The appearance of mold at home will not please any housewife. After all, it is necessary to wage a long and difficult struggle with it. And if the cause is still not eliminated, then within a few days it will blossom with renewed vigor. Especially often mold appears in the bathroom. Why is this happening and how to get rid of such vegetation, we’ll talk today.
How to recognize mold?
Usually it does not even give out an appearance, but a smell. If you clearly feel an unpleasant and musty smell when entering the bathroom, the fungus is the reason. Just one dispute, which fell into favorable conditions, will turn into a whole colony of moldy fungi.
Where does it come from? Its spores are carried downwind and spread through the air. You can bring her spores on your own clothes. If you have recently been in the basement, where it smelled of mold, it is best to dry the clothes on the balcony and only then put them in the wash. In a dry room, spores will die, but at high temperature and humidity, as a rule, ideal conditions are created for their vital functions.
Procrastination is dangerous
At first glance it seems that if a dark stain grows somewhere behind the washing machine or under the bath, then nothing bad happens. After all, it does not strike the eye and does not spoil the appearance of the room. However, firstly, it will continue to grow. Secondly, there is a risk of poisoning it with toxic spores.
Mold in the bathroom is not just a dark spot that spoils tiles with their appearance. This is a fungus that in the process of its life releases certain substances. As a result, the most sensitive family members may feel unwell. Allergic reactions to mold are not at all uncommon, we usually just take them for symptoms of other diseases.
Reasons for the appearance
Cope with mold in the bathroom will not work if you have not figured out the reasons for its occurrence. She will still find an opportunity to get out after a fresh repair. Most often, the fungus appears in damp rooms that are poorly ventilated. Even if you made repairs in accordance with all the rules, mold spores may persist. They are just waiting for a favorable atmosphere for reproduction.
It turns out that the reason for the development is poor waterproofing. In such places, the mold must settle very firmly. It penetrates the roots of all wet surfaces and forms an unpleasant odor. If you do not solve the problem correctly, with knowledge of the matter, then the fungus will begin to damage the finishing materials, it will destroy the plaster until cracks appear in the concrete. Thus, mold in the bathroom is not just an aesthetic problem.
Check ventilation
Once again, recall the causes of the appearance of the fungus. If favorable conditions remain (poor waterproofing and ventilation), the fungus will attack your bathroom again and again. Moreover, to clean the tiles outside in this case is almost useless. First of all, consult a specialist and start checking the ventilation. In some cases, her device is broken. Often this is due to the fact that the owners of other apartments independently arrange a hood, not observing any rules and features of the engineering structure.
Since getting rid of mold in the bathroom overnight does not work, you need to approach this issue comprehensively. Otherwise, no matter how much you destroy the destroyer of the bathroom, it will come back. The following actions are recommended:
- Check ventilation shaft. It could become clogged with cobwebs or foreign objects. That is, the normal outflow of air is disturbed.
- Try to constantly ventilate the bathroom, that is, open the doors after bathing so that steam and humidity can be distributed throughout the apartment.
Additional measures
Work on improving ventilation is half the battle. However, this measure is not enough to completely take control of the situation. Therefore, today we are considering in detail how to get rid of mold in the bathroom.
- We inspect the furniture. This is a very important point. If the furniture is affected by a fungus, you will have to get rid of it. The fungus that has settled in the pores will sooner or later reactivate. Of course, if you are sure that the created conditions are completely unsuitable for his life, then you can try to carefully clean and coat the affected surface with a special varnish.
- Reduce dampness. Call plumbing. All pipes must be carefully inspected. Actions here should be aimed at improving pipe insulation. Condensation forms on all surfaces, and mold forms because of it.
- Inspect and repair plumbing. Be sure to check the room for leaks. So you can get rid of stable moisture. If you have a washing machine, you need to make sure that no water residues accumulate in it after washing.
This is only a preparatory stage. Therefore, if you are seriously interested in the question of how to remove mold in the bathroom, then you need to allocate a sufficient amount of time and effort for this. Dry the entire room well with a heater. Treat the affected areas with special tools, depending on the surface lesion with the fungus.
Preparatory work
After you have consulted with all the specialists and completed the preliminary preparation, you can proceed to the main unit of work and come close to the question of how to clean mold in the bathroom. It is very important to protect yourself from toxin damage.
- Work in the bathroom is necessary in personal protective equipment. That is, you need to purchase a respirator, safety glasses and gloves in advance.
- To avoid the formation of dust when removing mold, you need to moisten the surface well.
- Before using any drug, be sure to familiarize yourself with its instructions for use.
We remove the mold in the bath
The fungus is quite easy to remove if the lesion is relatively small. The sooner you tackle this issue, the more likely that victory will be yours. It is advisable to temporarily isolate the room so that during disinfection and sterilization, spores do not spread to other rooms.
How to clean mold in the bathroom if the pollution is negligible?
- Treat all areas affected by mold, cleaning agent. To do this, add four parts of detergent and ammonia to four parts of water.
- Now for 30-40 minutes you can go about your business so that the tool has time to act.
- Wash the surface thoroughly with a brush.
If the lesions are very serious
Mold on the tiles in the bathroom settles very often. Under favorable conditions, it quickly forms huge black or green spots, sometimes overgrown with wet moss. This is a serious case, since in most cases there is a deep damage to the plaster, which sprouts through the mycelium.
Therefore, in this case, you need to completely empty the room and inspect the lesion. To get rid of mold, you must adhere to the following instructions:
- Disassemble the walls with a sharp trowel to the concrete.
- Strip the surface with sandpaper.
