How to Get Rid of Black Bathroom Mold
Black mold is a potentially harmful substance that can release harmful particles into the air if left in your bathroom for too long. Common causes of black mold include a lack of proper airflow, excessive moisture and lack of light exposure. It’s important to remove black mold before it becomes a health hazard. If it has built up too much, you may need to hire a professional to remove it.
Things You’ll Need:
- Rubber or plastic gloves
- Eye goggles
- Surgical mask
- Pants
- Long sleeved shirt
- Mold cleaner
- Paper towels or sponge
- Purchase mold cleaner. It’s important to use a specialized mold cleaner that doesn’t contain bleach as these cleaners simply mask the mold and don’t actually remove it from the root. You can purchase mold cleaners at hardware and home improvement stores, as well as certain grocery and drug stores. You may have to purchase more than one brand of cleaner before you find the best one for cleaning your bathroom.
- Don your protective gear including gloves, goggles and a surgical mask which prevents you from ingesting the potentially harmful mold or getting the mold or cleaner in your eyes. You should also wear pants and long sleeves if you are concerned about exposure to your skin.
- Saturate the infected areas with mold cleaner and let it set for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, use the paper towels or sponge to scrub the area and remove the mold. Repeat this process to clean all the infected areas in your bathroom.
- Discard the paper towels or sponge, and remove them from your home. Although you don’t need to dispose of them at a hazardous waste site, it is important that you remove them once you’re finished.
- Prevent black mold from growing back in the future by keeping the area moist and well ventilated. Since black mold grows best in dark, damp areas that aren’t properly ventilated, you should alter these conditions to keep it from coming back. Use a dehumidifier, open the windows and occasionally keep the lights on. It’s also important to keep up with basic maintenance such as regularly scrubbing the bathtub, sinks, vanities and windowsills, as this will also deter future growth.