How Does Mold In Your Home Affect Your Health
Mold is actually quite dangerous, especially when left to grow without abandon. Most materials now used to construct your bathroom are made without cellulose to give mold less of a chance to grow. But as weve noted above, mold is a survivor, and it will still find a way.
Mold typically causes stronger reactions in those with allergies or sensitivities, weakened immune systems, or asthma, as well as chronic lung conditions. However, larger populations of mold can cause a reaction in anyone.
Symptoms of mold poisoning can include mild problems like skin irritation and rashes, yeast infections, sneezing, and itchy eyes. It can also cause severe problems like difficulty in breathing.
As you can see, dealing with your mold problems is not just about aesthetics. There are many reasons to remove mold from your home.
Get Rid Of Excess Water
As soon as you are done showering, get rid of as much water as possible so that it doesnt have time to evaporate and cause mold. A simple squeegee should do the trick as well as a quick wipe of the tub or sink. You can use a washcloth to get to the tile grout and corners where mold has a tendency to start growing.
Thoroughly clean your shower, tub, sink and toilet once a week to ensure no excess water has piled up. You can use various commercial cleaners and supplies such as scrub brushes and washcloths to clean your bathroom and prevent mold from invading it.
Get The Air Circulating
If your bathroom has a window, leave it open or cracked as often as you can to allow air to circulate through the space. Youll also want to use an exhaust fan to keep air moving and your bathroom dry when you shower or bathe.
Leave your ventilation fan on for at least 30 minutes after you shower or take a bath, too. If you dont have an exhaust fan in your restroom, consider getting one installed.
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Why Does Mold And Mildew Grow On Caulk
The bathroom is the perfect environment for mold and mildew to grow. Its important to take steps to prevent mold and mildew growth before it starts. Even when your customer cleans their bathroom regularly, these pesky fungi can cause health problems. If your customer struggles with asthma or allergies, mold and mildew can irritate those conditions and make them worse.
Mildew and mold form in warm, humid environments. All the moisture in the bathroom makes the perfect breeding ground for mildew and mold. Between taking showers and washing your hands, the bathroom can become a very humid environment very quickly. Mold and mildew can form from the residue of soap, shampoo, body oil, and other common hygiene products. This causes major problems and is hard to avoid.
If you dont use a mold-resistant caulk, homeowners will have to clean the bathroom daily to keep it from building up. Not only is this inconvenient, but it also increases their exposure to mold and mildew. This can hurt the air quality in their bathroom and be irritating for those who struggle with respiratory problems.
Mold can also grow underneath the caulk, which means you wont be able to see it or clean it. When mold and mildew grow underneath your caulking, it can cause long-term damage to the bathroom. However, you can keep your customer safe by upgrading to a high-performance caulk.
First Things First: Where Is The Mold Growing
If mold is growing on top of your caulking or grout, consider yourself lucky. Why? Because mold can actually form inside or under grout or caulk. The reason this can happen is because over time, your caulking may crack. All it takes is a tiny fissure for mold to get underneath.
To figure out what you are dealing with, soak a few cotton balls in bleach, and press them onto the affected area. If you see the mold go away right away, it is probably superficial.
But if 30 or 40 seconds go by and you can still see some mold, then it is inside the caulk. That is bad news, but you can still stop mold, even when it penetrates your caulk.
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When Do You Need To Replace Caulking
You might need to replace the caulk completely if things are pretty bad and you dont see any improvement after cleaning it. This process isnt that difficult either. You can also get some professional help if nothing else works.
Silicone caulks are more durable and thus will serve you better. There are latex caulks you can buy too. Those are easier to apply but dont perform that well when compared to silicone caulk.
Black Mold In The Shower Heres How To Remove It
By Jennifer First published: . This post may contain affiliate links.
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Showers are notorious for their gunkand funk. Sure, there are some super sparkly perfect showers in this world butthey are few and far between. Life happens and cleaning the shower ends upfairly low on most peoples list.
