Best household solutions to kill mold and prevent it from returning
If you have a couple of spots in your bathroom where mold is beginning to grow, don’t panic. There are plenty of cleaning solutions that’ll get rid of mold in an instant—and you can make most of them out of some common household ingredients. Keep reading to learn how to make a mold-removing solution and how to use it to clean away mold in your shower, bathtub, sink, and on ceilings and walls. We’ll also give you plenty of tips on how to prevent mold from coming back and how to stay safe throughout the entire process.
[Edit]Things You Should Know
- Use white vinegar or dissolved borax or baking soda to make a natural mold-remover, or opt for diluted bleach for extra tough mold spots.
- Spray your cleaning solution over the mold and use a clean cloth to wipe it away. Use a scrub brush for stubborn buildups and stains.
- Keep your bathroom well-ventilated by running a fan or opening a window to prevent mold from coming back.
[Edit]Steps
[Edit]Choosing a Mold-Removing Solution
- Use white vinegar for a powerful, non-toxic mold killer. White vinegar is incredibly effective in killing mold and removing it from a variety of surfaces. Just pour the vinegar directly into a spray bottle to use it on most surfaces. However, if you’re cleaning mold from tile flooring, dilute the vinegar by adding equal parts water.[1]
- Although the smell can be unpleasant, it usually clears within 1-2 hours. Open a window or turn on a fan to help the smell disappear faster when you spray the vinegar.
- Avoid using vinegar on marble or gold-plated surfaces since it’ll likely damage them.[2]
- Use a borax solution for a natural mold remover. Mix together 1 cup (204 g) of borax with 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water, then pour the solution into a spray bottle.[3] Borax is a natural fungicide and works wonders in getting rid of mold and preventing it from coming back.[4]
- Borax usually comes in powder form, so make sure it’s completely dissolved in the water before spraying any mold.
- Keep borax away from small children and pets, as it can be toxic if swallowed.
- Make a baking soda solution for a safe, gentle mold remover. Compared to vinegar and borax, baking soda is a more mild cleaning solution, but it’ll still get the job done. Combine 2 tbsp (34 g) of baking soda with 2 cups (473 mL) of water in a spray bottle and shake it vigorously until the baking soda has completely dissolved.[5]
- Alternatively, combine two parts baking soda with one part water and mix them in a bowl to create a thicker paste to spread over the mold. This is a good method if you have a particularly tough mold stain that needs a more thorough scrubbing.
- Choose a bleach solution as a last resort. Although bleach is effective at killing mold on non-porous surfaces such as showers, basins, and tiles, it is a toxic substance and must be used carefully. Create a bleach solution with 1 part bleach to 10 parts water and pour it into a spray bottle. Keep children and pets away from whatever surface you spray.[6]
- Bleach can cause eye, lung, and skin irritations. To protect yourself, always wear gloves, safety goggles, and a disposable face mask.
- Keep your bathroom well-ventilated if using bleach by opening a window or running a fan.
- Avoid using bleach on painted walls or ceilings since it can strip away the color.
- Buy a commercial mold remover. There are plenty of products on the market that are specifically made to target bathroom mold. Some are even made specially for certain surfaces (tile, drywall, ceiling, etc.). To protect your health, avoid buying products that contain no or very little VOCs (volatile organic compounds), flammable ingredients, and fragrances.[7]
- If you need help choosing a safe product, use the Environmental Protection Agency's safe product search tool to select a cleaner.
[Edit]Removing Mold
- Spray a cleaning solution onto moldy areas of any surface. Grab a spray bottle with your chosen cleaning solution inside. Generously spray the entire area with the solution so that there’s a visible, even coating. Try not to completely saturate the area since that’ll leave a lot of excess liquid to clean up later. Aim to apply enough of the cleaning solution so that the area is visibly wet but not so much that puddles form.[8]
- For cleaning mold off of the ceiling, dip a rag or sponge in your solution and wipe it over the moldy spots. This prevents you from getting your cleaning solution into your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- If you’re using a baking soda paste, apply the paste directly onto the mold with a sponge or cloth.
- If you’re using a commercial cleaner, read the instructions carefully about how to apply it to the mold.
