Removing Mold from Painted Walls

Removing Mold From Painted Walls

How do you get rid of mold on painted walls? I scrub it off but a black stain is left. How can you get rid of this? Also, the mold is back within the week any ideas on how to stop it?

Elaine from England

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RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

Painting over the mold or cleaning it will do absolutely no good if the mold started underneath the wall. You might have mold growing underneath in the insulation. If this is the case, you need to get the damage fixed fast before it spreads further. If it happens to be that toxic black mold, your health is at stake too. (01/24/2005)

By Shari

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

Try using Tilex. It works wonders on mold and mildew. I wouldn't be without it. (01/24/2005)

By Mitzi

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

The product that we use is called Kilz. It works wonders. You can but it at paint stores. (01/24/2005)

By tuey

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

Mould grows where there is moisture so the "cure" is to prevent the moisture collecting and condensing on walls and creating the environment where mould spores can settle and breed. If its at the bottom of a wall it may be rising damp, because of an ineffective or breached damp proof course, (often flower beds built up outside the wall allow damp to seep in above the damp proof course). In this case, to prevent the mould you need to repair the damp proof course, (expensive), or remove the structure that is allowing the moisture to bypass it.

In cooler damp climates like Britain the atmosphere is often laden with moisture and this can be compounded by the moisture produced within the house from the kitchen, bathroom and given off from the breath and skin of human bodies. The answer here is to increase ventilation, whether through opening windows and doors, especially after bathing or showering, or have an extractor fan installed. Raising the internal temperature of bathrooms while showering to heat the walls slightly will also prevent the moisture suspended in the air from condensing out when it hits the cooler surface of the wall. But you must then ventilate to remove it from the house.

A bleach solution, (as directed on the bottle), should remove the mould, kill the spores and whiten/lighten the stain. It will recur unless you sort out the ventilation problem, even if you paint over the stain, although some paints have a built in fungicide to discourage mould growth. Regards. Jo (01/24/2005)

By Jo B.

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

Sorry, folks but that's some serious misinformation. Killz does not kill mold. Even bleach only has a temporary effect if you don't fix the mold-growing conditions. You need to kill the mold with an EPA registered fungicide/mildicide (mold killer), remove any porous materials that have mold deep within them (carpet, sheetrock, insulation), and maybe most importantly you need to fix the source of water or humidity that contributed to the mold forming. Fungicide or lack of moisture can kill the mold, but even dead mold spores left in the area can trigger allergies. Again, if the wall is wet from within, just killing, wiping, or painting over it will not fix the problem. It will grow back, and could spread. (05/11/2007)

By Dimitri

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

A great product that I've found is MoldZyme. It's EPA approved and removes the mold. It's non toxic. Check it out.

www.moldzyme.com (06/15/2007)

By bthorn

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

The mold is behind your walls or wallboard. I had a whole room that was totally infested with mold. This was because when I bought this place, the previous owners had built a "sun porch" onto my mobile home with "no" window sills and because the windows were huge "single" paned, the windows constantly sweated (over a quart a day). Thus, all of that water was dripping behind the walls, all day, every day, over the course of many years. I thought I would have to tear the small addition down because the mold was everywhere along the bottom 2 feet and all around 3/4 of the room, until I did the following. Here's what worked for me: (and yes, I know bleach is toxic, but this needed to be done with something that was strong.)

1. After talking to an expert on mold. He recommend I put 3 or 4 parts of water with one part of bleach and put this into a spray bottle (open the windows for ventilation) and spray the bleach water mixture onto the walls. Do this for 2 days in a row (this is to open the "pores" of the wood or sheet rock). Then, on the 3rd day: Take the same bleach-water solution, but this time (use gloves) apply it with a sponge straight to the wall. Now here is the important part.
2. Wait 2 weeks and "do it all over again" (the spraying and sponging of bleach/water). This is because there most likely are brand-new mold spores that have formed in the past 2 weeks that you can't see that have sprung up since you last bleached. Then, after a few days of the walls drying the second time, apply a good mold inhibit primer like ZINSSER 123. Apply at least 2 coats or more.
3. Then put on at least 2 or more coats of paint with a high quality paint. (I used semi-gloss)
4. I then covered the painted area with stick-on vinyl (wood-looking) floor tiles from the dollar store ( Dollar Tree, 3 tiles for $1). This "really" sealed in the walls.
5. I then caulked between the vinyl tiles with a matching tan colored caulk.
6. Fix the problem. What is causing your mold problem? Fix this. Moisture is getting in there form somewhere. You can also install a dehumidifier. I build no drip window sills out of hard plastic. (The kind you use to line your flower beds) Then caulked them.

This may sound like quite a hassle and to tell the truth it was, but, believe me, I couldn't even use that room except in the summer due to the heavy amount of mold and it's nasty smell. Now, that I've sealed the walls I can use that room and I just love it.

Important: My mold wasn't the toxic mold you hear about on TV. Yours may be. Use care around any household mold and keep your kids away from it too. If you have any questions, call your local Health Department.

My "sun-porch" turned "craft room" is totally made of plywood, the wood held up to all the bleaching. Wallboard may act differently. (06/15/2007)

By Cyinda

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Mold On The Bathroom Ceiling

I need some tips on cleaning mold off the ceiling of my daughter's bathroom.

