished.
That means to get rid of it for good, you need to kill everything, even the parts you cant see so lets have a look at how to do that now.
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Keep your bathroom pristine with these mold-free strategies.
Mold is not only unsightly it also can pose health risks to members of your family. If you have mold in your bathtub or shower, you are in good company. It is a common problem in American homes, and because mold thrives in moist, enclosed spaces, it stands to reason that bathrooms are among its favorite places to grow. Mold can cause respiratory distress, red and itchy eyes or even chronic lung infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control. You can send black mold packing by adopting some simple, straightforward cleaning strategies that will keep your bathtub and shower areas pristine.
Bathroom Mold Prevention
One of the best ways to banish mold from your living spaces is to prevent it in the first place. To do that successfully, be sure to:
- Install an exhaust fan with a humidity sensor, which automatically removes moisture and conserves energy by shutting off when the moisture has been cleared.
- Promptly repair any leaks if they develop.
- Replace your shower curtain liner often.
- Store shampoo, soap and bath toys in a dry place between uses.
- Keep towels and bathmats clean and dry.
- Maintain your homes ambient air at less than 50 percent humidity.
- Consider a grout-free shower system, to avoid moisture penetrating grout in the shower
Pro Tip: Mold will form wherever moisture remains standing in the bathroom. Controlling the moisture = controlling the problem!
Mold Removal
Black Mold Is Being Resistant Even Though You Clean It
Even though you clean the black mold, it can be resistant and wont come off the silicone in the shower . In this case, you have no alternative but to use bleach, in some form. Here is a good hack to clean stubborn mold using bleach and baking soda . Since you are using bleach, make sure to wear a mask because of the fumes.
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Apply To The Caulk With Cotton Balls
Wearing rubber gloves, take a cotton ball and dip it into the bleach solution. Give it a gentle squeeze so some of the solution comes out. However, dont squeeze too much out it should be damp but not dripping.
Push the cotton ball into the corner of the wall to cover part of the caulk, then repeat with as many cotton balls as necessary to cover the whole stain.
Health Risk Of Black Mold
Mold is gross to look at but what is the real risk? It turns out that mildew and mold growth in the bathroom does not pose a serious health crisis unless the mold spores begin to spreadthrough the rest of the house.
Some types of mold become a danger when allowed to spread on surfaces with cellulose, which is found in wood and wood-derived materials such as paper and fiberboard.
If the mold penetrates the walls, floorboards, and rafters, the toxic mold may develop.
In bathrooms, the mold is more likely to cause minor respiratory issues in some individuals. Potential symptoms include:
- Skin irritation
During a severe reaction, you may also find it difficult to take deep breaths. If you detect these signs, remove mold and consider having your property inspected for the spread of moldthrough other areas.
While mold is rarely a danger, remove it before it has the chance to spread. It can easily travel through air ducts and settle in rooms throughout the house.
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Q: What Are Some Alternatives To Bleach To Kill Mold
A: If you are not keen on using bleach, there are a number of other solutions you can consider for getting rid of mold.
One method that can work well is to combine water and hydrogen peroxide in equal parts. You can use a spray bottle to dispense the hydrogen peroxide. Wear rubber gloves as needed if you are cleaning mold this way.
You will need to wait for a little bit while the hydrogen peroxide goes to work and remove mold from shower caulking, and then you can rinse it off.
Another option to remove mold from a shower caulk is to combine water and baking soda. You can try adding just a little baking soda to the water, then spray, wait, and wipe it down. Alternately, you can adjust the ration to make a baking soda paste and use a scrub brush or toothbrush.
Yet another shower caulking removal solution is white vinegar. You do not need to dilute the vinegar with water. Unlike a water solution, you can pour this right into a spray bottle.
Spray the vinegar to remove mold from the shower caulking, and then wait. After the vinegar has had some time to work, you can rinse it off to remove mold spores from the acrylic caulk, bathroom door, or shower tiles.
