Molds on tile cement and sealant

[dwv]

I'm starting to see black molds on the cement/filling in-between tiles and even on the silicone seal in the bathroom shower area. I clean it every week but still they seem to be scattering around in patches. I tried mold cleaners, bleach and a sturdy brush but they don't seem to work especially for what seems to be molds that have penetrated the cement! What's the best thing to do? Bathroom is just over a year old.

 

[BV]

Is all the water draining away?
Are you leaving the shower door open till the shower is completely dry?
Do you have a ceiling fan?
If you don't address the moisture issue you will always have mould.
Cheers

 

[dwv]

Hi BV,

Yes, we have an exhaust fan and a window in the bathroom. We turn on the fan everytime we take a shower and leave the window open whenever we finish. We try to keep it dry always to prevent molds but it doesn't seem to help.... the molds keep coming back.

Is all the water draining away?
Are you leaving the shower door open till the shower is completely dry?
Do you have a ceiling fan?
If you don't address the moisture issue you will always have mould.
Cheers

 

[George]

Dehumidifier

Looks that despite your efforts, there is enough moisture long enough, for mould to grow.

Other little things that might help are:
To remove wet towels from bathroom and also use towel or some other absorbent rug to soak up the remaining water from walls and floor after shower, so time from shower to dry bathroom is even shorter.

I think that some kind of mould killer has to be used, to reduce number of spores.

Unfortunately mould that grew into grout and under silicone most probably has to be scraped out, and tiles re-grouted with mould resistant grout.

Another big gun would be dehumidifier, or portable airconditioner on top of wiping dry the shower, as on wet rainy day opening window does not remove enough moisture to stop mould growth.

I know that Harvey Norman can get one for you,

or you can try them direct:

http://www.delonghi.com.au/

 

[BV]

dwv

If a section of the shower is getting more mouldy than the rest look for moisture in that area. It could be that the tiling is not done properly and waters stays in 1 spot.

It could also be water coming from bad plumbing joints behind the wall or getting into the wall through the tap knobs.
If you take the tap knob off there will be a hole behind, make sure it's filled up with silicon. Make sure water from the shower head is not running down the wall.
Don't let the water spray go directly on the wall.
If the builder used cheap tiles they could be working like spounges.
Don't have long showers.

If the silicon is getting mouldy it's probably because the builder used cheap silicon. There is a special type to buy which is resistant to mould.

it's very hard to see where the moisture comes from when you continually have showers.
Try to use other showers in your house while you are investigating this problem.
Let me know what you find.

Cheers

 

[dwv]

I though I have posted a reply recently but it seems to have been lost...

Anyway, thanks for all the replies! I'll try to check what I can. The dehumidifier seems to be a bit steep for me right now... The cold season is coming and hopefully that will help in preventing further outbreaks.

 

[TommyR]

Hi,

"Forget bleach, use vinegar" - I read this on another thread recently, and it works, can take a few applications but regular wiping down the shower has kept mould at bay!

Hope this helps

Tom