How to get rid of mold and mildew in the bathroom at home

Mold fungus often spreads in the wettest areas of the house - in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Even if the spore colonies are not visible to the human eye, the mycelium may be on the surfaces of the walls or in the joints between the tiles for a long time. Mold spoils the appearance of the finish and is the causative agent of various diseases, this is its main danger to humans. To avoid this, it is important to regularly clean using special tools, and if the mold is already wound up in the seams of the bathroom tile, you can get rid of it with special antiseptic solutions or folk remedies.

What is dangerous

The most common type of fungus in wet areas is black mold, it is one of the most dangerous to health. Toxins contained in disputes can provoke the development of various diseases. Spores easily penetrate the airways, settle on the skin, causing allergic reactions, chronic rhinitis, dermatitis, etc. Gradually accumulating toxins can lead to poisoning, accompanied by nausea, severe headaches, dizziness and vomiting. Of course, this is an extreme case, but the danger of mold fungus is obvious.

For young children without developed immunity, black mold is especially dangerous, it is necessary to get rid of it as soon as possible, using any means available at home. But it is even better to carry out prevention, not allowing the spread of dangerous fungus in the bathroom.

Causes

Black mold, which is not so easy to get rid of, appears in the bathroom for a number of reasons. This is high humidity, improperly treated materials or poor ventilation. Before choosing a way to remove mold in the bathroom between the tiles on the floor or wall, it is worthwhile to learn more about the reasons for its occurrence. Their elimination will reduce the likelihood of fungal growth.

Humidity

The main reason why it is difficult to get rid of black mold is the constant humidity in the bathroom. The fungus loves dampness, and in the bathroom it is impossible to get rid of it for obvious reasons. Splashes of water and condensate of steam constantly settle on the surfaces, contributing to the growth of the mycelium.

Darkness

There is not enough electric lighting for the bathroom, and mold spores feel great there. The presence of a window through which sunlight penetrates could correct the situation a little, it would be easier to remove the fungus in the bathroom - it dies under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.

Poor ventilation

To get rid of the fungus in the bathroom will be difficult in the absence of free air circulation. In a confined space, humid air will not be able to escape, thereby increasing the concentration of moisture, which is favorable conditions for the development of mold spores.

Important! In the bathroom there must be ventilation, and after using the bathroom for its intended purpose, it will not be superfluous to open the door - so steam and moist air will come out faster.

Lack of antiseptics

Some wall and floor coverings are treated with antiseptics at the production stage, but do not think that this is enough. The seams or joints, as a rule, remain unprotected, water can penetrate there, and black mold will gradually develop there.

Important! The most vulnerable places are corners, joints and seams, during cleaning with the use of antiseptics, they should be given increased attention.

What tools might be needed

In addition to ingredients for traditional recipes for removing fungus in the bathroom or professional tools, you may need various auxiliary things. To clean the joints between the tiles use:

• A screwdriver or other fairly sharp object, the width of which coincides with the seams;
• Soda, vinegar, bleach and other means;
• Unnecessary toothbrush, small hard brush;
• Soft sponge or rag;
• Skin;
• New grout.

Often, such a simple set of tools is more than enough to remove mold in the bathroom between the tiles on the floor or walls.

Folk recipes

Funds from mold and mildew in the bathroom, which can be easily prepared from what is in the cupboard in the kitchen, are quite a lot. They can easily cope with the problem when the mycelium is not too big. Consider the most popular tools.

Vinegar

An excellent remedy for black mold in the bathroom, acetic acid is found in every hostess. Acetic acid can be used by itself or be part of the composition of a more complex fungus agent.

The easiest way to clean seams or plates is to apply acetic acid to all places affected by mold. Wait 10 minutes, then rub the joints well with a sponge and rinse the surface with warm water.

Baking soda

You can process the fungus bath using ordinary soda. It is enough to mix soda gruel in a small bowl and put it on the seams with an ordinary brush. Thoroughly clean the joints, wash off any soda residue with water. Do not forget to wipe the tiles dry.

With the help of soda you can remove not only mold fungus, it perfectly cleans any dirt. However, it should be understood that cleaning using soda is enough for a short time.

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Mold can be removed in the seams of the bath using tea tree oil. It is enough to dilute it (2 teaspoons) in warm water (2 tbsp.) And apply the resulting liquid to the tile with the help of a spray bottle. Leave the oil solution on the tile, it is not necessary to wash it away. To the smell does not interfere with households, cleaning can be done at night or when no one is home.

Acid solution

You can kill the fungus in the bathroom using a solution of boric and acetic acid with hydrogen peroxide and water in proportions of 1: 2: 2: 4, respectively. With the finished solution, wipe the affected areas well.

Anthracene oil

Unlike previous products, which can wash the mold in the bathroom at the joints of the tile, anthracene oil is used only to prevent the occurrence of fungus. When using this tool, keep in mind that the oil has a pronounced unpleasant odor, the room must be ventilated.

