How to Safely Remove Light Mold From Your Bathroom Ceilings

In addition to being a major cosmetic problem, mold in your bathroom can also be a serious health risk. Those are just a few of the reasons why you should tackle any mold that you find in your bathrooms right away.

Clean the Ceiling

Well before you even think about cleaning out the mold, you need to make sure that you have all of the proper safety gear. Some types of mold can be highly dangerous, and that is why you must have goggles, a mask, and thick gloves. To physically remove the mold, you can wipe it away with an old rag and a solution of mild detergent and water. Any supplies that come into contact with the mold should be discarded as soon as you are done cleaning.

Treat the Area

Once the mold has been removed and you don’t see any more discoloration, you will then need to treat the ceiling. Treating that material should kill off most of the remaining spores and reduce your risk of a future outbreak. If you aren’t interested in purchasing a commercial mold removal solution, then you can use a borax-based detergent. After the detergent is in place, no one should go into the room while the solution dries.

Air Out the Room

When the detergent mixture has dried, you can then spend a little bit of time drying out the room so that any lingering fumes or spores disappear. Depending on the extent of the mold outbreak, the room might need to be left unoccupied for at least a few days. To speed the process up, you can invest in a dehumidifier or open the windows and use any fans that you own.

When to Call the Professionals

While a little bit of discoloration on your ceiling and walls might not be a big deal, you should immediately contact a mold removal or remediation company if the discoloration spreads. A relatively minor outbreak can move throughout your home in the blink of an eye and cause major health and cosmetic problems. A mold removal company can also help you come up with a long-term plan for limiting the risk of dangerous mold outbreaks in your home.

Milliped, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Once you have gone through all of those steps, you need to be sure that you get to the root of your mold problem. In many cases, adding a high-quality exhaust fan to a bathroom is enough to prevent future mold outbreaks from taking place.