How to get rid of mould in the bathroom

Let’s take a step back in time to your school science lessons. When water reaches a certain temperature, it evaporates and becomes water vapour. As the vapour cools down, it condenses back into a liquid. Simple, right? Well this process occurs every time you have a shower.

As the water evaporates when you’re having a bath or shower, the humidity levels increase in your bathroom. If this room is not sufficiently ventilated, this warm, humid air has nowhere to go and can prevent the room from drying out properly.

If you have tiles in your bathroom, you may notice that they have a fine layer of water covering them. This is because tiles are a naturally cold material. As the water vapour hits the cold surface of the tile, the vapour condenses back into liquid.

All of this additional moisture can cause mould to grow. This nasty substance can be unpleasant to look at and it can also be bad for your health. Therefore, we’ve come up with some techniques to keep your bathroom dry and mould-free, while also providing some advice on how you can get rid of any mould that already exists.  

How to remove mould from the bathroom

If mould has already begun to grow, there are some things you can do to get rid of it. 

Use bleach

Bleach is the best solution to get rid of mould, so dilute one part bleach to three parts water and apply the mixture to the relevant areas. This will kill the fungus and remove the black substance from your tiles and bathroom fixtures. When you’re handling bleach, be sure to wear gloves as it can be quite corrosive. You may even need a face mask to avoid breathing in fumes. Alternatively, open a window and make sure you avoid mixing different cleaning solutions.

Dip a cloth into the diluted bleach solution and wipe away the worst of the mould. Then, use a toothbrush to get into the difficult nooks and crannies. Depending on how bad the mould is, these steps may need to be repeated. 

Use baking soda and washing-up liquid

If you’d prefer to use more natural substances to remove mould, you could try a mix of washing-up liquid, baking soda and hot water. Simply mix one teaspoon of washing-up liquid with one cup of baking soda. Slowly add hot water and mix until the solution becomes a thick paste. To make it smell nice, add some lavender or lemon essential oil. Apply the mixture to the mould and allow it to work for around ten minutes. Wipe the paste away and the mould should be gone. 

Replace the sealant

Mould can be much harder to remove from sealant. The rubber tends to absorb the fungus so that it gets stuck and is nearly impossible to get out. You may need to remove the sealant and replace it. This could make a huge difference to the look of your bathroom.

Once you’ve got rid of the mould, you can follow our steps above to prevent it from coming back.