Borax

At home, you can get rid of the fungus in the bathroom using borax by mixing 1 cup of 2.5 liters of water. The mixture is applied to the affected areas after cleaning by other means, it is not necessary to rinse off the solution, but the surface should not be left wet. To get rid of excess moisture, wipe the tiles with a dry cloth or paper napkins.

Camphor

It will help only at the initial stage of infection with mold. To combat the dangerous fungus, it is enough to simply lay out a few balls in the corners of the most susceptible places.

Important! Ensure that children or pets do not find camphor.

Iodine

Iodine vapor is also a good tool to help fight the fungus in the bathroom. It is enough to add 10 mg of iodine to a glass of water, and simply leave the resulting solution on the shelf.

Professional tools

If folk recipes did not help and the problem reached an impressive scale, more radical methods will help get rid of the mold in the bathroom. First of all, these are antiseptics, if they are powerless, only mechanical intervention will help. So, here are some useful practical tips on how to get a fungus in the bathroom.

Antiseptics

Wash the seams between the tiles from the mold in several ways, it all depends on the size of the affected area. If the fungus does not have time to spread, it is enough just to scrape it off the tile, dry the clean place, and then treat with an antiseptic. If the problem is not resolved the first time, the above steps should be repeated.

If the scale of growth of black mold is too large, only repair will help to correct the situation. At the same time, the entire decoration of the bathroom will have to be removed - the mycelium may be located at a considerable distance from the colonies visible to the eye. Once the finish is removed, the room must be thoroughly dried using a building dryer.

During the new repair it is recommended to add antiseptic to the plaster, as well as apply it in a separate layer before leveling the walls. You can also use a plaster mix, a primer, etc., with an already added antiseptic during production. When you purchase a separate antiseptic to protect the bathroom from mold, carefully read the packaging. The drug should kill the fungus, and not be a prophylactic agent.

Ultraviolet and ionization

You can fight with fungus and black mold with the help of ionized air, the jet of which is generated by a special device. However, this method of getting rid of infection is carried out only by professionals and is quite expensive.

UV irradiation of the bathroom can be carried out with your own hands, it is enough to purchase a special lamp. Ultraviolet destroys not only the fungus, it is also destructive for any other pathogens.

Mold Purification with a Screwdriver

This is not such a cardinal method of dealing with black mold as a complete replacement of all coatings, but also takes time and effort. The process of removing the grout is long and complicated, it cannot be completely cleaned out, but you should try to remove as much of the old solution as possible. All this is done with an ordinary screwdriver. Once the grout is removed, the further work process looks like this:

1. Wipe the stitches with a solution of vinegar, it will reduce the likelihood of mold in the future;
2. Rinse the joints between the tiles well, and then wait until it is completely dry;
3. Apply a new grout, it should be completely dry.

To protect the joints from mold and mildew, treat them over the grout with an antiseptic primer or use a transparent sealant.

How to deal with the smell

If the room has the smell of mold, you can get rid of it only with the complete elimination of the fungus itself. However, the smell does not go away immediately, so after you have washed the joints and tiles, leave the bathroom ventilated, and the soda will help to neutralize it faster.

Prevention

It is very difficult to get rid of the fungus on the walls in the bathroom, it is often a long process, and mold is tenacious. It is much easier to take action against its appearance, it will reduce the risk of mold, and if it does appear, prevention will help to quickly deal with the problem. Here are some useful tips to help prevent black fungus from appearing on tiles and other surfaces:

1. Since humidity is probably the first cause of mold, its level must be carefully monitored. It should not exceed 30%.
2. Bathrooms need to be well ventilated, so take care of a quality fan.
3. After the shower, always open the door for a while.
4. If you are planning to make a repair, then all surfaces before finishing the finish must be treated with an antiseptic.
5. Monitor the condition of pipes and plumbing, there should be no leaks, and all minor accidents should be fixed immediately.
6. Persistent perspiration appears on metal pipes, so they should be replaced with polypropylene.
7. All joints and seams must be treated with a sealant, especially for gaps between the bathroom and the walls.
8. After washing you should not dry clothes and linen in the bathroom.
9. Hinged shelves, soap dishes and cups for brushes should always be dry, otherwise fungus may also be on them.
10. You should not choose furniture made of wood, this material is vulnerable to the fungus and quickly deteriorates.

Compliance with simple rules to prevent the appearance of black mold at home will help to avoid this scourge. If the fungus still appeared, it is necessary to get rid of it as soon as possible.

So, the more advanced the case, the more difficult it is to get rid of black mold. In order not to make major repairs in the entire bathroom, it is better to immediately prevent the development of the fungus, regularly cleaning and monitoring the level of humidity. Good sealants, dryness and constant air circulation is the key to the absence of mold.

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