If you’ve never experienced bathroom mold, perhaps you aren’t looking deep enough into the corners of your bathroom.
It’s one of the most common problems in any house; it’s also one of the easiest to prevent and cure — as long as you haven’t let it get out of hand.
Common Causes of Bathroom Mold
- Lingering moisture caused by lack of ventilation
- Leaky toilets, sinks, and plumbing pipes
- Damp cellulose materials such as rugs, paper products, wood, wallpaper, grout, drywall, and fabric
- So how do you know if you have a mold problem? ‘If you can see it or smell it, you’ve got it.
Finding the Mold in Your Bathroom
Bathroom mold isn’t always obvious. Check out hidden areas, such as under sinks, access doors to shower and bath fixtures, around exhaust fans, even in crawl spaces and basements underneath bathrooms.
It could be starting in the bathroom but actually forming in another room, lack of proper ventilation is the biggest culprit for mold growth.
Preventing Mold
The best defense is preventing mold from occurring in the first place.
- Use your bathroom ventilation fan when you shower or bathe, and leave it on for 30 minutes following the end of your bath; if you don’t have an exhaust fan, install one.
- Keep household humidity levels below 50%; an air conditioner or dehumidifier can help.
- Use a mildew-resistant shower curtain, and wash or replace it frequently.
- Don’t keep bottles of shampoo or shower gel, toys, or loofahs in the shower, as they provide places for mold to grow and hide.
- Wash your bathroom rugs frequently.
Getting Rid of Mold
What do you do if mold growth is already a problem? As long as the infestation isn’t large, you can take remedial measures yourself:
- Strip away and replace any caulking or sealant that has mold growth.
- Clean your bathroom with mold-killing products, such as bleach, vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide. Just don’t mix those products; mixing can cause toxic reactions.
- Open windows and doors while cleaning to provide fresh air and help dry out the mold.
- If you have a problem area bigger than 10 square feet, refer to guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or call Dry Tech Restoration 321.368.3399 for a free assessment
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