Bathroom Mould – How To Get Rid of it!

Bathroom Mould

How to get rid of bathroom mould

The first step to cleaning mould from a bathroom ceiling and walls is to use a cleaning product that kills black mould and removes staining. Therefore, use products such as Domestos, Jik, or any other bleach you may have in your kitchen. However, there are also proprietary products such as Mould Buster, developed to kill mould. If you prefer to use one of them, follow the instructions carefully!

The main source of moisture in bathrooms is steam from hot baths and showers condensing on the ceiling and walls, making bathrooms an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Black mould on bathroom ceilings, walls, and tiles is mainly due to condensation and poor air circulation.

Safety first when cleaning up bathroom mould

Always use PPE (personal protective equipment) when using dangerous chemicals like bleach and even vinegar!

The PPE listed below is essential to protect yourself against the cleaners:

Rubber gloves
Eye protection
Breathing apparatus (not dust or medical masks)
Coveralls

How to kill the mould

If you decide to use bleach, create a mixture of bleach and water, using a spray or sponge to apply it to the mould areas in your bathroom. The bleach removes the mould stains!
Wash down the area with water.
Apply white vinegar with a spray or sponge to the mould area. Vinegar will kill the mould!
Wait about an hour before cleaning the area with water again.
Let the area dry thoroughly.
Ventilate the bathroom to help remove fumes and to help the drying process. Use a fan or heater to speed up the process if required.

Safety Warning

Never mix any other cleaning ingredients with bleach, as it could create a toxic gas. Therefore, wash your mouldy ceiling with bleach first, then apply the white vinegar solution separately.

How to prevent mould from forming in bathrooms

Ventilation is the key to preventing mould from forming:

Leave shower and bathroom doors and windows open to properly ventilate the bathroom, particularly after hot showers or baths.
Wipe down your walls with white vinegar whenever you see mould starting to appear.
Consider installing a ceiling fan and ducting to the outside of the bathroom.

Now that you know how to keep bathroom mould from the ceiling and wall areas for good, prevention is the key! Be proactive by wiping down the tiled walls in your bathroom and the floor in your shower with vinegar once a week, especially in showers, and you’ll never have problems with mould again.

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THE HOME DETECTIVE » mould

22/04/202002/10/2024

Indoor Air Polution

Clearing The Air

Indoor air pollution, mould and asthma are a serious issues in many homes!

When it comes to assessing your family’s indoor air environment there are 5 categories of concern to consider! South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs is not concerned with residential indoor air quality! As a result, we need to learn what indoor air quality is from America’s Environmental Protection Agency. They have identified 5 danger levels of indoor pollution. Indoor air pollution is a major human health issue worldwide under normal conditions. However, poor indoor air quality and mould cause asthma attacks that are worsened when you and your family spend most of your time indoors.

Homes with windows and doors closed lack adequate ventilation. In addition, the lack of airbricks increased insulation and better-sealing windows and doors make new homes much more energy-efficient than older houses. As a result, in new homes, it is even more difficult to get fresh clean air into the home.

19/04/201928/08/2024

Mould and Sleep Loss

Health Risks of Mould in the Home: Sleep Loss

Do you suffer from sleep loss?

Did you know that one way to identify a mould problem in your home is by watching your water bill? Leaks and damp surfaces are primed for mould growth, especially in areas that are prone to collection surfaces and warmth—think your bathrooms, kitchen and basement.

In addition to leaky pipes, many people don’t realize that mould can form in other disguised areas of your home such as on your mattress. Whether you sleep in a damp room, spill a glass of water that is absorbed into your mattress, or sweat a lot at night, your mattress may be primed for mould growth. Mattresses can include soft, porous materials such as cotton covers or foam comfort layers, any of which can absorb moisture both inside and outside of your mattress.

So, while you may know to check your pipes or understand that your basement, kitchen, and bathrooms are often culprits of leaks and potential areas of mould growth, keep in mind that places such as your bedroom may hide a serious mould problem.

Here are five ways indoor mould causes sleep loss

Sleep Loss

Mould impacts the air quality in your house by releasing glucans which can cause an inflammatory response to your respiratory system. In turn, it affects your ability to breathe effectively by prompting your body to go into a fix-it mode such as an increase in mucus production which builds up and makes it difficult to breathe.

Sleep Apnea

It is estimated that nearly a billion people worldwide are affected by sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a dangerous and potentially deadly problem wherein a person momentarily stops breathing. The result is gasping or snoring as the person’s brain tries to readjust breathing. Sleep apnea and sleep loss are caused by the blockage or narrowing of the airways that is often the result of congestion associated with mould.

28/10/201828/08/2024

A Smelly Shower

Smells in your shower

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Often what happens in a shower is that excess tile adhesive and grout are washed down the shower drain while the tiler is tiling the floor. As a result, some of this grout may be lodged somewhere in the drainage system causing a blockage.

The following may have happened:

Either the trap or drainage pipes were damaged during an attempt to unblock the drain.
Grout is lodged in the trap and drain pipes.
The stub stack vent valve may be below the level of the highest plumbing fixtures on the drainage system in the bathroom. As a result, the lowest fixture, such as the shower P-trap water seal may be syphoned out of the shower trap.

Of course, a combination of all three may occur as well. Unless the shower trap or drain pipes are damaged, you should be able to handle the cleanup yourself.

Mould in the P-trap

If your shower drain smells musty, you most likely have active mould growing underneath the drain cover. But, if your drain smells like rotten eggs or sewage, you’re either smelling bacteria from a clogged or dirty drain or sewer gases that have escaped from your drainage pipes.

As part of their metabolic process, active mould spores release a gas that has a distinct musty smell. In addition, gas can be dangerous. If inhaled, it can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness and fatigue. Continue reading “A Smelly Shower”