Bathroom surfaces, especially tile and grout located in or near your shower or tub, are common breeding grounds for mildew. This is largely because these surfaces are warm, moist and exposed to
light often. While you may want to treat mildew quickly because it’s unsightly, it’s important to treat mildew fast because it can spread and cause mold to grow on your bathroom’s surfaces.
Like its grown-up counterpart, mold, mildew can cause allergies, respiratory problems and more serious health issues that have the potential to affect your nervous system. If you suspect a mold issue, please contact the leasing office right away.
If you are looking for how to clean bathroom mildew, treating mildew with some common household items is normally a pretty quick and easy task. If you’ve noticed mildew in your bathroom, you can typically get rid of it using some white vinegar and baking soda. To do this, fill a spray bottle with white vinegar, spray the areas that are covered with mildew and let the white vinegar sit for a few hours.
Once the vinegar has sat for a couple of hours, use a moist cloth to scrub the mildew off of broad areas and a toothbrush to remove it from hard-to-reach spaces like corners. When you’re done, rinse the entire area with water.
If any mildew remains, make a paste that consists of three parts baking soda and one part water. Apply the paste to any remaining mildew and spray the affected areas with more white vinegar. Use a bristled brush to scour the area, and then rinse off any residual paste. If mildew is still present, use more paste and vinegar to treat the affected area again until the mildew is gone.
If mildew persists even after you’ve treated your bathroom’s surfaces repeatedly with white vinegar and baking soda, it’s time to take more drastic measures to eradicate the mildew. You can start by putting some hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle, spraying the remaining mildew and scrubbing the treated area.
When hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar are combined, the results can be toxic. For this reason, it’s critical to exercise extreme caution and avoid combining these things or using the same spray bottle to treat mildew with white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
If hydrogen peroxide isn’t enough to rid your bathroom of persistent mildew, you can treat the affected areas with a solution of bleach and water. This solution should be 75 percent water and 25 percent bleach. Just like you shouldn’t combine hydrogen peroxide with white vinegar, avoid combining bleach with other cleaning agents. You’ll also want to put on protective gloves before you treat the mildew in your bathroom with your bleach/water solution.
Mildew is generally pretty easy to treat. If you have any tips for treating mildew with common household items, we encourage you to share them in the comments section below!
Preventing mildew doesn’t require the use of advanced scientifically made solutions, but it does require consistency and vigilance. To prevent mildew in your bathroom, you’ll need to incorporate some of our tips into your daily routine.
Light is a natural enemy of mildew. Whenever you’re not using your bathroom, keep the blinds up to let as much natural light as possible into the space if you have a window. If you don’t have a window in your restroom, you can use artificial light to prevent the growth of mildew by leaving your lights on 10-15 minutes longer than you normally do.
Here are some more things you can do to prevent mildew in your bathroom:
If your bathroom has a window, leave it open or cracked as often as you can to allow air to circulate through the space. You’ll also want to use an exhaust fan to keep air moving and your bathroom dry when you shower or bathe.
Leave your ventilation fan on for at least 30 minutes after you shower or take a bath, too. If you don’t have an exhaust fan in your restroom, consider getting one installed.
For some people, preventing mildew is as simple as controlling their home’s humidity level. To effectively prevent mildew, you should maintain a humidity level that’s below 50 percent. You can use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to reach an optimal humidity level.
To prevent mildew, be sure you put a mildew-resistant shower curtain in your bathroom. Even though it’s resistant to mildew, you’ll still need to wash your shower curtain regularly to prevent mold growth.
While it’s often convenient to leave your shampoo, loofah and other toiletries in the shower when you’re done with them, doing so facilitates mildew growth. When you’re done in the shower, dry off your toiletries and store them in a dry location.
At Triple Crown Corporation, we’re prepared to handle all of your housing needs. If you’re getting ready to make a move, contact Triple Crown Corporation to learn more about the apartment options that are available to you.
