QUESTION FROM Karl

Trying to get rid of mold that is along the mortar folds in the bathtub and kitchen sink. No cleaning fluid or powder seems to work.

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear Karl:

As it sounds like you have found out, mold can be very difficult to remove from bathtub and sink grout lines.

Have you tried using boric acid or hydrogen peroxide yet?

You need to be very careful when cleaning mold, as the process can disperse mold spores into the air. Here is a webpage that provides very important safety tips for cleaning mold:

http://www.moldetect.com/mold-cleaning.htm

To get rid of mold in the affected area you should first put on rubber gloves, a filter mask and eye protection. Apply the boric acid or hydrogen peroxide onto the mold, making sure it becomes well saturated. It is very important that the mold be very wet before you start wiping or scrubbing, so that this will start to kill the mold immediately and help prevent mold spores from releasing into the air. Keep spraying the mold as you scrub with a non-abrasive pad, keeping it wet as you clean. This prevents mold spores from flying into the air. If any mold seems to be deeply embedded, then leave the mixture on longer so that it can sink in before scrubbing. Once it looks like you have gotten rid of all the mold, spray the area again with the boric acid or hydrogen peroxide and let it dry, as this will kill any remaining roots of the mold.

To keep the mold from coming back, you can take prevention steps such as:

o lowering the humidity in the room by opening windows and running fans to clear out the damp air after uses.

o keeping the area as dry as possible after uses.

o reducing the temperature in the room when not using it.

o regular cleaning to prevent and get rid of mold and mildew growth.


Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com