<p>I am a relative idiot when it comes to things like this. Our bathroom fan stopped working many months ago, and now we have mold growing on our walls. Obviously we need to have the fan dealt with, but what do I need to know about mold/mildew on the walls. I plan to do some research, but I’m always impressed by CCs collective wisdom, so I’m looking for advice. Thanks</p>
<p>Looks like I was wrong about correcting spelling in title.
If someone can fix, please do.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I know some mold can make you deathly ill. I would call a professional.</p>
<p>I just saw this tip posted on a different thread:</p>
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<p>Always leave the shower curtain/door part way open post shower to allow for air flow and try to squeegee the shower walls after each shower.</p>
<p>FYI - always dilute your bleach</p>
<p>But more importantly, How do you correct a title!!!</p>
<p>You should be able to spray a solution of water with a little bleach in it on the mold, and most of it will fizzle. You may want to leave it on a few minutes. Wear gloves and a mask. Then just wipe it with a large sponge with warm water. Generally it may bother you if you have allergies, but otherwise it is not typically dangerous. If it has gotten underneath the paint it is a little more difficult to get rid of. YOu might actually have to thoroughly clean the walls, and then paint with a primer like KILZ or something similar. I believe you can have the KILZ tinted to your finish color, and then finish off with a coat of your final color.</p>
<p>OP, since you mentioned it, I used a moderator tool to fix the spelling where your title appears on the forum list of thread titles.</p>
<p>You need to determine what is causing mildew before you do anything. If you have a plumbing leak behind wall or water weeping through from an exterior wall, or a roof leak, or water spraying from shower, etc., you need to stop the moisture intrusion first. You might need to rip wall out and replace damaged portion. If broken exhaust fan is culprit…replace it and make sure exhaust vent isn’t blocked…then treat wall surface and paint. Paint store can tell you how to prep wall and what to paint with.</p>
<p>Bleach works fine and the cleaners at the store for mildew, but wear gloves and keep window/doors open.
We don’t have a fan right now either and I have a “baby” dehumidifier that sits on the counter, works pretty well but wont stop it from coming back, just lessens it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, and for fixing my typo.</p>
<p>Bleach is what you need, fix the fan!</p>
<p>Microbiologist who lives in old house here: use bleach.</p>
<p>Keep windows open, rinse with water.
Fix the fan!</p>
<p>Actually if you look HGTV long enough you should find the mildew source before bleach it out. If, as you described, it is the fan problem, then it should be an easy fix. However, if source of the mildew is not from the fan, you need to find the source first, such as a crack in the patio, leaking pipe, roof problems, window flashing etc etc. Just kill the mildew using bleach is not enough.</p>
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<p>You mean I can just sit and watch TV all day long and that will let me know the source of my mildew? ;)</p>
<p>^^^^
Now I know that your name is well deserved, VeryHappy!</p>
<p>Don’t let the bleach stay on too long before rinsing or you’ll get brown streaks that are just as hard to remove as the mildew.</p>
<p>[FCS3301/FY1080:</a> How to Clean Up Mold](<a href=“http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1080]FCS3301/FY1080:”>http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1080)</p>
<p>Thanks again everyone. I plan to try dealing with the wall in the next couple of days.</p>
<p>Spray bleach water and wipe the mildew off. Let it dry, and wipe down with a solution of water and borax to inhibit regrowth.</p>
<p>diluted bleach in spray bottle will take care of it. My kids bath has poor ventilation(no fan), and that is what I use.</p>