Mould in Bathroom

[slid_away]

Hi All
We have had trouble in our bathroom for sometime with mould.
It is in parts of the grouting and sealant and also in the corners of the sealing. It's very bad but enough to notice.
I have completely resealed the old sealant and re grouted the grout but know come winter, it's going to come back again.
I have an extractor fan in the bathroom which comes on automatically with humidity but it's little help. The window is kept open whilst showering and until the steam has cleared but again it does not stop it.
My plan it to put a complete new bathroom suite in with new tiles. Does anyone have any tips to stop mould or at least lessen it?
Thanks in advance

[NoMercy]

There are some very good mould and mildew removing sprays on the market. Just try to keep on top of it.

[slid_away]

Thanks for that NoMercy.
The only problem I find with these is that over time, they diminish the sealant's. I would ideally like something to stop the mould ever coming through......but maybe that's too good to be true!!!

[Roughquest]

Hi slidaway, try a product called Domestos Grotbuster ! It is fantastic at getting rid of mould stains and keeping them at bay, the results are great...

[Roughquest]

Oh and say once a month or so, I simply get an old toothbrush and dip this into a mild bleach and hot water solution and scrub all between the tile grout, comes up so whilte and clean and the results last ages, keep your bathroom well ventilated - does your bathroom window have a secure gap you can leave it open at all the time day and night ?

[hc4361]

Open the window regularly, it is lack of ventilation and condensation that causes mould.

[slid_away]

HI Roughquest
Yeah I could leave my window open slightly I suppose of the worst part of the year when the mould appears. Keeping the air flowing will help a great deal I suppose
Thanks for that

[The Builder]

Hi Slid ........... if you're having trouble with mould at this time of year then it's most probably poor extraction. In winter it's usually because the surface temperature of the walls is too low .......... resulting in condensation.
You don't normally need a humidity fan, just a regular 100mm one placed directly above the shower head. Very little will get out through an open window. With the fan above the source, vapour is cleared directly. In my own shower room I don't even have a window, just a rooflight. I've never needed to open it , and have no problem with mould.
I use a shower light/fan combination unit with timed overrun.

[sara3]

"rooflight".

show off ;o)

[The Builder]

LOL @ Sara ................ I told you it was a cool idea Curly ;o)

[jomifl]

Mould requires a high humidity to grow, I think above 90% so buy a cheap hygrometer(£10-£15) and put it in your bathroom. If it shows humidity above about 70% leave the door and/or window open till it comes down to an acceptable level.If you have a dehumidifier close the bathroom window and leave the bathroom door open. Humidity is one of those things that should be managed in a house but rarely is, hence all the mould problems that people have. If you have a hygrometer outside the house where you can see it from inside you will be able to see when the humidity outside is low enough to justify opening the bathroom window.

[slid_away]

Thanks for that Builder.
It doesn't help that our house is old with no cavity wall. The walls are very cold over winter as they seem to draw in the cold.
Even some of the main walls have tiny bits of mould on them during the cold and wet winter. I am thinking of stripping the wallpaper and putting up that polystyrene type stuff on the walls before re-papering. I'm thinking that may stop the cold coming through or at least keep the wall surface temp up a bit???

[The Builder]

I think that's the way to go Slidey .................... on an outside wall .......... this is a bit more adventurous ........... fix 25mm battens to the wall, fit 25mm "Celotex" insulation board between the battens, polythene vapour check over the battens,nail plasterboard over, and tile or plaster the board.
Good simple way to warm up a wall.

[carlton23]

Simple? Sounds like a job for a `little man` to me.