How to remove mildew in your bathroom, and prevent it from returning
Most people know that mildew is most commonly found in the bathroom, but what you might not know is that it can be found in other places just as easily. Basically you are going to find mildew in places that are warm and humid, such as bathrooms. But what you might be wondering is how can you tell the difference between mildew and just regular dirt? The good news is that they are very easy to tell apart with a simple test; all you need to do is to place a drop of fresh liquid chlorine bleach on the stain in question, if the stain fades or if it disappears it is mildew. But aside from telling the stains apart it is actually quite easy to remove mildew from your bathroom and prevent it from reappearing.
Difficulty rating: Easy
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Step one:
The first thing that you are going to need to do is to determine if the discoloration is mildew or if it is just dirt build up. To do this what you are going to need to do is place a drop of liquid chlorine bleach on the discoloration. If the stain disappears or fades it is mildew, otherwise it is just dirt build up.
Step two:
The next thing that you are going to need to do is to remove the mildew stains from the bathroom surfaces, such as tile countertops, showers, etc. To remove the mildew stains from these surfaces you can be mildew remover from any retail store, make sure you buy gloves as well because the chemicals can be rough on your hands. You can also use solution that you can make with liquid chlorine bleach and water, the correct solution would be ½ cup to 1 cup of bleach (depending on how bad the stains are) to a gallon of water.
Step three:
Once you have the solution made or the chemicals bought you are going to want to spray the surfaces that have mildew stains directly. If you have bought the solution from a store you should follow the directions on the back of the container. But if you are using bleach and water solution you can allow the solution to soak for a few minutes and then scrub gently. For grout you can use an old toothbrush to scrub the mildew stains.
Step four:
Now that you have scrubbed the mildew stain you are going to want to make sure that you thoroughly rinse the area with clean water, you should use cold water so as to help prevent the return of mildew.
Step five:
Once you have rinsed the area thoroughly you are going to want to dry the area as well as possible. If you need to use more than one towel to dry the area then use more than one towel.
Step six:
Now that you have gotten rid of the mildew stains you are going to want to prevent them from coming back. To prevent the mildew stains from returning to your bathroom you are going to need to take certain steps.
Step seven:
One thing that you are going to need to do is to keep the area as dry as possible. Mildew is caused by a warm and humid environment when water is introduced.
Step eight:
To help keep the area as dry as possible you can install an exhaust fan for use during showers or bath. Or you can open a window while you are showering. Be sure to leave the window or fan on for a period of time after the shower so that the room has time to dry.
Step nine:
Another thing that you need to do is to make sure that you keep the bathroom clean. Mildew forms on dirty surfaces or surfaces that have a greasy film on them. So by keeping your bathroom clean you won't have that slimy film coating everything so the mildew won't come back.
