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Removing Bathroom Mold Got You Doing IT Outdoors?

Removing Bathroom Mold Got You Doing IT Outdoors?

Safety First – Before tearing out that wall or any bathroom tiles covered in mold growth please be aware of other occupants in the residence that are breathing the same airspace as you.

You may need to temporarily relocate any pets or people from the residence until Your Bathroom Mold Removal Plan is Completed.

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When Removing Bathroom Mold

When Removing Bathroom Mold

Take care of you! Especially, when taking on any mold cleaning project in confined spaces. Many standard bathrooms are built small with limited ventilation and good quality airspace from which to breathe. Wearing a respirator may be appropriate for your mold remediation project.

If the visible or suspected affected areas of mold growth is more than nine square feet in area; it may be necessary to get the mold tested for toxicity before continuing your restoration work. If the contaminated area is manageable then lets move forward and get’r done!

8 Steps To Successful & Safe Mold Clean-Up

  • Inspect and Resolve Moisture Problem
  • Evacuate immediate area if needed
  • ​Seal off Work Area – Minimize dust and potential airborne mold spores from rest of residence
  • ​Clean and Remove Mold from Bathroom
  • Inspect and verify successful mold cleanup and containment of mold spores to work area
  • ​Continue to Protect your Health throughout mold cleanup process
  • ​Safe disposal of all contaminated mold infested items
  • Air quality mold testing (if needed) for larger projects

Tools & Materials Needed For Mold Removal Cleanup

TOOLS & MATERIALS NEEDED FOR MOLD REMOVAL CLEANUP

The following tools are fundamental for small areas of 10 square feet or less. And, will make your next mold clean-up job more safe and efficient!

  • Safety Goggles
  • Window Fan (if window present)
  • ​Rubber Gloves (disposable nitrile gloves)
  • ​Tyvek Coveralls with Hood and Boots (disposable)
  • ​N-95 Respirator (keeps mold spores out of your lungs as well as harmful gases from bleach and ammonia based mold cleaning agents)
  • 6 mil Plastic Garbage Bags (for cleanup of contaminated drywall, clothing and other debris)
  • ​6 mil Visqueen (plastic sheeting to seal off work area and help keep mold spores from spreading throughout rest of residence)
  • ​Bleach (or favorite Eco-friendly mold cleaning solution)
  • ​Spray Bottle (label your spray bottle for contents as well as safety precautions)
  • Mold Cleaning Detergent or Disinfectant
  • ​Old Toothbrush or Small Scrub Brush (short soft & medium stiff bristles)
  • Sponge and Throw-away Towels

For projects larger than a 3 x 3 area and which have been subject to flood or sewer damage; a professional mold removal service should be consulted (many times free for initial estimate) before continuing.

Bathroom Mold Removal Products

  • Hydrogen Peroxide – Can be used to remove mold from both porous materials such as clothing (be careful to avoid spotting) and is non-toxic.
  • Chlorinated Bleach – Does a wonderful job on removing mold from hard surface and non-porous objects such as sinks, tile and tubs.
  • Ammonia – Very similar to using bleach to remove bathroom mold. Take precautions to avoid toxic fumes. Ammonia based cleaning products are very effective at eliminating mold from bathroom hard surfaces.
  • Borax – Is not as aggressive as bleach or ammonia when used as a mold cleaning agent. However, it can still cause some to experience health effects when used in larger doses. A little goes a long way with borax – take care and follow the label.

It is not safe to breathe in the gasses produced by chlgassested bleach and ammonia (take care to keep bleach and ammonia from mixing together – highly poisonous gases will result from any interaction of the two chemicals).

Take appropriate precautions to use proper breathing protection such as a N-95 respirator anytime that you are working with these chemicals – especially in non-ventilated and enclosed areas. Take Care of You and Yours when removing mold with these products!

There are many different solutions that you can use to remove black mold from your bathroom. Some mold and mildew cleaners are Eco-friendly and non-abrasive. The How to Eliminate Black Mold Post provides the pros, cons and how to use these mold cleaning products.

