Mould is defined in the dictionary as, “a coating or discoloration caused by various saprotrophic fungi that develop in a damp atmosphere.” The atmosphere in a bathroom is decidedly damp. You can’t have a wet room that does not get wet.
In such an environment mould can take hold and once it does your bathroom surfaces such as the grouting between your tiles will be stained and discoloured. You will then have a job to bring your bathroom back to its former glory.
Prevention is better than cure
The first thing to do if you want to prevent mould is to make sure your bathroom is as dry as possible. This might seem to be an impossible task if you have a busy family that take regular baths and showers.
Make sure your bathroom is well ventilated. If you have an exhaust fan leave it on while you bathe and for a good ten minutes afterwards.
If you don’t have a fan open windows and doors after you shower. You need to get rid of the humid air that has built up in your bathroom and steamed up the bathroom mirror.
You need to make sure you maintain the area by rubbing the surfaces down with bleach once a week. Make sure you clean the grout between the tiles. Also check your pipes for leaks as they can lead to mould. If you do find a leak call a plumber as soon as possible.
How to fix mould
There are a number of products that can kill your mould and some are more environmentally friendly than others.
Bleach is the obvious thing to turn to get rid of mould. It is highly corrosive so it will attack almost anything in its sight. Therefore make sure the room is ventilated and that you are wearing gloves and a mask before you apply the bleach to the mould.
If used on non-porous surfaces like your bath, or your tiles, the bleach will kill off the mould and there is little chance it will come back.
However, it is not good for the environment and there are other solutions such as vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, detergent and tea tree oil.
It may surprise you to know that tea tree oil is very effective at killing mould and is far better for the planet than bleach. To use it fill a spray bottle with water and include one teaspoon of tea tree oil per cup it took to fill the bottle.
Simply spray the solution on the mould and it will kill it.