If you want to enhance your vinegar, you can add a bit of tea tree oil to your spray bottle. Spray it onto the shower caulking and wait before rinsing off the silicone caulking. With all of these mold removal methods, your shower caulk should be just fine.
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Three: Apply A Cleaning Solution
Once youre prepared and ready, you can start cleaning mold from your shower caulk. This step may require a bit of elbow grease, especially for more stubborn mold varieties such as black mold. There are a variety of products that will effectively kill both growing mold and new spores:
You should spray solutions of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and vinegar on moldy areas and allow them to sit for the best results.
You can also scrub the solution using a sponge or cotton balls when using bleach. Baking soda and borax slurries work best when applied with a brush or spare toothbrush.
Q: What If The Mold Growth Is Extensive
A: Hopefully, you will find that you can clean the mold out of your shower yourself using vinegar, baking soda, or one of the other methods in this article.
But you might discover that your mold issue isn’t confined to one small spot in your shower. If it covers a more extensive part of the shower, you may need to call in a professional to help you kill mold from shower caulking for good.
Also, if you are currently unable to control the moisture levels in your bathroom, you might need to make modifications to remove growing mold.
You may, for instance, benefit from adding ventilation to the room or upgrading it to remove excess moisture. If that is the case, that could also necessitate calling in a professional. It would depend on how extensive the work would need to be to achieve the result you are looking for. For example, a bathroom fan to aid poor ventilation may require professional help while a much eaaier method is to keep your windows open.
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Tips For Preventing Mold Growth
Reduce the risk of future mold growth with a few simple steps. First, use a bathroom fan when showering or taking a bath.
If the bathroom does not have a ventilation fan, consider installing one. The fan helps draw warm, humid air out of the bathroom, lowering the humidity. As mold spores thrive in dank, humid conditions, a lower humidity level helps prevent future growth.
Installing a fan may not be an option for everyone. Alternatives include opening the bathroom window or placing a box fan outside the bathroom door.
Besides higher humidity levels, bathrooms are also more prone to mold infestations due to the moisture. While you cannot get rid of water in the bathroom, you can clean up puddles andsplashes from the shower or sink.
After taking a shower or bath, dry up wet spots with a towel or cleaning cloth. You do not need to wipe everything down.
Spending just a minute or two eliminating moisture helps protect the bathroom from the mold.
Mold also likes to grow around shower drains and sink drains. The drains contain cellulose, the substance that encourages mold growth.
Make sure that you keep the drains clear at all times. Clean out the hair to keep the water draining properly, reducing the buildup of soap scum around the drain.
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What Didnt Remove Mold
When we first moved to our current house, I did a little research and experimented with a number of methods touted to remove mold from shower caulk. Im sure there are even more techniques than the ones listed below, but heres what did not work for me:
- Saturating the affected area with straight ammonia. This may be incredibly effective, but personally, I detest the smell too much to even try. And since I often use bleach when cleaning I figured it was better just to stay away from this one completely since combining bleach and ammonia produces toxic gas.
- Spraying with vinegar. This method proved completely worthless for my situation, although I believe it has some merit as a mold preventative. I do love vinegar for glass cleaning though! Take a look at this DIY cleaner I use.
- Making a baking soda paste with water. I found this only minimally effective on tough mold. Baking soda is a great natural cleaner, though, and the gentle abrasiveness was good for cleaning the tile and some mildewy spots.
- Combining baking soda and vinegar. Lets talk about this for a minute because I see this combination recommended all the time online. Baking soda and vinegar cancel each other out. This is just basic chemistry, yall. Combining baking soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide and salty water .
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How To Remove Black Mould From Silicone Sealant
Silicone sealant is found along the length of showers, baths and sinks to stop water from reaching the fixtures. Its rubbery consistency and constant exposure to water and moisture make it the perfect breeding ground for black mould to grow. Its also one of the hardest areas to clean, especially if there is a build-up of black mould over a few months.
Here is our quick guide to effectively remove black mould from silicone sealant, how to prevent it and when to .
