Bathroom Mold-How to Remove it and Keep it From Ever Coming Back

Tweet

         This Guest post was written and compiled by Lizel Roswell.

Where there’s moisture, there’s (often) mold. Your bathroom has plenty of moisture, so it’s perhaps the most appealing place in your home for mold to grow. Mold will often appear in your grout lines, defacing your tile and even posing a health hazard to your family. When you see mold, you need to attack it with a vengeance.
But mold is resilient, and as long as the conditions in your bathroom remain the same, the mold will keep growing back. Something has to give. You need to remove mold and take measures to prevent it from returning, so here are some tips on how to do both.


          Mold Prevention


Moisture

Mold needs moisture in order to grow. If you want to help prevent it, after a shower take care to dry off not only yourself but your tub and tile as well. Just soaking up wet spots with a towel can make a big difference. If you use the sink or shower and notice extra water has gotten onto the floor, don’t let it sit.

Humidity

Humidity can also encourage mold growth, and your hot, steamy showers aren’t helping. You don’t need to give them up; you just need to reduce the humidity in the bathroom whenever possible. Do this by turning on the bathroom exhaust fan, leaving the door cracked or open, and/or opening a window. Using the heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer will also help regulate the humidity.

Darkness

Mold also needs darkness to grow, so be generous with your bathroom lighting. Turn on the lights for a little bit after using the shower. If you’re worried about your electric bill, consider how bad your mold problem is. If your mold is particularly stubborn, leaving the bathroom lights on will help.

Maintenance

Regularly cleaning your shower and bathroom tile will also help to keep mold at bay. Soap scum and grime will invite mold, so remove it by cleaning with a liquid detergent and sponge. Using a bleach cleaner or vinegar is also effective.

              Mold Removal

Chlorine Bleach

Chlorine bleach is a sure way to kill and remove the mold in your bathroom. It’s the only method that is guaranteed to work. Make your own bleach cleaner by mixing one part bleach with one part water. Pour or spray onto the mold, let it soak for a few minutes, and then wipe the mold away with a sponge. Use a toothbrush or a cotton ball soaked in the solution to clean the areas that are more difficult to reach.

Vinegar

Vinegar can also remove mold because it is mildly acidic. Use undiluted household vinegar in the same way you’d use bleach (described above). You may need to let the vinegar soak a little bit longer, however, before the mold is as easy to remove.

Baking Soda

Baking soda won’t remove the mold, but it will remove the smell of the mold. The musty odor that mold leaves behind can be pungent. Cover your bathtub and tile with baking soda, let it sit for a while, and then wipe it away with paper towels and a little bit of vinegar.


Lizel Roswell is a bathroom designer and lead at Community Home Supply Chicago design showroom