What to Do if You Discover Black Mold in Your Bathroom

No homeowner wants to discover that their haven has mildew or, worse, black mold growth. Black mold in bathrooms can cause health problems, disfigure your bathroom, cause odors, and devalue your home. A mold problem may also require you to make serious repairs. Bathrooms are typically the most fertile breeding grounds for black mold. However, water damage in other dark areas of the home can cause black mold growth. In this article, we help you identify the signs of mold and learn how to get rid of mold.

What Does Black Mold Look Like in a Shower?

Stachybotrys chartarum, more commonly called black mold, is a type of mold found in wet or humid areas. Though it may look similar to every other type of dark mold, black mold has several distinguishing features. One feature of black mold is it often has a slimy appearance. Black mold may also have a dark green or slightly gray color. A lingering musky smell can indicate wood, drywall, or bathroom mold. Black mold can be present in bathtubs, showers, and other bathroom areas.

Where does black mold grow?

Black mold often grows in places with excessive moisture or hidden water leaks. Moldy areas could develop in leaks inside walls, above the bathroom ceiling, under floors, or by windows, especially on the seal between the window and the frame. Shower walls, bathroom walls, and shower curtains are also potential black mold spots.

Because black mold grows with excessive moisture for a prolonged period, we suggest drying wet surfaces, controlling humidity levels, and regular cleanings. The best recommendation is using a cleaning solution that’s part water and part bleach.

Health Risks from Black Mold Exposure

The health issues that black mold can cause are extensive and frightening. The toxins released by this particular strain of mold are hazardous to a person’s health. The neurotoxins in the black mold are called trichothecene mycotoxins. Breathing in black mold spores can compromise your immune system and cause confusion, dizziness, hallucinations, numbness, and many more harmful side effects. Sneezing and developing rashes are some milder symptoms of exposure to toxic mold.

Prolonged exposure to black mold spores may even lead to the development of asthma or other respiratory issues. Bleeding in the lungs and nasal passages, swelling of the lungs, and other serious problems are also possible with exposure.

How To Prevent Black Mold From Growing

Black mold commonly collects in areas that retain moisture, such as window sills, around sinks, and in the grout of showers and tubs. You can take precaution when redoing your bathroom by making sure your bathroom has proper airflow. If you don’t have one, install an exhaust fan for use when you shower or use the bathroom. Home dehumidifiers can drastically help mitigate black mold, as mold and moisture are all around us; this is especially true as we are surrounded by water on Long Island.

As a homeowner, pay close attention to the areas where black mold may grow in your bathroom. If you discover its presence, act immediately to prevent further spread and to keep your family safe. If you discover that the cost of removal is too high or that the mold has grown too extensively in the area, you may want to take advantage of a bad situation and get a bathroom remodeling.

Black mold commonly collects in areas that retain moisture, such as window sills, around sinks, and in the grout of showers and tubs.

How to Get Rid of Black Mold

Finding black mold is not necessarily the end of your beloved bathroom. You can remove and prevent surface regrowth by applying black mold removal chemicals and utilizing moisture absorbers in the affected areas. However, because black mold is so hazardous to humans, we strongly recommend hiring a professional to assist you with removal or mold remediation efforts. If black mold is appearing on your bathroom surfaces, it has likely already taken hold of your sheetrock and requires more attention than topical cleaning products. If black mold has taken over too much of your bathroom for removal to have any effect, it’s time to consider a bathroom remodel. This is an opportunity for home redesign experts to safely and effectively remove all black mold and give you the bathroom of your dreams. 

Please keep in mind that there are also instances where mold is suspected but cannot be seen. In those instances, you can hire an industrial hygienist to do testing in the area. If black mold is found, the only 100% foolproof way to get rid of it is to gut the space and start completely afresh. Contact us to get started in your mold-free bathroom.