How To Remove Bathroom Mold

How To Remove Shower Mold

The best way to get rid of shower mold is.., Prevention!

Sorry, but there is no number one supreme way to rid yourself of this disgusting fungi! There are just too many different variables for each mold remediation plan to explore in this post.

However, you can take a peek at the Shower Mold Removal Post for more detail on how to get rid of shower mold on doors, walls, the ceiling, curtains and shower drains.

The mold remediation process will factor in length of time the mold has been present and type of organic material it is feeding on. Effectively removing shower mold will depend primarily on the size and depth in which any mold has penetrated the soiled area.

How To Remove Bathtub Mold

Bathtub mold is normally not a problem with the exception of mold growth around the faucet and drains. Sometimes, this is a challenge where the tub is sealed in against the wall with bathroom caulk.

Get your spray bottle and apply the cleaning solution to all visible mold. Also, generously mist any suspect areas that may have mold spores present.

Let sit for a few minutes and scrub-a-dub-dub.

Rinse and Repeat if Necessary.

Let completely dry and replace caulk if necessary.

How To Remove Mold In Bathroom Sink

Mold growth around the bathroom sink is often found underneath any standing objects adjacent to a wall. And, can be found in the caulk lines that seal crevices between the wall and sink basin.

Mold may also attempt to take root in any unsealed cracks or crevices between the faucet handles, spout and the sink itself.

Spray or wipe on your mold cleaning solution of choice onto the tainted area. Let the cleaning agent soak into the fungi and then rinse.

A little scrubbing with your favorite (old) toothbrush and some bleach or baking soda solution, may be needed for more stubborn stains.

Removing Mold From Bathroom Tile And Grout

Cleaning mold from bathroom tile is generally routine. Often enough, you can simply wipe away any mold growth from the tile surface straight away without too much effort.

However, the grout that separates your tiles can be more of a challenge to clean. Grout is porous and can absorb liquids and dirt. Especially, if not properly sealed and or cleaned routinely.

Therefore, it retains moisture for longer periods of time and gives mold and mildew a better foundation in which to grow and flourish.

Bleach and Hydrogen Peroxide are good non-porous cleaners for removing mold. They are both bleaching agents and can do an adequate job of removing any small surface stains from your tile and even the grout.

However, if any mold growth has set-up home a little deeper into the grout, then the mold stains may very well appear again in the near future.

In this case, the bleach eliminated the surface mold growth and did not reach out to its roots.

And, because the grout is porous, then the liquidity of the bleach or peroxide only added to the moist environmental needs of the mold to continue to grow.

If the mold stains re-emerge, then you may need to replace the grout and properly seal it once again.

How To Kill Mold On Bathroom Tile

  • Spray favorite mold cleaning agent directly on contaminated tile and grout
  • Let mold cleaning solution sit and soak for 10 minutes (longer if using peroxide or baking soda)
  • ​Scrub with small bristled brush or old toothbrush
  • ​Rinse contaminated area – Let Dry Completely
  • Repeat if necessary
  • Re-seal tile grout (if necessary)

Why Black Mold Loves Your Bathroom

Mold and Mildew absolutely love to hang out in the bathroom. Typically, most bathrooms get to see little light, are poorly ventilated (exception: fart fan is in operation) and the windows (if any present) are closed.

Often enough, many restrooms are pretty tiny and produce a ton of humidity when the shower is in use.

The small area, poor air circulation, high humidity and low lighting levels make this an ideal environment for mold growth to absolutely thrive in.

Common Causes Of Bathroom Mold And Mildew

  • Poor ventilation and circulation of air
  • Little lighting or low lighting
  • ​Consistent warm and damp environment
  • ​High humidity (especially above 55%)
  • Standing water
  • ​Abundant body oils, hair and body grime as food source
  • ​Any items in the bathroom such as shampoo bottles, beauty products, shower mats or old soaps can lead to mold growth, particularly if the bottles and items are frequently left to rest in standing water.
  • Ideally, the humidity in the bathroom should be kept between thirty and fifty percent to prevent mold growth.
  • Drains which do not drain water properly can also contribute to mold growing in bathtubs, showers or basins.

