Help with mouldy bathroom please

phizzimum

my bathroom is now looking like a building site as DH is totally refitting it (shame he's only working on it one day a week, so it could take some time :rolleyes:)

it was really mouldy and yukky before, so despite the chaos I'm glad it's being done. relieved to know it's not only me that had orange mould in the grout - I thought it was because I henna my hair!

I'm worried that after spending precious time and money on a new bathroom it's all going to go mouldy again in six months so I will be trying out all the tips and products mentioned in this thread - so many thanks to you all!

buddiebabe

I just found this post and when i was reading it was so glad to see that other people have the same problem with the lovely orange colour in between the tiles.

I have just sprayed it with the Dettol mould and mildew spray and the orange is now white!!!

Thank you so much i could not figure out why the tile grouting was orange but now at least i know how to get rid of it :j

Patchwork_Quilt

Grotbuster is really good stuff too

nesssie1702

One of the reasons that bathrooms go mouldy is because of the steam produced when you have a shower/bath. All that water vapour needs to go somewhere, so it will settle on the surfaces. Mould spores are present everywhere, so the combination of the damp surfaces and the mould spores result in that lovely black stuff.

If you can - one of the best ways to keep it at bay is to ventilate your bathroom when you're having a shower/bath. Open the window to let the steam escape and leave it ajar if you can. The other thing that's important is having level of heat in there that keeps the room warm. I've done this with all my bathrooms (in 3 separate flats/houses) and never had a problem with mould growth either round the bath or on the ceiling.

mumoftwins

I, too, have the same problem particularly on the edges of the walls around the windows despite leaving them both open slightly all the time! But will give the Dettol a go and see how it works out.

Thanks for the advice.

ali1972

I've tried 50% bleach, 50% water on a toothbrush - good for the grout, not so much for the silicone. Will definitely try the Lakeland stuff. I don't have a window in my bathroom so I sympathise with my fellow mould sufferers...

blondy24

You could always borrow a steamer, we used one of these when we moved into our old place. The bathroom was orange in between the tiles, very disgusting.

tjp70

Thank you to all those that have replied. It's comforting to know that it is not just my house that suffers with orange mould in the bathroom. (And there was me thinking I was special!!)

Tracy

nesssie1702

I've found out what causes the pink/orange and black "mould" in bathrooms!!

It's a biofilm - a mixture of bacteria and fungi which are naturally found in air and water. Given the right growth conditions, they'll colonise a number of surfaces, usually in the kitchen and bathroom.

They will grow and typically produce a black slime (what folk have seen on their grouting round tiles and round the bath?)

The pink staining is due to the growth of an airborne bacteria known as Serratia marcescens.

Where you find biofilms:
- shower heads and curtains
- washing machine powder drawer
- kitchen and bathroom tiles
- waste traps
- toilet cisterns and bowls
- cold water taps (plastic inserts)


The growth of biofilms can be limited by eliminating nutrients such as shampoo, soaps and deodorants and in the kitchen, food. Increasing the ventilation in the area helps prevents their formation.

The black slime and pink staining can be removed by using a small brush and a milld bleach solution (or for those true OSers, try vinegar)

If you've got a storage tank that feeds your shower and internal plumbing, you might want to check that is covered and is free from debris - if the problem is really bad, you might need to clean your tank out!

HTH

jcr16

i used cillit bang. wasn't meant for mould it was a kitchen one grime and lime ( was all i had ) and a tooth brush. squired it on and scrubbed 2 mins later. within about 5 mins all gone. was really impressed. tried bleach before watered down and did nothing.