- Wipe smooth surfaces like tile, toilets, tubs, and sinks with a cleaning cloth. If you have mold growing in your bathtub, shower, basin, or on any tile, use a clean cloth or sponge to gently wipe away the cleaning solution. The mold should wipe away easily onto the cloth.[9]
- This also works if you have mold growing on your ceiling or drywall. If your walls or ceilings are painted, be a bit more gentle when wiping these surfaces to avoid damaging the paint.
- If you’re using vinegar, leave it to sit for 1 hour before wiping it away. This allows the mold adequate time to absorb the vinegar.
- Use a scrub brush to remove stubborn mold from tiles, tubs, and sinks. If you’ve got some particularly tough stains in your bathtub, shower, sink, or on tile walls or floors, use a cleaning brush to tackle them. Scrub the affected area vigorously until the mold comes away.[10]
- If you used vinegar, don’t scrub the area. Instead, allow the vinegar to just sit for 1 hour, and then wipe the mold away with a clean cloth.
- Have a dedicated scrubbing brush strictly for bathroom mold to prevent spreading the spores throughout your home.
- Avoid this type of harsh scrubbing on painted drywall or ceilings since the paint could be damaged.
- Scrub grout or caulking with a toothbrush. Move the toothbrush in a back-and-forth motion while applying firm pressure to scrub away the mold. Rinse the toothbrush under running water to remove any mold while you clean, as this prevents the mold spores from spreading throughout the bathroom.[11]
- Use a dedicated toothbrush for cleaning mold in the bathroom so that the spores don’t spread throughout your home.
- Another option is to use specialty grout scrubbers that are specifically made to fit in the tight space.
- A larger scrubbing brush will also work, but a toothbrush is the easiest to use in such small spaces.
- Dry all cleaned surfaces with a cleaning cloth. Remove the excess liquid from the area that you cleaned to keep the bathroom dry and prevent slips. Run the cloth over all of the smooth surfaces and the grout or caulking to remove any excess cleaning solution. This also removes any mold that’s been scrubbed loose.[12]
- If you used a baking soda paste, wipe it away with a damp washcloth, sponge, or towel.
- Pay attention to any small crevices or corners to prevent the liquid from pooling up and more mold from forming.
- Immediately dispose of any clothes, rags, or sponges you used in the cleaning process to avoid spreading mold around your house.[13]
- Replace the grout or caulking if you can’t remove the mold stains. If there’s a large buildup of mold, you may not be able to scrub it all away. In that case, use a grout saw or something like a flathead screwdriver to dig into the grout or caulking and remove it. Apply the new grout or caulking and clean it regularly to prevent the mold from forming more stains.[14]
- Apply a sealer over the new grout or caulking to prevent it from being stained.
[Edit]Preventing Bathroom Mold
- Clean your bathroom frequently to stop mold from growing. Mold won’t have a chance to start forming if you make it a habit to clean your bathroom regularly. At least once a week, clean and disinfect the areas where mold is most likely to grow, such as in your sink basin, shower, or bathtub.[15]
- Spray a vinegar, bleach, or borax solution on flat surfaces to prevent mold from growing.
- If you’re using bleach, keep children or pets away from the bathroom until the cleaning solution has been cleaned up.
- Avoid spraying bleach on surfaces where you store things like your toothbrush, cosmetics, or any other personal care items.
- Keep your bathroom well-ventilated. The number one cause of mold is moisture, and bathrooms tend to get quite steamy and humid. To help reduce this humidity, turn the fan on when you run the bath or the shower, and keep it on for at least 5 minutes afterward to help clear the steam. If possible, try to keep the fan on until all of the steam is gone.[16]
- If your bathroom has a window, open that as well before and after bathing to keep the steam and humidity at a minimum.
- Keep surfaces dry to reduce moisture buildup. Mold is especially likely to grow in places that are continuously wet or have a buildup of water. If you find a spot in your bathroom where mold keeps returning, use a cleaning cloth to dry it whenever there’s excess water. Some common places to monitor include along the outside edges of your bathtub, the perimeter of your shower, and your sink’s basin.[17]
- Be sure to also dry any towels, rugs, and washcloths after they’ve gotten wet. Mold can also form on these materials.
- Completely dry the bottles and containers for any bathroom products. It’s common to see mold forming underneath product bottles that have water sitting underneath them.
