The bathroom can be one of the prettiest rooms in your house. Its unique nature means there are so many different styles and designs you can play around with, in this room. In fact, it tends to look completely different from any other room in your house, and that’s great!
Unfortunately, the nature of a bathroom means it gets wet and steamy all the time. This can be a problem as it basically creates the perfect conditions for mold to grow. Now, your gorgeous room has been transformed into a spore-infested area. It used to look so beautiful, but now you have dark mold everywhere, making it look much uglier.
Of course, mold is a problem for health reasons as well as aesthetic ones. People with allergies or respiratory problems could have symptoms triggered by mold. So, this is another reason why you should do your best to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
As such, this guide will be split into two main sections. Firstly, we’ll look at how you can prevent mold in the bathroom. Then, we follow this up with a section on how to get rid of any mold that’s already present. All the tips in both sections will ensure that your bathroom continues to add character to your home, rather than be infested with horrible mold spores everywhere!
How to prevent mold in the bathroom
Mainly, you have two tactics to be aware of:
- Choose the right bathroom wall tiles
- Keep the bathroom dry
We’ll start with the first tactic, but what does it mean? Why do the bathroom wall tiles make a difference? Well, traditional tiles will have grout between them, which is a completely perfect breeding ground for mold. You’ll notice that mold rarely grows on the tiles themselves; it’s always in the gaps between each tile. If you can find ways to prevent this, your bathroom will see a significant reduction in mold growth.
Thankfully, there is a solution in things like PVC panels. Something like the waterproof shower panels at Floors To Walls will do the trick nicely. Panels like these are made from PVC, so they’re naturally waterproof, meaning water doesn’t soak into them. Not only that but PVC panels are installed without the need for grout. As such, you eliminate the gaps of grouting between tiles, which is where mold loves to grow. These ‘tiles’ are much easier for you to clean and maintain, so you will find it much easier to stop mold from growing in your bathroom.
Now, if your bathroom has better wall tiles like these, it is already harder for mold to be a nuisance. However, there are still other areas where mold can grow – most notably on the ceiling or around the edges of your shower/bath. It can often grow between joints where a shower is fitted and it loves to grow in the rubber parts as well. To prevent this, you try the second tactic: keep the bathroom dry.
How can you keep your bathroom dry? Well, it’s a lot easier than it may seem. Naturally, you wonder how a room that’s designed to be wet can remain dry. Here are some straightforward tips:
- Turn on the extractor fan whenever the bathroom is being used
- Open windows as often as possible
- Wipe down surfaces after you’ve used the shower/bath/sink
If, for whatever reason, you don’t have a fan in your bathroom, get one installed. Some homes might have one, but it broke and you didn’t get it fixed. I urge you to fix it as this will definitely help suck up the moisture and remove it from the bathroom. Let’s say you live in a flat or you rent your home and the fan isn’t working properly or it sucks, but your landlord won’t change anything. Here, you should get a dehumidifier to help out. You can find dehumidifiers online and they do a brilliant job of sucking moisture from the air, keeping rooms dry.
When using the shower or having a bath, the room can get really steamy. Your fan/dehumidifier will try to suck up as much steam and moisture as possible, but you should open your windows to assist the process. Keep them slightly open while you’re in the bathroom, then open them wider after. It really helps air out the room and prevents dampness, which stops mold from growing.
Finally, get a soft cloth to wipe down wet surfaces after you’ve showered. Wipe the problem areas – like the metal parts of the shower/bath, any rubber pieces, and the joints. Yes, it requires extra effort after your shower, but it’s worth it to prevent mold from being a massive nuisance and ruining your bathroom.
How to get rid of mold in your bathroom
The reason you should do all of the above is to avoid needing to do anything in this section! Removing and cleaning mold is a lot harder than preventing it. Yes, it can be done, but it might take a while and you may even need some professional help. If you see mold in your bathroom, here’s what you should do.
Step one: get a mold cleaning solution. You can buy sprays that help you get rid of mold and they typically contain bleach. Alternatively, you can just buy bleach and mix it with a bit of water. Always wear gloves when cleaning with bleach products to protect your hands! Also, wearing a mask can protect you from the fumes – as well as the mold spores.
Step two: apply the solution to the mold. From here, you should use a toothbrush – or anything with bristles – to scrub away at the mold. The combination of the bristles and the bleach solution will help to lift and peel the mold from the surface. After this, you can wipe away the mold and see how much has been removed. In extreme cases, you might need to repeat this process a number of times before the mold has finally gone.
It is also important to let your cleaning solution sit for a few hours to really soak into the surfaces. This helps it get deep into the mold and almost lift it off. Don’t be afraid to be aggressive with your brush either – you’re not going to damage anything and a bit of force is needed to scrub away the mold.
There is a big chance that you will never remove 100% of the mold in your bathroom if it has been there for a long time. In which case, calling a professional mould removal company is the next step. Get the professionals to come to your home and use their industrial-grade chemicals and tools to remove it for you. Ideally, you don’t want this to happen, so keep trying the DIY method yourself.
If you watch the video below, there’s an extra step that adds to your mold removal at home. Effectively, you apply bleach with a toothbrush, but then you roll up toilet paper and stick it to the affected area – which is normally the rubber/silicone seal in a shower/bath. Pour more bleach behind the paper, then leave it for a day or so and it really helps to get rid of the mold.
The last tip to remove mold from your bathroom is to try and remove anything that’s affected by mold. This typically applies to the little rubber seals you have on the bottom of glass panels in a bath/shower combo. Or, if you have a shower curtain, then can have mold on them. All you have to do is get rid of these things and replace them with new ones. As long as you follow the steps in the first section to prevent mold, you shouldn’t see any on the new things you’ve put in. You could attempt to clean these items, but it doesn’t make much sense. It’s usually less time consuming and more effective to just replace them.
Basically, anything that you can replace easily, you should. Obviously, most of you will have mold between tiles or on the silicone sealant. So, you can’t just replace these on a whim. Instead, you’ll need to try the cleaning methods mentioned earlier.
Conclusion: Aim for prevention
It is definitely possible to clean mold and leave your bathroom looking brand new – as evident in the video above. However, preventing mold is the best thing you can do. It will make life much easier and ensure you don’t spend ages on your hands and knees trying to scrub this black stuff away from your tiles.
To recap, preventing mold is easier than you think. Start by choosing appropriate bathroom tiles – ideally ones that are waterproof, hypoallergenic and grout-free. This instantly stops mold from growing between tiles, which it loves to do. Then, focus on keeping your bathroom dry and airy. Reduce the humidity with an extractor fan or dehumidifier and keep the windows open as often as possible. Wipe down wet surfaces after every shower and you should be in a position to wave goodbye to mold for good.