Contents
Mold and fungus in the bathroom not only spoil the appearance, they are also harmful to health. Therefore, getting rid of mold in the bathroom or in other rooms is very important.
We identify and eliminate the causes
Even if there is no fungus in the rest of the apartment, everything is clean and dry, it can appear in the bathroom. Ideal conditions for its appearance are created in this room – high temperature (above 20 ° C) and high humidity (the norm is up to 70%).
There is only one way out in this case – to improve ventilation or somehow quickly reduce humidity. Humidity is reduced:
- with the help of recuperators (devices such that collect moisture from the air);
- increasing the efficiency of ventilation.
Check the ventilation duct
If there were no problems with mold before, you need to inspect the ventilation duct. Perhaps it is clogged, because after taking a shower or bath, high humidity is removed from the room for a long time. Checking the operation of the ventilation duct is simple: take a piece of paper (at least a notebook sheet or a piece of newspaper), somewhere in the apartment open a window a little (for ventilation). In the bathroom, hold the leaf up to the ventilation grille.
If the sheet is pulled to the grate – everything is fine, if not – the channel is clogged. You need to call the appropriate service so that they clean it.
Presence of air flow
If there is a craving, but also a fungus, we continue the tests. It is necessary to do the same operation again – to bring a piece of paper – it is necessary even with the door to the bathroom closed. If in this case there is no draft (the leaf is not attracted), and with the door open it “stuck” to the grate, the door is installed too tightly. For air inflow, there should be a gap of at least 3 cm below. The second option is ventilation grilles for air intake.
They crash into the bottom quarter of the door. If you do not want to change the doors, you can choose plastic grilles that match the color and install them yourself. Other ways to improve ventilation in the bathroom are to make a vent in the wall opposite the outlet of the ventilation duct (below, just above floor level) or to stretch the ventilation duct / pipe to the same place. In general, in this case, the task is to ensure the flow of air into the bathroom to activate air exchange.
Folk methods
Most folk remedies allow you to get rid of the external manifestations of the fungus for a while. You will remove its traces from the surface, but its spores will remain in the material. And if so, that after a while the spots will appear again. Only a cardinal solution to the problem of humidity can help – effective ventilation. In a dry room, fungus/mold will not be able to grow.
The use of drugs that are harmless to humans
To get rid of mold in the bathroom, ordinary vinegar and soda will help. There are several ways to use them:
- Wipe the walls with alcohol table vinegar, leave for several hours, closing the doors, rinse with water, then ventilate.
- The method for horizontal surfaces is to pour soda, pour vinegar, wait for the reaction to end and rinse with water.
- Wipe the walls first with soda, then with vinegar, then with water.
It is difficult to say how effective these mold remedies will be, but vinegar from hardness salts helps perfectly – the white coating is washed off without a trace.
The next folk remedy for mold in the bathroom is peroxide. She also wipes the walls. But we must remember that peroxide is toxic in large quantities and it is necessary to work in a mask and gloves. Also, do not forget that it has a whitening effect. If you process the grout in the joints between the tiles, it will become a few tones lighter.
Hazardous substances
In the first place in terms of frequency of use – bleach and chlorine-containing products for washing plumbing – Belizna, Domestos, Utenok, etc. They are diluted with a certain amount of water, the walls are smeared, especially carefully processing the seams between the tiles. External manifestations (dark spots) disappear very quickly, literally before our eyes. For some time after treatment, the mold does not appear, but sooner or later (usually in the autumn or spring season) it begins to appear again.
It is necessary to work with bleach and preparations from it in gloves, a respirator and in protective clothing. After processing, it is desirable to turn off the ventilation (if there is forced), close the doors tightly, do not use the bathroom for some time. Chlorine in the free state is not for long, but at this time it is very active, including its vapors. Such a “gas” chamber will allow you to disinfect the corners that you can’t reach with a brush.
The next most popular way to get rid of mold in the bathroom is treatment with a solution of copper sulfate. They take 100 grams of powder, dissolve it in 10 liters of water, and treat the walls and ceiling with this solution. Precautions are the same as when using bleach. The results, in principle, are also not very different – temporary relief from black marks.
store funds
There are many different antifungal compounds in any hardware store. They differ in the spectrum of action and the method of application. There are products that are distributed with a brush or roller, there are in aerosol packages or with lever sprayers. Some formulations require the use of protective equipment (gloves and a respirator), while others are harmless to humans. In any case, read the instructions before starting work.