Enter black mold in the shower. Uggg.
Dont worry. It happens to pretty muchall of us. Even me. Yes, you read that right. I fight the shower mold fightweekly. Whoever thought that natural stone tiles in the shower was a good ideathought wrong.
Trust me when I saw that I have tried EVERYTHING in the battle against black mold in the shower. Im a pretty savvy DIY cleaning guru as well as a certified mold inspector. Youd think I would have this down to a science. Ha. Yeah nope. Every shower is different which is why there is no one size fits all approach to how to get rid of mold in the shower.
But never fear I will give you ahandful of shower mold removal options that WILL work. You just have to playaround and find the one that works in your shower.
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How To Use Ammonia
Mix the ammonia and water with a ratio of 1:1 inside a container. Create a mixture in a well-ventilated area. Use a funnel to pour the mixture into a bottle with a sprayer. Spray an even layer onto the caulk in your shower. In corners or other areas where there is an abundance of growth, spray more.
The ammonia will need to sit for 10 minutes, so use this time to leave the room and get some fresh air.
Head back in after 10 minutes and, using a soft brush, scrub until you see the mold coming off. Using a small rag or cloth, wipe down the caulk until its dry so you can see clearly. If there is mold remaining, repeat the process.
Keep an eye on it over the next days and weeks. If the mold returns, it has gotten under the caulk.
How To Remove Mold From Grout
Removing mould from grout is a tough job and has potential health hazards. Because mold reproduces through spores, extra caution must be taken to prevent breathing in spores in the air. Personal protective gear should be worn when handling and cleaning mold. There are many types of mold that grow in homes, some with worse reputations and hazards than others. One of the most dreaded forms, black mold, can cause serious health conditions. Black mold removal may be completed by you as long as the area isnt too large and protection is worn.
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Clean Clean And Clean
There really is no substitute for cleaning. Making sure your house, especially areas that are most likely to have moisture like the kitchen and bathroom, is always kept clean. Its one of the best ways to prevent mold from growing.
You can use vinegar to do a deep penetrating cleaning session. Make sure to thoroughly clean at least 3 times each month. Do this and you shouldnt see mold growth.
Preventing Mold In Shower Caulking
Mold can cause a variety of issues such as nasal congestion, eye inflammation, cough, and throat sensitivity. Thats why it becomes necessary to prevent the arrival of mold in shower caulking. You can take below preventive methods to prevent the mold from appearing:
- Use a Dehumidifier
- Keep the Shower Area Dry
- Remove Wet Towels
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Causes Of Mold Growth On Your Shower Caulk
Mold spores are spread by air, and they can stay alive despite extreme conditions. Like any other organism, molds need food to grow. In this case, anything containing organic material can be food, but molds prefer cellulose above all else. They can form on paper, wood, particleboard, or drywall because of their cellulose content.
Apart from food, molds spread faster in the presence of moisture, oxygen, heat, high humidity, and low light. The reason black mold grows on your shower caulk is that your caulk often retains water and soap scum, which contains cellulose. If left untended for a few weeks, black mold will begin to germinate, especially in a warm dark bathroom.
Leaks, humidifiers, condensation, wet clothes, and lack of maintenance are common causes of serious mold growths.
Black Mold On Silicone Around The Tub Shower And Sinks
Silicone is usually a white color, sometimes called caulking that fills the space between a sink, countertop, or the tub, shower, and the wall. The growth of the black mold often happens on silicone in the shower and throughout the bathroom, as it is a difficult area to keep dry and clean. Clean this area as you see the mold start to form to prevent it from getting out of control.
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Tools And Protective Gear
Closely follow these recommendations to protect yourself from mildew spores that will permeate the air during the mold remediation process.
- Gloves and eye protection must be worn to protect the skin from cleaning agents and mould spores.
- A mask to cover the nose and mouth must be worn to prevent the inhalation of mould spores that are dislodged from the surface of the shower wall.