Any water that will not drain properly OR left to stand for a period of time, will eventually create a moisture problem. An environment such as this is conducive to absolute rapid mold growth.

5 Ways To Get Rid Of Bathroom Mold Odor

  • Scrub the tub and shower with your favorite cleaning solution and disinfect to kill any remaining fungi or lingering bacteria.
  • Spray the tub and shower with plain undiluted vinegar (white) each week and let it air-dry. The acids in the vinegar will attack any mold spores, deodorize and inhibit future mold growth.
  • ​Mix a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide to two or three parts water into your spray bottle. Spray solution on a mist setting to contaminated areas – let sit – wipe dry, and repeat if necessary. Spot test in out-of-sight areas first as peroxides do have a bleaching effect on them.
  • ​Place a box of baking soda or a small container of kitty litter (out of the way – perhaps underneath commode and away from indirect water contact) to absorb lingering odors in the bathroom air space.
  • Mix several drops of tea tree oil into your spray bottle (follow label directions and use a new or very clean spray bottle). Tea tree oil is natural. However, it is also toxic (so – take care to use gloves and be careful not to ingest – a little goes a very long way)! Nonetheless, it is a great natural antimicrobial to use to get rid of bathroom mold and mold odors.

Hopefully, this article will get your bathroom mold removal project off to a good start!

If you continue to have a recurrence of mold stains in your bathroom, then there may be a leak or other on-going water issue nearby.

And, it may be advisable to contact your local bathroom mold removal technician right away.

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8 thoughts on “Removing Bathroom Mold Got You Doing IT Outdoors?”

  1. Hi Bill,

    You would need to get a small sample of the area that is suspected to be contaminated with either a DIY mold kit – OR – have a professional service get the sample and send it off to an “independent” lab for analysis.

    Many molds are not dangerous at all and are in fact beneficial to us as well as the environment. And, yes you could have mold spores attach themselves to glass (or drywall, carpet and bath towels as a few more examples).

    The spots on the glass could also be mildew. You can go here for more on the different characteristics of Black Mold.

  2. How can i tell if the mold in my bathroom is the dangerous type? Or are all types of mold
    dangerous? Also does it appear on window glass as small
    spots?

  3. Wesley Sallinger

    Thanks! And yes, a sound mold prevention plan; including a steady dose of mold cleaning maintenance will normally keep mold and any harmful spores at bay (short of major flooding, leaks, high humidity and poor ventilation).

  4. Love this site! Great points here! Store bought and homemade treatments are the best way to go provided you’ve caught the problem early on. Major maintenance should be trusted to professionals with the experience, expertise, and tools to remove the mold safely.

  5. Hi Jake,

    Good points across the board – And, it is important to get that “first inspection” completed sooner rather than later; especially when the family unit is sharing their airspace with the elderly, infants or anyone with upper respiratory challenges.

    There are certainly many recognized companies that will give a home or business a professional consultation before any fees are assessed. And, it is so very important to catch any possible contamination before it colonizes and spreads throughout the Heating/Air-Conditioning System of your home.

  6. Molds are part of the natural environment. It may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture. It is the #1 cause of allergy symptoms which could lead to serious health concerns; respiratory illnesses or even death. Proper inspection, testing and removal are essential to ensure a healthier, happier existence for you and your family.

    A mold inspection is when a person looks for mold growth in a building. It is important to have inspection in your home to protect you and your family from the toxic diseases it will give. It is the most important first step in identifying a possible microbial contamination problem. After that you might feel mold testing is warranted if you couldn’t find any mold.

    Find out more at Certified Mold Inspection

  7. Yuna,
    Thanks for visiting. I agree that dehumidifiers are an awesome tool to use in mold prevention practices. I’ve got one in my basement that continues to surprise me at how much moisture it pulls out of the air. And, consequently depriving mold what it needs for future growth.

  8. Great tips! a dehumidifier also works great for preventing mold and mildew buildup. a dehumidifier basically pulls moisture out of the air, because this moisture is what causes mold and mildew to develop in really humid areas. I love your tips, really great job on this!

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