Black mold is a musty, dark, and hazardous kind of mold which grows in showers as well as other places in your home. In order to thrive, black mold needs just 3 things; dampness, warmth, and darkness. Taking this into account, your shower is the perfect place for black mold fungi to thrive and grow, if you don’t take care of it immediately!
Black mold actually has nothing to do with how clean you keep your shower. Even if you clean regularly, black mold in the shower can keep growing if you don’t know how to get rid of it for good. Here is everything you need to know about black mold growth in your shower.
Is black mold dangerous?
Black mold is, in fact, hazardous and toxic. You should remove it from your shower at the earliest. Some of the issues caused by black mold are:
- Black mold spores can shut down your organs. Regular exposure to black mold spores can even discourage your immune system from properly working, and can be fatal.
- The spores of black mold can attach to the neurons in a person’s brain. It can cause severe neurological shifts, tremors, and can even damage your mental abilities.
- Constant exposure to black mold can cause miscarriage in pregnant women and also lead to subsequent infertility.
- Your immune system can get weaker consistently, even if you take care of the black mold and prevent it from reappearing in your shower. Regular exposure to black mold for a while can cause issues that can persist for a lifetime.
- Exposure to black mold can also cause other kinds of symptoms such as fever, rashes, skin irritation, yeast infection, sneezing, allergies, itchy eyes and throat, breathing issues and mood swings and depression.
Now that you know more about what causes black mold growth on your windows and how dangerous it can be, here are a few tips on how to get rid of it:
How to remove the black mold using white vinegar
White vinegar is a great solution to help you remove as well as destroy the black mold spores from your shower. Here is how you can do it:
- Take a spray bottle and fill it up with equal parts of water and white distilled vinegar. Mix this well to create a solution.
- Spray your vinegar solution in your shower, on the tiles and anywhere you want to clean out in your bathroom.
- Allow the solution to sit undisturbed for 30 minutes. Then, take a scrubbing tool and begin to scrub the black mold out from the tiles and your shower. You can even reapply the vinegar solution once again, allow it to sit for a few minutes and then scrub back.
- Finally, rinse out your shower with warm water.
How to remove the black mold using baking soda
Another solution you can use to remove black mold from your shower is to use baking soda. Here is how you can do it:
- Take a small bowl and fill it with lukewarm water. Now, add half a cup of baking soda into this water and mix it well to create a paste.
- Apply this paste on all the areas in your shower where black mold is growing.
- Allow it to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Then, take a sponge or a soft brush and scrub the black mold away from the tiles and grout in your shower.
- Rinse out the baking soda paste with water.
How to remove the black mold using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide
Finally, you can use a mixture of baking soda as well as hydrogen peroxide to remove black mold from your shower. Here is how you can do it:
- Take a small bowl and fill it up with water. Add a ½ cup of baking soda into the water and mix it well to create a thick paste.
- Take a spatula or a brush and apply this paste directly over the tiles and shower in your bathroom, especially on the places where you can see visible black mold growing.
- Allow this baking soda paste to sit for 10 minutes undisturbed.
- After 10 minutes, spray a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water on the same areas.
- When the paste starts to fizz, take a scrubbing brush, and scrub out the black mold from the tiles, grout, and shower. Make sure you keep your bathroom well ventilated when doing this. You can even put on protective gloves, mask, and protective eye gear to protect yourself when you are using this method.
- Finally, rinse off your shower and tiles with water.
Get rid of the black mold in your shower with bleach
You can always use bleach in order to get rid of the mold that is growing in your bathroom. Here is how to do it:
How can you prevent black mold from reappearing in your shower
There are a few easy things you can remember, which will help you prevent the regrowth of black mold in your showers. Here is what you can do about it:
- The first thing you need to do is to reduce the humidity in your shower. For this, you can either place a dehumidifier in your bathroom, or you can install an exhaust fan. You should always remember to keep your bathroom well ventilated after a shower so that there is no presence of moisture, which can cause the black mold to regrow.
- Remember to wipe your bathroom and shower after every use. You can do this using a cleaning tool, or simply take a sponge or a cloth and wipe your entire shower dry. Since black mold thrives in moisture, you want to reduce or completely eliminate exposure to moisture in your bathroom. Also, keep the shower curtains dry.
- Clean your bathroom regularly using either homemade antifungal solutions or products which have antifungal properties in them. It will kill the mold spores and also prevent them from growing back in your shower.
- Create a solution of white distilled vinegar, equal parts of water, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Mix this solution well and place it in a spray bottle. After every shower, remember to spray your bathroom and shower using this solution. It will not only destroy the mold spores, but also prevent them from coming back, and the essential oil will produce a mild, pleasant smell from your bathroom at all times.