- Take a building hair dryer and dry thoroughly. After that, you need to turn off the work and wait until the next day. If in the morning new drops of moisture did not come out at the place of the work performed, then you can continue. Otherwise, you need to look for reasons further.
- Apply a special mold remover. This is an important point, since due to this, the growth of pathogenic microbes is blocked.
- One treatment most often will not produce anything. It is necessary to repeat it in several approaches, with an interval of 5-10 hours. In case of serious damage, it is advisable to perform at least five treatments.
- After completing all work, thorough disinfection of the room with the help of special tools is necessary. This is required in order to remove the remaining disputes. All items that were used in the process must be discarded.
Used drugs
Which mildew remedies in the bathroom help best? Finishing specialists who have to regularly deal with such tasks in their work will best answer this question. According to their recommendations, it is most reliable to call a special service that will perform professional processing of the premises. Of course, first you need to perform the preparation and cleaning of the surface. But today there are quite a few tools on sale that can help you solve this difficult task:
- Dali is a universal antiseptic that shows high efficiency when used on any surface, when affected by a wide variety of biological formations. He is able to destroy mold of any type, as well as algae, moss and other uninvited guests. It is used for work on brick and concrete, plaster and wood, drywall and tile.
- Fongifluid Alpa. This tool perfectly removes mold on the walls in the bathroom. The universal formula at the same time eliminates fungi. It is intended for application to the inner surface of a house or apartment, as well as for processing the house from the outside. It does not harm the color and luster of the tiles and the paintwork. In case of severe damage, it is necessary to repeat the treatment several times.
- "Olympus Stop Mold." It is specifically designed to defeat fungus and mold in the bathroom, basement and cellar. It does not contain chlorine compounds and volatile components. The liquid is colorless and safe for children and animals. It can be used for concrete and brick, painted and plastered walls, wood and stone.
- Biotol Spray. The product does not contain chlorine or other toxic components. It is completely safe for health.
- Mavix bio. Great finish. After completing the preliminary work, the surface is treated with special impregnation from the kit, and then an antifungal agent is applied. Then you need to let the tool act and apply an additionally acquired water repellent.
Home methods
If all professional tools are not available, and you notice mold in the bathroom, then you can take advantage of what is at your fingertips. To do this, carefully clean the contaminated areas between the tiles with a brush, and then with an emery cloth. After this, it is required to prepare a solution of chlorine bleach and water (1: 1 ratio).
Do not forget to use personal protective equipment. Apply the solution to the surface using a spray gun. Rub it thoroughly into the stitches with a toothbrush. After drying, apply sealant to the crevices.
- When performing these tasks, gloves and a mask should be worn. Chlorine bleach is a caustic chemical that irritates exposed skin.
- To prevent mold, spray surfaces that are exposed to moisture. It is advisable to do this at least once a week. Acid will make spore development impossible.
- If mold cannot be removed with sealant, then it has penetrated deeply. Of course, every housewife in this case thinks about how to clean the bath from mold. Scraping in this case already does not help much, opening the tile joints with an electrophoresis is required. Thoroughly clean the seams and be sure to prime them with an antifungal additive. Now you need to grout again.
- If changing the sealant does not help, then the mold has penetrated deep inside. In this case, you need to carefully treat the surface under it after removing it. It is possible that more serious repairs will be required.
And if the mycelium has spread to the tiles, then you can make a simple and affordable remedy. To do this, dilute in a glass of water 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil. This composition must be sprayed on the tile. Do not rinse, leave it until the next cleaning.
Use of copper sulfate
Copper sulfate is an excellent assistant for cases if you do not know how to get rid of black mold in the bathroom. This drug is toxic, therefore it is important to observe safety precautions when using it. Copper sulfate should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. Apply the composition with a brush on the surface to be treated. Places affected by the fungus need to be greased profusely several times. After this, the work must be interrupted for several hours, and then thoroughly rinse the surface and ventilate the room.
If the result is not achieved
Most often this is observed with severe damage. In order to enhance the effect, it is recommended to prepare one of the following treatment solution options:
- In a liter of water, you need to dilute 100 g of copper sulfate and 150 g of sodium fluoride.
- Mix a liter of water, 150-200 ml of vinegar and 50 g of copper sulfate.
- 140 g of vinegar, 400 g of boric acid and 90 g of borax are required to be added per liter of water.
Any of these options should be applied to the surface with a paint brush. Leave the mixture to dry completely. The procedure must be repeated after a month.
If mold settles on the curtain
Mold does not pass by her side. A bright curtain in the bathroom will quickly lose its original appearance, becoming covered with black or green spots. Moreover, it is impossible to remove it with water. This requires more radical methods:
- Remove the curtain and wash it in the machine. Observe the temperature regime, otherwise it will deform.
- Mix water in a bowl with vinegar, soda or laundry detergent. Place the curtain in the solution for several hours.
- Moisten the sponge in the bleach and wipe the problem area with it. After that wash in a convenient way.
Instead of a conclusion
Mold is not the kind of vegetation you can put up with. Inhaling her spores gradually leads to the development of severe allergic diseases, bronchial asthma. In 90% of cases, being in a moldy room provokes a new attack. In addition, the fungus harms your repair and spoils the appearance of the room.
You can start the fight with folk methods. Use water and vinegar, bleach, ammonia for this. If none of this helps, it is recommended to carefully remove the grout and repeat the treatment. In the most difficult cases, you will have to remove all layers of finish to remove mold. Of course, such repairs will be more time consuming and financially expensive. After this, preventive measures must be taken so that the mold does not appear again.