How To Clean Mould Off Bathroom Sealant

• Why does mould grow in the bathroom?
• Why does mould grow on bathroom sealant?
• What are the effects of mould growth?
• How to remove mould from bathroom sealant
• Book your mould remediation service

As silicone sealant is waterproof, you might assume that mould would not be able to grow on it. But sealant is actually one of the most common places to find it in your home. Worse still, mould is particularly challenging to remove from this surface.

Here at ICE Cleaning, our Dewpoint-accredited technicians can eliminate all the mould in your home, including mould on hard surfaces and in the air. We offer our mould remediation services across the UK, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Keep reading to find out why mould grows in the bathroom and how to get mould out of silicone sealant.

Why does mould grow in the bathroom?

Mould grows in environments with excess moisture. It is normally caused in properties that contain high humidity, poor ventilation, and lots of condensation on walls and windows. The bathroom therefore tends to provide the optimal conditions for it to thrive:

• Lots of steam is produced when bathing
• Water gets splashed onto surfaces
• The room may be poorly ventilated
• Plumbing issues can cause leaks and damp

Black mould, in particular, tends to be found growing in bathrooms as it favours surfaces that stay very wet for a long time. You can find out more about black mould in this blog.

Why does mould grow on bathroom sealant?

When sealant comes away from the surface, water collects in the gaps behind it. Mould grows in these gaps and then spreads across the sealant.

These gaps can be caused by poor adhesion of the sealant to the surface, movement of the bath or shower tray leading to the seal coming away from the surface, and grout failure. You can find out more about what causes mould on silicone sealant here.

What are the effects of mould growth?

Firstly, mould is very dangerous to be exposed to. It released allergens and irritants, and some kinds of black mould can even produce toxic chemicals. Inhaling, ingesting, and touching these spores can trigger an allergic reaction and asthma attacks in asthmatics.

Some groups are very vulnerable to mould exposure and can suffer more serious health problems, like elderly people, young children, and people with respiratory problems.

Mould growth in the bathroom can be especially harmful as you will use that room regularly and will therefore often be exposed to. It can also grow very quickly in bathrooms due to the damp conditions, so it can become a big problem in a short space of time.

Mould can damage your property and possessions, as well. If it spreads to grout, for example, it can compromise its integrity, causing it to chip away and lifting tiles off surfaces which can then get damaged.

How to remove mould from bathroom sealant

As it is so common to find mould growing in the sealant in your bathroom, plenty of mould removal hacks for it are shared online, such as scrubbing it with bleach and a toothbrush.

However, as with all DIY mould cleaning methods, these may not be effective and you should always opt instead for professional mould remediation.

They may also damage the sealant itself, for example, the bristles of a toothbrush can damage the delicate silicone and lead to more gaps behind it, potentially causing more mould in the future.

Specialist cleaners will have specialist products and tools required to tackle mould. They will know the best ways to remove mould growing on all the surfaces in your home without incurring any damage.

Mould removal tends to be an extensive, laborious process as all the mould must be eliminated or it will grow back, as well. This is especially difficult in a bathroom where the mould may have spread to surfaces that are hard to reach and clean, like the ceiling and the shower curtain.

Professionals will have the training and specialist equipment required to get rid of all the mould in your home safely and thoroughly.   

There are lots of ways to prevent mould growing in your sealant in the future, including using anti-mould sealant. You can find out more in this blog.

Book your mould remediation service

Our mould experts can remove all traces of mould from your property and significantly improve the air quality. They follow a 9-stage mould remediation process and can give you peace of mind that your home is safe again.

Every mould removal service also comes with a lifetime guarantee* so if the mould comes back our technicians will remove it free of charge.

Get in touch with our friendly team for a free site survey and no-obligation quote by calling 0208 066 0360 or sending an email to enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk.

*subject to advisories