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Make Your Bathroom Mildew Fade Away
Walking into the bathroom and smelling a sour or musty odor is very upsetting and unpleasant and more than likely bathroom mildew and mold are the culprits.
Mold and mildew are fungus that grow anywhere in a home but they especially love bathrooms. The reason for this is that it meets their environmental needs, which are poor or low air circulation and ventilation, low-lighting, high humidity, dampness, and warm temperatures.
Mildew and mold grow on almost any surface such as tiles, grout, paint, wood, glass, material and porcelain. At one time or another, most small bathrooms end up with mold and mildew. Bathroom mildew finds a damp, dark crack or corner on the wall or in the shower, slowly starts growing and before you know it, you have a big problem on your hands.
It continues growing, attaching itself to the grout between the tiles, the silicone sealer and even on the ceiling. Without getting the mold and mildew under control, your beautiful bathroom could end up looking and smelling terrible.
Controlling Mold and Mildew
Controlling the humidity in a bathroom, caused by running water and steam, is extremely important. Turn on your bathroom fan to pull steam and moisture from the air and if you have a window, open it a bit. This helps to keep the air circulating. If you do not have a bathroom vent or fan, it is a great investment but be sure it vents directly outside.
Mildew loves dark areas so turn on your lights before a shower or bath and leave them on for an extra fifteen or twenty minutes after.
Wipe the bathtub or shower area with either a squeegee or dry cloth after bathing and always hang up damp towels and clothing. Use either bleach or vinegar regularly, to stop future growth of mold and mildew.
When the time comes to repaint, use a mildew proof paint, designed specifically for bathrooms, kitchens and other high-moisture areas
Removing Bathroom Mildew
Always wear rubber gloves and work in a well-ventilated area when cleaning. A mixture of five parts water to one part chlorine bleach is great for killing bacteria as it cleans. Use this on all the bathroom surfaces.
In the shower or bathtub areas, use a stiff brush to get into the grout, tiles and hard to reach corners. If you have a corner that is difficult to reach even with a brush, soak a cotton ball in bleach.
Place the cotton ball against the mildew, for twenty minutes, remove and then rinse. Wash your shower curtain in the washing machine but add a cup of bleach to kill any mildew or mold. Once your shower curtains are clean, soak them in salt water to prevent future mold and mildew growth.
Keep a spray bottle of vinegar in your bathroom and after each shower or bath, spray the walls and tiles around the bath area.
Clean your bathroom often with bleach, vinegar or commercial bathroom mildew cleaner to keep your room sparkling fresh, mildew and mold free.
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