What is the best way to avoid the mold in the bathroom?
Question:Does anyone knows the best way to keep the mold away from bathroom ceiling? Somehow during the winter, mold tends to build up in the bathroom ceiling and ventilation fan is not working good enough. It seems hot steam from the shower and cold air outside creates a condensation in the ceiling and walls, and that seems to be the cause of the mold built up. We spray bleach water all over the ceiling and wall to prevent the mold but would like to know if there is any other solution.
Answers:
The best thing that I have found is to keep air circulating in the bathroom. I live in Washington state, not far from Puget Sound, and as you might imagine, it can be VERY humid here. I keep a small fan running in my bedroom (just an ordinary $19.95 oscillating fan) and attached bathroom, and I haven't had any mold problems since I started.
um. i guess just keep it clean and dry...
I have been told that one should let the bathroom fan run for 20 to 30 minutes after showering. Also, you could install a larger CFM fan. CFM = cubic feet per minute and means it will exaust more air faster.
Increase the ventilation as much as possible.
Kill the mold with the bleach solution; then you'll need to seal the walls/ceiling or the mold/mildew will return. Use Kilz as a primer, then repaint with a paint treated with a mildewcide.
Keep the bathroom door partially open if you can when showering so the steam can escape. Also, leave the fan run for at least 20 minutes after your shower. That's how long it takes for the air quality to return to what it was before you took a shower. Avoid having hotter showers, the hotter the water is, the faster the mold grows.
oh oh I know. Don't use your bathroom EVER.
I'm not sure. In my school we had a cleaning campaign and there was this fungus that couldn't be scrubbed off no matter what. My chem teacher out a few drops of hydrochlroric acid on it and it fell off like a piece of dead skin.
After you wash down your walls with the bleach solution and let dry. Then apply one coat of Sherwin Williams Alkyd ( oil based ) Pro-block odorless primer to the walls and ceiling. After that dries apply two coats of a Semi Gloss paint to the ceiling and walls.
I would use Pro mar 400 semi gloss which is a sherwin williams contractor series product and is fairly inexpensive to buy.
The sealer will seal in any remaining stains from the mold and mildew that the bleach didn't kill. The semi gloss will help keep the moisture from soaking into the walls.
In the lab we let the bleach air dry instead of wiping down and, leave the window open some, at least to get ventilation, you need some air in there. Leave the fan on, get it fixed.
This is going to keep happening until you get ventilation in there, leave the door open after you use the bath.
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