What Are Red Molds in the Bathroom?
Red mold, unlike pink mold, is actually a variety of fungus that can give off a red appearance at any given time. As mold grows, the colonies can present various colourations from green, to black, and even red. Red mold is not a mold species of its own, but simply the colour presented by the mold growth.
Is red mold dangerous? If you're a healthy individual, chances are red mold won't affect you in any devastating way other than being a nuisance to see around your bathroom. Red mold in your bathroom areas also indicates that there are red mold colonies elsewhere in the house, as the spores would have spread to form new colonies.
Mold can cause allergies, respiratory irritation, and even respiratory infections in those with a compromised immune system. Children, pets, and other immunocompromised individuals can get illnesses from contact with mold growth.
What Causes Red Mold in the Bathroom?
Like any mold growth, red mold is caused by mold spores that make their way into moist and damp areas where they are likely to be undisturbed as they grow colonies. Spores are everywhere, and mold loves to live in areas where they get plenty of access to moisture, organic material, and in an undisturbed location.
Your shower area, including your shower curtain, is a humid environment that presents prime real estate for mold. Damp ceilings, leaky pipes within the walls, and grout are most susceptible to mold. Once mold has found a spot to call home, it is difficult to remove the red mold without some good scrubbing.
How to Get Rid of Red Mold in the Bathroom
Get rid of red mold from your bathroom for good using some tried and true hacks to ensure that red mold doesn't return! Be sure to wear gloves and a dust mask if you're allergic to mold to prevent any health issues as you clean.
Shower Walls: Homemade Vinegar Spray
Vinegar is a powerful solution that can kill off mold colonies and spores faster than they can breed! Distilled white vinegar is known to be effective as a cleaning solution to remove mold, as well as dissolving the soap scum and mineral deposits from hard water that the mold feed off of.
Grab a spray bottle and fill it up with half vinegar, half clean water. Add a couple of drops of essential oils of your choice, a lemon rind, and some sprigs of herbs to combat the smell of the vinegar. Use the spray around your shower area, focusing on the walls and floors which tend to get the most moisture. Spray down the red mold, and let the solution sit for 20-30 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
Tile Grout: Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
For bathroom grout which may get red mold deep within its porous surface, use a paste made from baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixed in a small bowl. This mixture will get those tiles back to their original white colour. The consistency of the paste allows you to apply the mixture on both horizontal and vertical surfaces with ease, and stays on as you let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes.
Afterwards, use a scrub brush to gently but firmly scrub away at the mold. Use warm water to rinse off the solution, and your grout should look as right as new. Keep working at the mold areas until you no longer see any staining. You may need to repeat the process more than once for heavy stains.
Shower Curtains: Wash in the Washing Machine
Your shower curtain can be harbouring colonies of red mold without you even knowing! To clean moldy shower liners and curtains, simply remove the fabric from the shower area, carefully detach the shower rings, and toss the curtain in the laundry machine. Add some vinegar to your wash cycle, and let the machine clean those mold off for you.
Afterwards, wring the curtains dry and let them completely air dry to get rid of excess moisture before you place them back into your shower area. Wash your shower liners and curtains at least once every two weeks to prevent red mold from growing in the fibers.
Other Bathroom Surfaces: Non-Chlorine Bleach Solution
For hard surfaces prone to staining, like beneath the toilet seat, on white surfaces, and near drainage holes, a bleach solution can help you get the mold out without damaging your bathroom fixtures. A bleach solution is made with diluted bleach, which poses less of a hazard for you and your bathroom, but still keeps mold at bay.
Wear protective gear when handling bleach, and you can use the solution on any white or undyed surface to kill mold. Use the solution on bathroom walls, on shower grout, and even bathroom windows which can get moldy easily. Let the bleach sit until you see the stains lift off, then scrub away at the loosened mold. Rinse well with water afterwards.
The Best Ways to Prevent Red Molds
The best way to prevent mold from getting into your home and your bathroom is to keep your house clean. Red mold appears when there's ample space to thrive, and when they don't get cleaned off before they can grow their colonies into considerable sizes.
Mold thrives with moisture, so keeping surfaces dry is a key way to prevent red mold from entering your home. Keep a bathroom fan on after baths to clear the humidity in the air and keep the place properly ventilated. Remove the food source of mold from your bathroom - soap scum, hard water stains, and any old cotton lying around. Do a thorough home cleaning regularly for mold prevention.
Go for Professional Cleaning
For any home cleaning needs, Luce cleaning services Singapore can get your home clean and neat in an instant! Our experienced cleaners can do mold removal in your home, and focus on cleaning your grout lines, and other areas in your home. Get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment.
