Mold in the bath and mold in seams. What can you do about it?
The most commonly affected room by mold in the house or apartment is the bathroom. Mold in the bath is not just unpleasant to look at but simply disgusting. The bathroom is the place in the house where you want to wash yourself and not get in touch with mold in the seams of tiles or on the ceiling. How is mold in the bathroom especially mold in seams of tiles at all possible?
Commonly high levels of humidity develop in the bath, with the moisture condensing on walls, tiles and windows creating an optimal climate for mold growth (moist and warm). In order to avoid mold in the bathroom in the first place it is recommended that you wipe down the moisture from the walls and windows after every bath or shower. Additionally, it is very good to properly vent the room for a short time to remove the moist air. Should you have a window in your bathroom, fully open it for 5-10 minutes after a shower or a bath. This should be enough to remove the humidity and keep mold in the bath at bay.
Should you not have a window in your bathroom, it is highly recommendable to install an extractor fan which is linked to the outside. The fan will transport the moist air outside. It is important that the extractor fan has a sufficient running time. This should be sufficient to prevent mold in the bathroom and mold in seams. If you don’t have an extractor fan, all you can do is to keep the bathroom door open and possibly open the windows in the adjacent rooms. Without any present constructional defects, described measures and behaviour should be enough to prevent mold growth and you should not have any problems with mold in the bath or mold in seams of tiles. Next, we are going to look at how to get rid of mold in the bathroom or in seams.
In case you see yourself faced with mold in seams around the bath or shower tray the seams are usually silicone. The only way to eliminate mold from the seams is to remove the silicone seams. The next step is to wipe down and disinfect the stripped areas with strong alcohol of 80% alcohol per volume and refill the seam with new silicone. (DIY stores offer silicone which is already treated with anti fungicides). Mold in seams of tiles can be treated with alcohol or you can buy small amounts of chlorine mold products.
When applying chlorine mold products inside it is of utmost importance to ensure sufficient ventilation because chlorine vapour poses a health hazard. Should bigger areas be affected with mold growth you should consult a specialist, as there is a possibility that the mildew already penetrated the plaster or brickwork, requiring a laborious and possibly cost intensive mold remediation works.
Best of luck with the mold remediation in the bathroom!