When choosing a bathroom cleaner for black mold, pay attention to what materials it can treat. There are products specifically for wood, there are products for concrete and brick, and there are also many universal products suitable for all building materials.
List of funds
Here are a few remedies that are recommended by those who have already used them:
- Means against mold and fungus Savo. Production – Czech Republic Unilever, 500 ml in a spray bottle. Kills!! fungi vegetative mold species, microalgae almost immediately, surface color does not change. Spray on the surface from a distance of 15-20 cm, leave for 20 minutes. You can rinse, you can leave. It is not necessary to pre-clean the mold – it itself disappears without a trace. The effect, even after a single treatment, persists for a long time (according to those who have used it for 2 years, there is no mold). Suitable for plastered, whitewashed, painted surfaces, for bricks, wall and floor tiles. Effective in rooms with high humidity – bathrooms, basements, cellars. It has a pungent smell, it works better in a mask. Consumption 50 ml/m2.
- Remedy for fungus and mold ASTONISH Mold & Milder remover. English remedy – 750 ml in a spray bottle. With regular use, you can beat the fungus forever. Apply, wait 5 minutes, rinse with water.
The most effective remedies for fungus and mold - Olimp Stop mold. A Russian product manufactured by DEKART CJSC. A remedy for rot, mold, fungi, mineral (concrete, brick, drywall, plaster, ceramic tiles) and wooden surfaces can be processed. Before processing, clean, dry the surface, then apply the product. Does not change the color of the treated surface, does not create a film, is absorbed deep into the pores. There is a packaging with a spray gun, there is – in banks. Can be applied by spray, roller or brush. You can not wash off – after drying it is harmless.
- Antifungal ABEDIS 06. Concentrated agent, requires dilution with water (proportion 1:2). Suitable for concrete, plaster, brickwork, terracotta and ceramic tiles, stone. It is applied to the cleaned dry surface with a roller or brush. Leave on for 24 hours, then wash off. Repeat if necessary.
With the help of these tools, you can get rid of mold in the bathroom for a long period of time.
How to get rid of forever
If you want to get rid of mold in the bathroom forever, you will have to start a full renovation. It is necessary to remove the entire finish along with the plaster. Bare walls – concrete or brick – should be treated with a primer with antibacterial properties (there are some), when plastering, use a composition with antifungal additives or add it to a standard cement-sand mortar yourself. After the plaster has dried – primer, then tiling using glue with antifungal additives. Even grouting must be with the appropriate properties.
With this state of affairs and normally working ventilation, you will no longer have problems with mold and fungi. All other methods allow you to get rid of mold in the bathroom only for a certain period.
Below is a description of some of the tools that can be used to combat fungus and mold during bathroom renovations. The same means can be used to process already finished surfaces, but they are more effective precisely at the stage of finishing work.
- Fongifluid Alpa (Alpa). It has a bluish-greenish tint, but the color of the treated surfaces does not change. Suitable for processing concrete, brick, plaster, gypsum boards, wood and its derivatives. Loose and porous surfaces must be cleaned, dense ones are treated without preparation. Surfaces are washed with water, dried, then the agent is applied. The recommended consumption is 1 liter per 4-5 square meters. m. Leave for 4-5 days. This drug is good at the repair stage – it improves adhesion. If finishing materials were processed, wipe the surface with a damp cloth.
- Homeenpoisto from Tikkurilla. Finnish wood cleaner, but can also be used on concrete and plaster surfaces before finishing.
Some tools that you can use during the repair to get rid of the fungus - BIOZID SANIERLOESUNG (Biocide). Suitable for most building materials. Apply by brush or roller only (do not spray). The surface is pre-cleaned (you can mechanically remove the fungus and mold). Biocide is applied to a dry surface in two layers. The break between treatments is 30 minutes. Leave the second layer for 24 hours. After treatment of places affected by black mold, the color does not disappear, although the fungus is destroyed. It is necessary to discolor stains by additional treatment with a chlorine-containing composition.
Now you know how to get rid of mold in the bathroom for a long time and even for good.