Don’t wait for spring to deep-clean your bathrooms. During the winter months, when homes are locked up tight to keep the cold air out, mold and mildew can wreck havoc on your tile, showers, counters and faucets. If your bathroom has a musty smell, then you likely have a mold problem and need to address it right away.
Most people wait for telltale black spots before they worry that they have a mold problem. However, mold comes in a variety of colors, including brown and pink. Pink mold is prevalent in grout, showers and even in the toilet if you don’t flush it often. The mold feeds off of soap and shampoo residue, which is why it is so important to regularly clean your bathrooms with bleach-based solutions.
If you find pink mold growing in the corners of your showers, you should use Clorox or other popular tub and tile cleaners to kill the mold. Once you apply the bleach-based disinfectant, scrub a bit, then completely rinse the surface and repeat. Doing so will get rid of the mold and eliminate the soap and shampoo residue it feeds off of.
The best way to prevent the mold from returning is to clean regularly with bleach. Also, run the bathroom fan as often as possible to keep the air circulating. Mold loves moist, humid air, so keeping the bathroom dry is a good way to keep mold at bay.
In addition, you should consider adding more light to a dark bathroom if possible. Mold procreates in dark areas, so if you have a bathroom window, consider opening the blinds to flood the room with natural light. You could also shine artificial light on areas where mold tends to grow.
Air circulation and light aside, the best way to combat mold is to clean bathroom surfaces on a daily basis. The goal is to reduce and eliminate built-up soap residue. Spraying surfaces with a bleach based cleaner is the best way to kill and prevent mold.