Your bathroom is probably the wettest room in your home. It also tends to be smaller than other rooms and poorly ventilated. These factors provide perfect conditions for mold to grow. Mold is not just ugly; it is a health hazard and can cause serious damage to your home. So how do you deal with mold in the bathroom?
Humidity
Check your fan to ensure it is extracting as much humidity as possible. Your fans capacity to extract humidity is measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute). To find out the right if your fan is the right size for your bathroom, multiply the area of the bathroom in square feet by 1.1. If your fan's CFM is lower than this, replace it with a larger fan.
Keep your shower dry. Eliminate extra water from your shower walls and floor after taking a shower. Keep your bathroom fan running during and after your shower. Waterproof your tiles with grout sealer once a year.
Inspection
Conduct a thorough inspection of your bathroom for mold. Look out for black, pink, green, or red discolorations. Pay special attention to the ceiling, sink area, bathtub, tiles, and drains. Consider professional mold testing; you can't always spot mold contamination with the naked eye.
Cleaning
Mix 10 parts bleach with three parts water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray on the surface. Leave it for 10 minutes, then scrub and rinse off. You may also use simple soap and water.
For stubborn mold stains, leave the bleach mixture on the surface for 24 hours and then rinse it off. Do not use pure bleach, as this can damage tiles and other surfaces. You may then seal the grout lines with mold-resistant caulk.
Disposal
Dispose of any mold-infested porous material such as rugs and shower curtains. Be careful not to spread the spores to the other surfaces or other parts of the home.
Gently put them in plastic bags. You may also need to seal off the working area with plastic sheets and block off your HVAC vents to prevent them from sucking in errant spores.
If the mold infestation is extensive, covering more than 10 square feet, you will need professional mold removal services to help you get rid of the mold. You will also need professional help if the mold is in hard to reach places such as behind sinks and in the walls and floors.
Almost all bathrooms will have some amount of mold. Prevention is the key. Keep your bathroom as dry and as well ventilated as possible. Next, set up a regular cleaning schedule.
