Mold and mildew can cause serious problems in your home. It can aggravate respiratory ailments such as asthma and allergies. It can stain your walls, linens and tiles. But how do you effectively combat mold and mildew to improve your home's appearance and indoor air quality? Here are some tips to help you get the mold out and keep it out.
6 Ways to Get Mold and Mildew out of Your Bathroom
- Air it out. Mold and mildew tend to form in areas that are damp with still air. Run your bathroom vent whenever you're showering or using a lot of hot water to remove excess moisture from the room by venting it outside.
- Fix the leaks. Another place mold and mildew can form is in damp areas that are dark, such as the area under your sink or behind your toilet. If you have a leak going, you're adding more moisture to the air and surrounding materials, making them prime candidates for mold and mildew growth.
- Clean porous materials. This includes not only your towels, rugs and curtains but also your unsealed tile grout, wood items and in extreme cases, drywall and wallpaper. Cycle your linens through a wash cycle every 2-4 weeks to prevent mold and mildew growth, and make sure to seal your surfaces to prevent moisture from building up.
- Change your shower curtain liner. Newer shower curtain liners are available in mildew-resistant materials, which helps prevent mildew from finding a place to grow. Wash or replace it on a regular basis.
- Keep bottles, toys and scrubbers or loofah sponges out of the shower. These items have small pockets where mold and mildew can become established and spread to the rest of the bathroom.
- Clean it up. Using bleach, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or other mold-killing cleaner, clean your bathroom well once a week. This not only kills existing mold but keeps it from becoming re-established once you've removed the bulk of the problem.
By following these simple steps, you can reduce and eliminate mold in your bathroom, making it a much more pleasant environment. If you need help with some of these tips, please feel free to contact the trained professionals at Stahl Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning. Find out why we're the Pittsburgh plumbing contractor of choice with more than 50 years of quality work and attentive customer service.