Have you noticed some black formation on your bathroom floors, walls, and ceilings? That’s bathroom mold.
Molds are common in the bathroom because it’s one place that’s always humid and damp. Molds can rapidly multiply in moist places. Steam from shower and running water causes humidity to increase inside the bathroom. Moreover, because water pipes can burst due to high water pressure when you open the shower or faucet, leaks inside the bathroom tile walls can also cause molds to grow unchecked. Water can penetrate from the walls and floors. When molds are not treated, the mold infestation can grow rapidly under the tiled walls and floors. Normally however, moist is ever present in the bathroom because it’s not one’s usual habit to wipe dry the bathroom tiles, walls and sinks after showering.
Sometimes bathrooms are not well ventilated and this is another reason why bathroom mold can develop easily. Poor circulation of air causes the bathroom area to become warm; that’s why some bathrooms should have fans not only to get rid of the stinky smell, but to allow cooler air to circulate.
Low lighting can also contribute to bathroom mold infestation. Rooms that are well-lit prevent molds from spreading in colonies. Dark rooms or areas where there is minimal sunlight or lighting are often left unclean and dust can accumulate. When spores of molds burst, they rapidly reproduce because the dust particles become their nourishment.
Molds nourish themselves from decaying or dead objects and even scum from soap and residues of body oil. Grimy bathroom is the last thing that you want if you are thinking of getting rid of the bathroom molds. These and other factors like moist and warm air are the best conditions for molds to multiply.
How to Control Bathroom Mold
What can be done to eliminate bathroom mold? Here are easy ways to control and eliminate bathroom mold.
- Regularly clean your bathroom so that mold growth can be controlled. Scrub the bathroom tubs and sinks with a 50-50 solution of chlorine bleach and water. This will extinguish the mold spores.
- Keep the areas clean and always dry. You can let it air dry by opening the windows or using fans to lessen the moisture and humidity.
- Use undiluted vinegar to wipe on the surface of infested areas ; it is an inexpensive home remedy to mold control. Moms have been using vinegar to stop the growth of molds aside from preventing the musty odor.
- Get rid of too many empty bottles of toiletries as these are also breeding spots for molds. Check for objects in your bathroom that sit on water. If possible, have a shelf to organize your shampoos, facial scrubs, soaps and other vanity products allowing them to air dry quickly.
- Use quality mold control products with care and safety. Follow the instructions and never mix them with other products because it can result to toxic reactions and fumes.
- Repair the area with molds especially if caulking has been observed. Mold control products will be useless if the mold has seeped into the leakages. The only remedy is to repair or remodel the bathroom.
Molds apparently do not really harm people. However people with asthma or allergies may manifest hypersensitivity to molds. Skin rashes, runny nose, eye irritation, cough, nasal congestion, aggravation of asthma or difficulty breathing are just a few indications of mold allergy. Some molds have high levels of mycotoxins which can cause fatigue, nausea, severe headaches, and irritation to the lungs and eyes to sensitive people.
Molds are so small that we often disregard them. But over time, they can be annoying, unsightly, and most specially, toxic. Maintaining a clean, dry and well-ventilated bathroom is one of the most effective ways on how to kill black mold and other types of mold.