Bathroom mold is all but inevitable. And if you haven’t experienced it, perhaps you aren’t looking hard enough.
The mixture of sustained moisture, warmth, the occasional leak, and not always the best ventilation can lead to a nasty build-up of funky stuff. But fear not, our Arroyo Grande plumbing experts are here to provide you with helpful steps to keep your bathroom mold-free.
First, Find the Mold
As we said, you may not even know there’s mold growing in your bathroom. Hidden corners or seldom-checked storage areas are perfect places for mold to hide.
Check under rugs and in cabinets (especially underneath sinks) where you may store paper products, towels or linens.
Also, check bath fixtures, drains, around exhaust fans, and even in crawl spaces and basements underneath your bathroom.
Get Rid of the Mold
If you find your bathroom does have mold, the first step is getting rid of it. If it’s a small infestation, you should be able to tackle the problem yourself.
Clean your bathroom with mold-killing substances like bleach, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (but don’t mix those products, they may cause toxic reactions).
If the mold is built up around caulking or sealant, strip it away and replace affected areas.
Lastly, open windows and doors to your bathroom to provide fresh air and ensure everything is dried out.
If the mold infestation is bigger than around 10 square feet, you will likely need to involve the professionals. Consult the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or call your handy Arroyo Grande plumbers for help.
Prevent More Mold From Growing
To prevent mold from growing in the first place, it’s all about circulation and cleanliness.
Make sure every bathroom in your home has a working – and effective – exhaust fan. This will suck moisture out of the air and send it outside. But you have to make sure your fan is powerful enough for the size of your bathroom space.
The CFM (cubic feet per minute) count on your fan will determine whether it’s strong enough. To calculate the ideal strength for your fan, multiply the square footage of the room by 1.1 if your ceiling is 8 feet or 1.5 for 9 feet.
Once you have a proper fan, run it for at least 30 minutes after a shower. Also, open windows or skylights after showering to bring in fresh air.
More Mold Prevention Tips
Here are some other tips to prevent and/or kill mold in your bathroom:
- Wash bathroom rugs and towels as often as possible.
- Use your air conditioner or dehumidifier to keep your household relative humidity levels below 50 percent.
- Fix any leaking toilets, sinks or pipes, which can cause excess moisture.
- Make sure your moisture problem isn’t coming from a leaky roof or overflowing gutters.
- Store shampoo bottles, body wash, and loofahs outside the shower and bring them in with you when you’re ready to use them. Why? These items are magnets for mold! This goes for children’s bath toys, as well.
- If you don’t have shower doors, be sure to install a mold and mildew resistant shower curtain.
- Commit to cleaning your bathroom regularly.
For assistance with repairing leaks or mold prevention, call our plumbing professionals at Griffin at 805-934-1949 today!
