Mold (fungus) in the bathhouse is a real threat to people and their property. It not only causes the destruction of buildings, but also affects human health. So, it can cause diathesis in a child, a severe allergy, which can go into asthma, migraines, and cardiovascular disorders. The fungus in the bath is a frequent occurrence, because he loves humidity, and there is almost always condensation in this room - ideal conditions for reproduction. So, if you are faced with such a problem, you need to take emergency measures. In this article, you can learn how to get rid of a fungus in a bath and prevent its reappearance.
Dampness - the reason for the appearance of mold No. 1
In baths, humidity is always increased - this is a regularity, and nothing can be done about it. If there is no additional heating in the building, most often these are wooden baths, then you are in an increased risk group. The fact is that heating allows you to dry the air, walls, and the likelihood of a fungus is reduced. There is no heating - the bath dries on its own, the walls remain wet longer - this is good for mold.
The reason for the stagnation of moisture may also be due to factors such as lack of ventilation or improper equipment, clogging. In this case, the fungus first appears in places where the air movement is the weakest, and then, having gained strength, it spreads along the wall without any problems, and light drafts do not bother him anymore. If the matter is ventilation, then it is necessary to create, reinstall, clean, install additional fans that will help drive air, dry the room. Next, we will tell you how to get rid of the fungus in the bath, but for now, consider another reason for its appearance.
Lack of cleanliness
Many owners of bath houses suggest that this is the cleanest room, because it is always humid and neglect to wash the ceiling and walls, believing that it is enough to clean the floors, shelves and accessories. The fungus loves dirt, and coupled with dampness, so in general ideal conditions.
If you have good ventilation, even heating is installed, and mold still appears, then there is not enough hygiene.
How to arm yourself?
Before you get rid of the fungus in the bath, you need to think about your own safety. By removing mold from the surface, you spread its spores in the air, and they can get into the lungs. Before starting the fight, you should purchase the following protective equipment:
- a respirator will help protect the nasal mucosa and lungs from getting spores of the fungus and chemicals with which you will remove mold;
- rubber gloves will protect your skin and nails.
This is the necessary equipment, and without it, in no case do not start the fight against the fungus.
Is it difficult to eliminate the fungus?
Mold spores are very mobile creatures and, having just appeared, begin to spread throughout the room. Processing only visible lesions is not enough, anywhere else there may be a black and white fungus in the bath. How to get rid of this pest? The first step is to assess the situation, find all the lesions, remove everything that is not pinned from the room, and begin processing all the walls, ceiling, shelves, floors. It should be noted that the inventory must also be processed. It is very difficult to get rid of the fungus even at the first stage, not to mention the fact that the spores could have time to penetrate deep into the planks by several centimeters, and become clogged in the cracks. Where to begin?
The first step to getting rid of mold
First you need to mechanically clean all the visible lesions. Inspect each centimeter especially carefully, even an incomprehensible spot can be a fungus, so do not lose sight of it.
First of all, taking your time, carefully, so as not to spread spores throughout the territory, remove the mold layers with a spatula, walk them through all the cracks and corners where the fungus was found. Mechanical cleaning is very important, it allows you to remove all surface lesions that protect the deeper. After that, you can start a chemical attack.
Do not forget about ventilation
After mechanical cleaning is carried out, it is necessary to proceed to ventilation. In most cases, it also has a fungus, and there may also be a focus of infection. First, treat the ventilation system with antibacterial agents, it can be ordinary alcohol. It perfectly dehydrates, that is, dehydrates the surface, is able to push moisture out of the narrowest cracks, in addition, it destroys mold spores. Do not forget that this substance is flammable, therefore, after treatment, thoroughly ventilate the room and proceed to the next step.
In the hardware store you will find special primers. They can simply protect the surface from mold, and can also contribute to its destruction. Choose a product suitable for your wood and treat it with ventilation. Now you can also process all other surfaces in the room with this primer. Next, consider how to get rid of the fungus in the bath in other ways. There are many, we offer the most effective.
Sulphur dioxide
It sounds scary, but there is nothing easier and more effective than removing the fungus in the bath with sulfur. This procedure is very unpleasant, the substance smells bad, it is dangerous for all living things, so before using this method, make sure that all possible gaps are tightly closed. Close the ventilation tightly, the pipe, if the bath is heated by the stove, all small gaps and holes through which the hazardous substance can penetrate out. Sulfur gas is very dangerous, it will completely eliminate the fungus, but in no case should you yourself be exposed to it.
If the floors are wooden, it is better to take a ceramic container, if concrete, then it can be metal utensils. Put there a few pieces of sulfur, so that you need two hundred grams of the substance per hundred cubic meters of the room. Set fire to sulfur, it will produce gas that is harmful to the fungus. After it has begun to act, immediately leave the room and close the front door tightly behind you. It is important to use a respirator during arson and with further actions.
After at least six hours, and preferably nine, take a box of quicklime. Go into the bathhouse, remove the remaining sulfur, put in its place a box of lime. It neutralizes the remains of sulfur dioxide, dries the room, absorbing excess moisture. The box should be in the bath for a day, after which the room is ventilated as much. You can operate the bathhouse immediately after airing it.
How to remove fungus in a bath with bleach?
This is also a good option, but it is better not to use it for a wooden bath, since bleach is not too safe for wood.
After cleaning the walls from mold by mechanical means, it is necessary to dilute the specified substance in a small amount of water and with this solution go over all surfaces. There is another option: take 25 milliliters of forty percent formalin per liter of water, add bleach and treat floors, walls, ceiling, shelves.
How to get rid of a fungus in a wooden bath?
Sulfur gas and a primer are ideal for wood, do not harm it, but there is another gentle method to get rid of mold in the bath. You need to take 22 grams of iron sulfate, 44 grams of aluminum alum and 18 grams of ordinary table salt per liter of water. Dip the roller in the solution, treat all surfaces after mechanical cleaning of the fungus.
You can also use the following recipe, but pre-warming the mixture to seventy degrees. You will need one and a half tablespoons of vinegar (not acid), a pound of boric acid and a kilogram of borax. Dissolve the components in a small amount of water.
Both recipes are effective, but still weak, they can not remove the entire fungus the first time, so do the treatment again after a month.
Prevention
Of course, preventing the appearance of a fungus in a bath is easier than getting rid of it. If you have ventilation, do not forget about ventilation. They should be produced not only after the operation of the bath, but also when you do not use it, because the water can stagnate and then evaporate. Ventilate at least once a week for six hours.
Perform preventive treatments with vitriol or other substances. Remember that after using chemicals, it is necessary to ventilate the bath, then rinse the walls so as not to harm your health. We hope that this publication on how to get rid of the fungus in the bath can help.