Mushroom growing in bathroom: how to fight and prevent mold?

Often people are faced with the fact that mushroom growing in bathroom. This is explained by the fact that the room has high humidity levels, and these are ideal conditions for the development of bacteria. Further, it is described in detail why the bathroom mushrooms develop, as well as ways to eliminate and prevent them.

Why mushroom growth in the bathroom: the main reasons

Many people wonder, why mushrooms grow in the bathroom. Often this can be explained by several reasons, and the main one is high humidity. It is also quite common to hear the question, what does it mean when a mushroom is growing in your bathroom?

If there is a mushroom growing in the bathroom, it means that there is not enough light in the room, as well as the wrong humidity and temperature.

Often people don’t understand what does it mean if a mushroom grows in your house? If all factors are observed, then the bacteria are growing in the bathroom. Because of this, you can notice the breeding ground of bacteria on the bathroom floors or walls.

The main causes of the appearance of the fungus are in detail below.

Humidity level

All types of mold, and the fungus is no exception, prefer to develop in conditions of significant humidity. After all, they need water for growth and nutrition. That is why you can most often notice mushrooms growing in the bathroom.

High heat

The mushrooms grow in a warm environment, and the optimal temperature for it is 77-86℉. If the temperature drops below 40℉, the mushroom growth stop.

If your bathroom is very warm due to the heater, or if the hot water is turned on frequently, the chances of mushrooms growing constantly increase.

Insufficient lighting

As you know, sunlight contributes to the drying of water. If there is not enough light, the number of dark areas increases and water accumulates there, provoking mold growth.

Availability of “food”

A mold prefers to “eat” organic matter. If the bathroom has a lot of products made of natural wood or cotton, the mushrooms growing are active.

The same applies to houses that have pet hair.

Oxygen

A mold is considered an aerobic microbe. It needs oxygen to grow. The more it is in the bathroom, the more likely are the mushrooms growing.

Where can you see the fungus?

Mold prefers to thrive in dark, warm, and damp places. Most often, you can see mushroom spores on the floor or bathroom walls.

There is also mold on the seams of the tiles. The appearance of mold on the ceiling in the bathroom is not ruled out, especially if repairs have not been carried out for a long time.

It is not uncommon to see a mushroom sprout in shower drains. If the toilet is leaking, the fungus also grows in these warm and humid conditions.

The danger of the mushroom growing in the bathroom

A fairly common question is, is mushroom mold toxic? In the bathroom, different types of fungi can develop. Most of them are harmless.

However, there are dangerous varieties that cause harm to the body when inhaled. They can cause shortness of breath, respiratory illness, and even death.

If mushrooms grow in the room, there is a high probability that they act as a breeding ground for a dangerous type of black mold.

Contact with black mold growth can provoke serious allergic reactions, as well as severe respiratory illnesses. For safety reasons, you need to constantly fight poisonous mushrooms.

What to do if there are mushrooms growing in the bathroom?

Many are interested in the question, how do I get rid of mushroom mold in my house? If you notice signs of fungus and mold in the bathroom, you need to immediately begin to eliminate them.

It is necessary to use effective means. It is important to use protective equipment, including rubber gloves and masks.

Fungus collection and cleaning

This method should be used if the fungi have not yet grown strongly. It is suitable if you need to get rid of mold on the ceiling, walls, floor, or other types of surfaces. The procedure is quite simple and consists of several steps:

1. Put on gloves, goggles, and a face shield.
2. Treat the fungus with fungicides or bleach.
3. Soak the composition for half an hour, then wipe this place with a brush. Work carefully so as not to damage the grout and sealant. If the fungus has already grown, it can be plucked from the surface before cleaning.
4. Rinse everything with water, and dry.
5. Treat the surface with a disinfectant. This prevents further bacterial growth.

This method can be used if you need to remove signs of fungus from the sealant. If it began to develop on tile walls, it is advisable to use Bleach Chloride.

After removing a large area of ​​mushrooms growing in the bathroom, clean the surface of the remaining mushroom spores.

You can use a bleach solution for cleaning. It is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:3. The product must be sprayed before you treat the areas with mushrooms growing.

An alternative option would be cleaning highly effective fungicidal solutions.

They can remove the remains of fungi, as well as prevent their re-development. You may have to clean it several times.

This ensures that all bathroom disputes are removed. If you want to avoid using bleach, use other household cleaners and disinfectants.

Choose formulations that contain benzalkonium chloride. They are very effective against sprouting mushrooms.

Removing surfaces on which mushrooms growing

Often there are quite a lot of fungi in the bathroom, which are also important to remove.

First, you need to remove from the room all objects that were affected by mold. It can be textiles, wall panels, or wood items.

If the coating on the walls, floor, or ceiling was affected, it is necessary to remove them and replace them.

This condition is required if the mold has penetrated the deep layers of the floor, walls, or ceiling. Try to constantly monitor the fungus, and fight them before it spread throughout the room.

Learn more about how to get rid of mold in the bathroom here.

Prevention of fungal growing in your bathroom

If you have already cleaned all surfaces from the fungal spores, do not think that this is the end. Such actions are only a temporary solution.

If nothing is done further, the mold continues to spread throughout the room.

Here are some tips to help prevent the mushroom growing in the bathroom.

Ensuring a quality ventilation system in the bathroom

Excess moisture accumulates in the room, and fungi are constantly growing in your bathroom. Often this is because the quality of ventilation in the room is poor.

The drier the air in the bathroom, the less likely it is that mold mushrooms form and grow.

Try to equip a proper ventilation system. If it is not possible to install a special hood, you can simply open a window or a special fan.

Especially if you just recently took a shower or bath. For proper ventilation, it is better to seek help from professionals.

Fix existing leaks in the bathroom

To keep the air in the bathroom a little dry, try to eliminate all available leaks. Carefully inspect all plumbing in the room. If broken pipes, or faucets that are leaking or dripping nozzles, have been noticed, they should be removed.

To carry out quality work, it is advisable to call an experienced plumber. He can carefully examine everything, identify the problem, and fix it. Do-it-yourself work may be less effective.

Dryness of bathroom textiles

All types of fabrics have a fibrous structure. Therefore, if excess moisture gets on towels and rugs, they remain wet for a long time. This creates a favorable environment for mold mushrooms that are growing in your bathroom.

If fungi form in towels and rugs, it is almost impossible to remove them. You have to throw away all the textiles, which requires additional financial costs. It is impossible to use them in the future because they can be hazardous to health.

Try to keep all towels and other textiles dry. If cotton or woolen curtains hang in the bathroom, it is recommended to replace them with options from a more practical material. The best option is film or nylon shower curtains for the bathroom. And they are less expensive.

Dehumidifier

If the bathroom has high levels of humidity, a special device, a dehumidifier, can be used to solve the problem.

It is effective and practical even if you regularly open the windows in the bathroom. The dehumidifier reduces the humidity and prevents the formation of fungus.

You may also be interested in: Shower P-trap and is it needed for a shower drain?

Regular cleaning

As you know, the house needs to be cleaned regularly. General cleaning in the bathroom should be carried out regularly, with an interval of 1-2 weeks. The more often you clean, the more likely you are to prevent mold.

It is recommended to clean the floor well with a soapy solution. It is also required to disinfect the area. You must treat the floor and walls with a solution that is prepared from water and bleach.

Mushroom growing in bathroom: Conclusion

As you can see, fungi in the bathroom appear for various reasons. It is quite difficult to deal with them because disputes may remain. It is important to follow all mold prevention tips, including air drying and general cleaning.