Home remedies: How to clean mildew off bathroom ceiling

Bathrooms are the parts of our home that tend to have the maximum exposure to moisture and humidity, while often having little or inadequate ventilation. This makes them the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew.

If you’ve just looked up and seen black spots on your bathroom ceiling, you’ve just spotted the onset of a mold and mildew infestation. Bathroom ceilings provide ideal conditions for mold growth, considering that’s where all the condensation from your shower stall goes and settles. Soap scum, body soil, and the lack of sunlight provide ample nutrition for these fungi to thrive. 

Considering your family’s and your health as a priority, it would be ideal for you to figure out a mold remediation plan at the earliest. This short read will help you do just that: get rid of mold from bathroom ceilings.

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Importance of removing mold and mildew

If you’ve just noticed mold and mildew growing on your bathroom ceiling, we’d advise you to address the situation immediately. The reason for this is simple: mold can cause serious health issues if allowed to spread. Black mold in particular is dangerous since it contains toxins that can cause nausea, fatigue, lung irritation, eye irritation, and more. 

How to remove mold from bathroom ceilings

We’re going to discuss a couple of easy ways to address your mold problem using common household items.

How to remove mold using vinegar

Distilled white vinegar is something commonly found in most homes. What you might not know is that white vinegar is an environmentally friendly, cost-effective and easy-to-use mold cleaner. In fact, vinegar kills mold more effectively than chemicals like bleach do.

What you will need

• One spray bottle with an adjustable nozzle if the mold has spread over a small area. Alternatively, you could use a garden sprayer if the affected area is large.
• Undiluted distilled white vinegar

What to do

• Fill the spray bottle or garden sprayer with undiluted distilled white vinegar.
• Spray generously not only over the moldy area, but the surrounding areas as well, since mold spores can be invisible to the naked eye. In fact, it may be a good idea to spray the entire bathroom ceiling.
• Let the vinegar rest for at least an hour, if not more.
• Rinse the ceiling with your handheld shower. If you do not have one, you could simply fill another garden sprayer or spray bottle with fresh warm water instead and spray the ceiling. The mold and mildew stains will start to disappear. 
• For the second cycle, once again spray vinegar over the ceiling and let it rest.
• Then, get to work on cleaning the mold with a soft brush. You will need to use a ladder, so exercise caution, because bathroom floors can be slippery and dangerous.
• Once you’re done, rinse the ceiling again. Your mold should have all but cleared out by now. 
• You can easily dry the ceiling using an electric leaf blower. 

How to remove mold using baking powder

Baking soda is another thing all of us have in our kitchens that we could use to remove mold from the bathroom ceiling. This is particularly useful against stubborn mold stains.

What you will need

• Baking powder
• Water
• White Vinegar

What to do

• Make a cleaning solution with two parts baking soda one parts water and one part white vinegar.
• Spread a thick layer of this mixture on the mold-infested area of the ceiling. 
• Let the area dry out completely. Then, gently scrub the mixture with a soft scrub brush and either wipe off the area with a soft cloth or rinse the area and then dry it.
• The mold stains should have disappeared. Repeat the process if necessary.

How to remove mold using hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is another effective material that not only cleans but completely kills mold spores. This is important since what you want to do is not just irritate the mold and partially remove it, but completely get rid of it.

Most of us have hydrogen peroxide at home since it is used as an antiseptic to treat cuts and bruises. 

What you will need

• 3% to 6% hydrogen peroxide
• A spray bottle

What to do

• The cleaning process is very similar to what you did with white vinegar. Spray the hydrogen peroxide solution all over the affected area and let it rest for at least an hour.
• Rinse and clean the area, checking if the mold has started disappearing.
• Repeat the process if needed.

How to prevent mold from growing on bathroom ceilings

We’ve shown some easy ways to remove mildew and mold from your bathroom ceiling using household items as mold removers. Here are some handy tips to help you prevent the mold from growing again.

• Keep the bathroom doors and bathroom windows open for long periods of time. Also, let your bathroom exhaust fan remain running. The less moisture is allowed to settle on bathroom surfaces, the lower the chances of mold and mildew growth.
• Apply a solution made of a borate-based detergent such as Borax on the bathroom ceiling and leave it there. Borate has antifungal and antibacterial properties that will prevent mold from growing again.
• Maintain a bathroom cleaning schedule that isn’t limited to the showers, sinks, and toilets. This will prevent mold spores from growing.
• Fix any leaking pipes and bathroom fixtures. The absence of excess moisture will mean less condensation, and therefore, fewer chances of mildew or mold growing.

Read more: How to avoid mold cross contamination

Pro tips  

• Always wear protective goggles and gloves while working with any of the cleaning agents mentioned above. You don’t want them dripping into your eyes off the ceiling or affecting your skin.
• Never mix vinegar or hydrogen peroxide with other chemical cleaning agents. The results will be more harmful than helpful.
• If the mold infestation is severe, you will need to hire a professional mold remediation service. Expect the cost per square foot to be anywhere between $13.33 and $28.33.

Read more: Why is my house so humid?

Written by Narayan Shrouthy. July 29, 2022

Narayan is a content writer for Kukun. With experience in both content writing and editing, Narayan mixes his writing and love for reading with his passion for music. As an active musician, He aims to be a key player in Kukun's content experience.