Bathroom mould

[Cosmosis]

I'm sure it's been done before but search isn't working. What's the best way of getting rid of bathroom mould especially in hard to get at areas like behind the taps?

Marking my place. In particular, how do you get rid of mould on grouting?

Dettol Mould & Mildew Remover...

www.dettol.co.uk/mould-and-mildew

Extractor fan (if you don't already have one) too.

The Dettol stuff is fantastic , though wear gloves and as mrsconfused said make sure you ventilate the room.

It's on my shopping list. And I don't have an extractor fan - that should be on my list of jobs, I think.

Thank you!

I use hot water mixed with a generous glug of baby sterilising fluid (Tesco's own brand is about 75p for a litre). I use a squeegee with a sponge (same as this one www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-993045-250-mm-Squeegee/dp/B000LFTVV8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341147366&sr=8-2) and wipe/paint the walls and ceiling with the mixture. It wipes the mould off and bleaches any stains at the same time. I use the same method and mix to wipe the walls throughout the house and particularly down the stairs where little hands leave dirty marks. Bear in mind my walls are all white so I'm not sure if this would ruin coloured paint.

Grout is more difficult to clean and once stained I find the best method is to get hubby to regrout the tiles. They can either be topped up with new grout, or sometimes they need the grout scraping out and need to be done over. We use this tool www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0034BG17S/ref=asc_df_B0034BG17S8564761?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0034BG17S but be careful you don't slip and scratch the tiles. At the same time I get him to redo the silicon seal around the bath as that can start to look mucky too.

Astonish do a good spray for mould, only about £1.

Yes, I think redoing the grouting is probably necessary. Tiles are pretty ropy after a previous spray with mould cleaner (took a lot of the shine away from them). I would really like to rip out the whole bathroom and start again, but will start with the grouting. Thank you!

The dettol stuff is fab and it comes off the grout in our bath with that if left to soak for a bit.

HG Mould Remover has made my grotty old bathroom look like new again.

Miraculous stuff!

Thanks all i'll try them one by one till it's gone

A powerful extractor fan which is actually used, and not turned off by people who have an aversion to ventilation.

My dad always swears by painting thick bleach on with a paintbrush and leaving it a while before washing off. I was dubious as he was so insistent that this was The Best Thing Ever, but tried it in my shower a couple of weeks ago and it was so amazing that I am now preaching about it to the masses too! I ddn't bother with the paintbrush though, I just poured thick toilet bleach around the edge.

yes, bleach will kill black mould, and once dead it cleans off easier.

However mould is due to damp, and damp in bathrooms is mostly caused by condensation because they are excessively humid because they are not ventilated enough.

An extractor fan will run for 50 hours on about 10p worth of electricity, and you do not have to buy a weak or noisy one unless you want to. It is preferably installed to come on automatically with the light switch and run on afterwards with a timer, because some people have an aversion to ventilation and will not turn extractors on.

Dettol Mould & Mildew Remover

Has never taken the shine off our tiles. I leave it on a while longer than it says, and always open the window first.

Another vote for HG Mould Remover - I buy mine from Lakeland.

PigletJohn is it a big job to install the fan? Is it done by electrician and how many hours labour roughly?

If you are in England or Wales, electrical work in a bathroom has* to be done by an electrician who is a member of a Competent Persons Scheme. However drilling the hole in the wall can be done by anyone who has the strength to hold a big core drill from your local tool hire shop.

The usual way to connect the fan is via the ceiling rose of the bathroom light. That's very easy if you have an unboarded loft above, much more difficult if you live in a flat. It can also be wired with a PIR to detect when someone comes into the bathroom, or a humidity sensor to detect moist air.

*with more complexity and expense, it can be done by anyone else who submits a plan to Building Control at the local council, and pays for testing and inspection as well as the Certificate.

Yes, in England and in a house with unboarded loft.
Would you say about 2 hours labour by one electrician? (i am trying to calculate the cost)

I'd suggest plain bleach and leave it to soak in and kill the evil mould :o

To avoid mould in future unfortunately the only way is to have a cold bathroom and leave the window open as much as possible!

I also recommend special bathroom paint by dulex, I used this in my old flat and it was brilliant, no mould on the walls whatsoever (still had to wipe a cloth with neat bleach over the ceiling every so often though which proved to me the wall paint did what it said on the tin!).

We have an extractor fan on all the time and it helps but doesn't make a lot of difference.

It works better in our bathroom to have the window open as much as possible, always after a shower and to spray problem areas each morning with white vinegar. This slows down how quickly it returns a lot but to get it off in the first place I used bleach.

Anyone know how to get mould of the white silicone stuff around the bath?

well that answered my yukky grout question - I knew the answer to the mould question. Mould and mildew remover is great, although I do like my bleach.

I ventilate the bathroom - actually the small window is rarely closed, but I still get black mould in one corner of the bath silicone and in the opposite ceiling corner...

Any help re this?

builders usually fit cheap weedy extractors. The minimum power is usually nominally 80 cu metres per hour. You can get extractors that are three times as powerful, but they they are bigger, so usually go in the loft with a grille through the bathroom ceiling and a pipe going out through the gable wall (you mustn't vent into a loft or it will get wet and rotten). A cheap one is adequate provided it is used a lot.

If you are buying one, Centrifugal fans are usually quieter and more powerful than Axial ones.

Here's a selection. Always check the power before you buy, and if it has a timer. They almost all fit a 110mm hole in the wall (same as a tumble drier hose, and same as a plastic soil pipe, which is often used to make the duct through the wall).

If you ever hire a core drill, you will find it such a delight cutting neat round holes in your walls that before you give it back, you will probably cut some for the cooker hood, tumble drier and downstairs cloakroom as well as the bathroom. They do make gritty dust though.

p.s.

last time I had a comparable job done, it cost £96 inc VAT with a local electrician's firm that was doing some other work over a long contract. Yours may vary. Personal recommendation is a great help, provided you also ask which Competent Persons Scheme is is in and verify it.

p.p.s. (is there no end?)

don't have it fitted directly above a bath or shower (unless it is in the loft) as the electrical safety regulations are then more stringent so it will cost more and/or be less powerful.

I think I may love you piglet you are my first choice when I need to do some housey stuff.