- Use mildew-resistant paint when painting your bathroom. If you’ve noticed mold spots beginning to pop up on your walls or ceiling, use mildew-resistant paint or a mold-killing primer next time you paint your bathroom. These paints and primers resist water and also contain fungicides that’ll kill any mold spores right away.[18]
[Edit]Staying Safe When Cleaning Mold
- Use rubber gloves whenever you’re working with mold. Keep yourself safe by avoiding touching mold with your bare hands. If you’re using vinegar or borax to clean the mold, regular household rubber gloves are fine. However, if you’re working with bleach, choose natural rubber gloves or PVC gloves to better protect your skin.[19]
- If the gloves are disposable, throw them out as soon as you’re done cleaning to avoid spreading mold elsewhere.
- If your gloves are reusable, wash them thoroughly in warm, soapy water and dry them completely before putting them away.
- Wear old clothes and wash them in hot water after cleaning mold. It’s best to wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting stained or damaged by the cleaning solutions and hot water wash cycle you’ll use to clean them after. Always use hot water to wash your clothes immediately after you’ve finished cleaning so that the spores trapped in the fabric are killed and don’t spread.[20]
- It’s especially important that you wear old clothes if you’re using bleach since bleach can remove the color from fabrics.
- When washing your clothes, it’s recommended to wash them in water that’s between 104ºF and 140ºF (40ºC to 60ºC) to have the best chance of killing any mold spores.
- Keep the bathroom ventilated while you’re cleaning. Open as many windows are possible and turn on the bathroom fan if there is one. This prevents you from inhaling mold spores and any toxic fumes that may be released by the cleaning solutions.[21]
- Another option is to put a stand fan in the bathroom while you work.
- Wear a disposable face mask when cleaning to further avoid inhaling any fumes or mold spores.
- Hire a professional to remove any large buildups of mold. If you can’t remove the mold yourself, have health issues affected by mold, or if the affected area is larger than , call a professional to deal with the mold. Just make sure that they have experience in removing mold. Ask friends and family for recommendations or do a quick internet search to find contractors in your area.[22]
- This is especially recommended if you think you may have black mold in your bathroom since prolonged exposure to this type of mold can cause respiratory infections.[23]
[Edit]Video
[Edit]Warnings
- If anyone in your home has a mold allergy or a compromised immune system, it’s safest that they leave the home while you are removing the bathroom mold. This prevents them from inhaling mold spores.
[Edit]References
[Edit]Quick Summary
- ↑ https://www.beyondtoxics.org/wp-content/uploads/GreatNaturalMoldCleaners-Instead-of-Bleach.pdf
- ↑ https://www.texashealth.org/areyouawellbeing/Health-and-Well-Being/Healthier-Household-Cleaning-SuppliesThat-Actually-Work
- ↑ https://moldpedia.com/mold-removal
- ↑ https://www.greenamerica.org/ways-to-clean-green
- ↑ https://www.beyondtoxics.org/wp-content/uploads/GreatNaturalMoldCleaners-Instead-of-Bleach.pdf
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/mold/control_mold.htm
- ↑ https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/cleaning-supplies-household-chem
- ↑ https://moldpedia.com/bathroom-shower-mold
- ↑ https://www.beyondtoxics.org/wp-content/uploads/GreatNaturalMoldCleaners-Instead-of-Bleach.pdf
- ↑ https://moldpedia.com/bathroom-shower-mold
- ↑ https://moldpedia.com/bathroom-shower-mold
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/mold/mold-cleanup-your-home#TipsandTechniques
- ↑ https://nchh.org/information-and-evidence/learn-about-healthy-housing/health-hazards-prevention-and-solutions/mold/
- ↑ https://moldpedia.com/bathroom-shower-mold
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/mold/mold-cleanup-your-home#TipsandTechniques
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22309-mold-allergy
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/mold/ten-things-you-should-know-about-mold
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/paints/should-you-use-mildew-resistant-paint-in-the-bathroom-a2365405198/
- ↑ http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/community/mold.htm
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8231443/
- ↑ https://housewifehowtos.com/clean/how-to-remove-mold-from-walls/
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-10/documents/moldguide12.pdf
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24862-black-mold
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