Moldy Shower Caulk Fixed
Dirty bathrooms are a huge turnoff for home buyers. Mold is another huge turnoff. Combine the two and the yuck factor multiplies. I think everyone has seen moldy bathroom caulk before, and if youve tried cleaning this stuff, you know its impossible.
I was reminded of this topic while blogging about the top 5 places to find mold in your home last week, so Im doing a re-blog on this topic, along with a video.
Back in 2011, I moved into a somewhat distressed property that needed some TLC. Among the list of neglected items was some nasty-looking caulk in the master bathroom shower. Yep, thats my shower pictured above. I figured I would need to remove all of the moldy caulking and re-caulk my shower walls to get them looking good again, but after doing some online research, I found a cleaning method that worked surprisingly well and wasnt much work. I was so happy with the results that I had to share the process.
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How To Remove Mold From Silicone Caulk Without Bleach
If youre dealing with moldy silicone caulk, you dont necessarily need to reach for the bleach. There are a few different ways you can remove mold from silicone caulk without resorting to harsh chemicals.One method is to simply scrub the moldy areas with a sponge or brush and some soapy water. You can also try using a vinegar solution or a hydrogen peroxide solution . If these DIY solutions dont do the trick, you can also buy commercial mold and mildew cleaners at your local hardware store.Whatever cleaner you use, apply it to the affected area and let it sit for about 15 minutes before scrubbing vigorously. Be sure to rinse the area well afterwards and dry it completely to prevent further mold growth.
What To Do When You Dont Want To Remove Bathroom Caulk Yourself
When you know its time to remove the caulk in your bathroom but dont want to do it yourself, hire a professional to remove it for you. Be sure you find someone who is licensed and insured to do work in your home.
Theres nothing wrong with having someone come in to take care of this for you. Busy lives dont always leave much time for projects like that. The person you hire can remove the old caulk and re caulk it for you.
We cant remove the caulk in your bathroom, but we can help you keep the mold and mildew away. Regular housekeeping services will keep that new silicone caulk looking just like new.
Upstairs Downstairs is a housekeeping company that offers a variety of different services to our customers in northwest Chicago:
- Housekeeping services help you keep your home orapartment in order
- Deep cleaning services that are perfect before holidays, get-togethers, or welcoming a new little one to your home
- Move-In and Out cleaning services help you move into a nice, clean home or that your home is ready for its new family
We canget you a quote online now or call us at 394 5543 to talk with us about your needs.
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How To Remove Mold From Under Silicone Caulk
Mold can be a difficult problem to solve, especially when it is located in hard to reach places such as under silicone caulk. However, with a little elbow grease and the right cleaning supplies, you can rid your home of this pesky fungus for good! Here is a step-by-step guide on how to remove mold from under silicone caulk:1) First, mix together equal parts water and white vinegar in a bowl or bucket.2) Next, use a sponge or brush to apply the mixture directly onto the moldy caulk.3) Allow the solution to sit on the caulk for at least 15 minutes so that it can penetrate the mold spores.4) After 15 minutes have passed, use a scrub brush to agitate the caulk and loosen up the mold. You may need to reapply more of the water/vinegar solution if the mold is stubborn.5) Finally, rinse away all traces of mold and residue with clean water. Be sure to dry off the area completely afterwards to prevent future growth.
Remove The Caulking And Re
If the problem seems to be with caulking itself â and the walls behind your bathtub or shower are dry and built with proper methods, then the caulk can be scraped off and replaced. Youâll need a flat razor blade with which to scrape off the caulking, and a tube or two of bathroom caulk in the correct color. Follow the instructions on the tube in order to apply the caulk correctly.
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Dry Every Surface You Can
After youre done showering, look for areas where water likes to linger, such as shower tiles. Make sure to dry off the excess water this stops black mold growth. On tiles and glass doors, its best to use a squeegee. You can use a dry cleaning cloth for narrow areas. Even a small puddle of water can encourage black mold growth.
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