- Place the bleach and water solution in an adjustable spray bottle.
- Have a full bucket of hot clear water available to rinse the surface with a clean sponge.
- For extensive mildew removal, wear a disposable paper overall that can be discarded when the job is completed.
Ways To Remove Mold From Shower Grout
Option 1: Use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to clean the shower. Be sure to wear gloves and a protective mask so you dont breathe in the spores. Mix some baking soda with water to create a paste and apply to the affected area of pink or black mildew. Then spray some peroxide over the paste. Finally, scrub with a brush and rinse with water. Repeat if necessary.
Option 2: Use distilled white vinegar. This is a natural product and usually doesnt cause the grout to discolor or fall apart. Use a spray bottle to soak the mildew area with vinegar. Let it sit for about 30 minutes and then scrub if necessary. Rinse with warm water and wipe the shower dry.
Option 3: Use chlorine bleach. You will need to make sure the area is well ventilated and wear a mask when working with bleach. If you have colored grout, do not use this option. Using a spray bottle with 1 part bleach to 2 parts water, spray the black, orange or pink mildew. Let the bleach sit for at least 30 minutes and then carefully scrub with a brush. Rinse with water and pat dry.
Option 4: Use a commercial cleaner. There are many products on the market that will help clean fungus off your grout. They usually come in a spray bottle and require the solution to sit on the area for a specified amount of time. As with bleach, be sure to use protective gear when working with chemicals to clean black, pink, and orange mildew.
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How To Remove Black Mold From Shower Caulk
This does the trick in my house, I hope it helps you too.
If the mildew does not go after wiping it away, it might be developing within the caulk. If the mold has pierced the caulk surface, the only solution is to remove the caulk and replace it with mold-resistant bathroom caulk.If you start to feel light-headed throughout this procedure, step away from the area for a few minutes. To lessen the impact of cleaning, work in short amounts of time on large chores.
Where Does Mold Grow In My Shower
- Mold can grow in the grout. That is one of its favorite places.
- It can grow inside the window frame if your window is IN the shower like mine is.
- It can grow around the drain and on the drain plug.
- Mold can grow on the shower caulking.
- It can grow in the door tracks if you have doors.
- Mold can grow under shampoo bottles, bars of soap, shaving cream bottles, etc
- While not technically a part of the shower, mold can grow on a shower curtain.
Mold can also grow behind shower tiles and on the wall but this is due to a leak behind the shower and not from water in the shower typically. The exception is if your grout is old and cracking. Then water can seep behind the shower tiles allowing mold to grow.
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Alternative Methods Ive Tried
These are also excellent methods, but in MY opinion, they didnt work quite as well as the bleach solution. I PREFER to use no chemicals in the house, but sometimes, when it comes to mold and health, bleach is my go-to.
Im well aware of the benefits of tea tree oil and its disinfecting properties, but come onbleach is just much more durable, and so I trust it more in these situations.
However, if you dont have bleach in your home, or you prefer to use natural products, there are some other things you can do to get the mold off.
How To Prevent Mold Formation In The Shower Caulk
First things first, make sure that the shower caulk is cleaned every few days. Also make sure that there is no water left on it for prolonged periods of time.
Baking soda is very effective in removing moisture from the caulk which will prevent further mold growth in the area.
A deep cleaning of the shower area every couple of weeks goes a long way in making sure that there is no mold formation.
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An Important Note About Using Bleach To Remove Mold
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.
Also, you should NEVER mix bleach with ammonia.
However, the bleach does do a great job at removing mold usually and also removes any mold stains as well, which is why I used it in my bathroom. I usually prefer less harsh chemicals or natural cleaning agents, but I am also a fan of using something that works, the first time.
Other alternatives to using bleach to remove mold from caulking would be:
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 stains at all.
If you know how to remove mold from caulking without using bleach, Id love to know!
In the meantime, bleach totally works to get rid of mold on shower caulking! Just be careful handling it. Enjoy a whiter bathroom!
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.
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