Thanks.
Theresa from Campbell, CA

RE: Mould (Mold) On the Celing in the Bathroom

Put an air extractor and the mold will never come back, and you won't be sticky after a shower. (08/24/2004)

By Michael

RE: Mould (Mold) On the Celing in the Bathroom

We are currently renting a property with a mold in the bathroom problem. They used a paint that specifically is for surfaces that can get moldy and it wasn't cleaned before they painted and it never came back. The ceiling wasn't painted and it did come back after trying both vinegar and bleach on separate occasions.

We used Tilex Mold n Mildew last fall and just sprayed it up there and closed the door. I left the window open, picked up all rugs and towels, and the kids were at school so I didn't have to worry about them getting dripped on. Wear goggles, old clothes and gloves and try to stay angled so you are not getting dripped on. I did half the bathroom at a time and let it dry completely. It has not yet come back. (08/24/2004)

By Kayvee76

RE: Mould (Mold) On the Celing in the Bathroom

Mould on ceilings is almost always an indicator of high humidity and inadequate airflow. While you may not be able to control the ambient humidity, e.g. if you are in FNQ or the Top End, you can increase the airflow. Oops, just read you're in Sydney so shouldn't be that much of a problem. Try to persuade everyone to shower with the window open if not, open it as soon as you finish showering.

Install an extractor fan, not expensive and essential if the room has no or inadequate windows. If you are in a cold winter area just raising the temperature in the bathroom slightly may prevent condensation on the ceiling which gives the ideal conditions for mould growth. A heated towel rail may do the job.

If you apply a fungicide or bleach you can wash it off. I wonder whether the fungicidal paint, which must remain "active" to keep working wouldn't be a greater "health hazard" than the mould spores? Just a thought. The main cure is to increase the airflow and make the conditions unsuitable for mould growth. Regards. Jo in W.A. (08/24/2004)

By Jo Bodey

RE: Mold On The Bathroom Ceiling

I heard peroxide kills the spores which is what you want. I don't think bleach does that. (01/28/2006)

By Shirley

RE: Mold On The Bathroom Ceiling

First, let's start with how to clean mold from your bathroom, where mold grows like a teenager on steroids. We use vinegar. It's good stuff. You'll want to spray vinegar in all the places where mold grows most easily. This includes places like the sealing underneath your faucets, on your shower curtains, in the grout of your tile floor, or near the edges of the linoleum, if that's what you have for flooring. I mop our bathroom floor with vinegar often. (08/14/2008)

By BREWFAERIE

RE: Mold On The Bathroom Ceiling

From a microbiologist's point of view, mold spores are extremely resistant to low pH, heat and chemicals, so vinegar and conventional cleaners won't work too well. Keeping the fan on in the washroom won't help matters either, it'll just spread the spores. A temporary solution would be to paint over it with a mold resistant paint, but over time it'll still go through. The most effective (the method which has the most work) way is to pull out and replace the gypsum boards which most likely the molds will be filamenting though and behind the boards and repaint the areas with mold resistant paint. Hope this helped. (11/04/2008)

By Chris s

RE: Mold On The Bathroom Ceiling

As a trades person who has spent many months on "mold control" for a drywall company, I have some experience with mold. For those who have left comments suggesting surface removal of mold, I have a few suggestions of my own.

Firstly, if it is just surface mold the techniques already reviewed for mold removal will work just dandy. However, if the mold gets through your bathroom paint and into your drywall you might have the beginning of a serious mold problem. If mold gets through to the studs or through your drywall you don't have only a mold problem but a moisture control problem too. If you are sincerely worried about the value of your house, and think that mold and moisture might be a problem you are 100% best off trusting this job to a professional.

Mold and moisture help wood rot very fast and rot completely compromises the integrity of structural building materials. It sounds expensive and it is, but it gets worse if not fixed properly. Do-it-your-selfers beware, this is not something you want to get wrong so if you are tackling a mold control situation and you really don't want to have to deal with it again in 1-2 years then make sure you are doing it right. (12/16/2008)

By Seth

RE: Mold On The Bathroom Ceiling

Had yellow mold on bathroom ceiling. Tried painting with latex paint, but the mold just spread even more. In desperation had some latex undercoat paint, added bleach and painted the ceiling. Waited a couple of hours and repainted with ceiling paint. No mold for the past 2 years. (02/15/2009)

By bllwas

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Removing Mold From Painted Walls

How can I remove what looks like mold in the paint above a shower? The ceiling is white, but looks be-speckled with black.

By grannysjb from Fremont, CA

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RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

Bleach in a spray bottle. It might take several applications to get it all. The mold/mildew cleaners work too, but lots more expensive. (08/26/2009)

By twilightgift

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

Twilightgift is right, but speaking from personal experience, if you use the bleach, also make sure you have plenty of ventilation, eye protection, and a baseball cap. (08/26/2009)

By Patty Lynn

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

RED ALERT! No bleach! I used the bleach trick for removing mold in my sun room several years ago and ended up getting extremely ill afterward. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me but after a year I was ready to just lay down and die, it was that bad.

I found the Red Cross site online while searching for "headaches" and they had a box that asked if you wanted a nurse to contact you and I checked it. When the nurse called me she asked me to describe the symptoms and I didn't get far when she told me to stop, she knew the cause of the illness.

There is a certain type of mold that reacts with the chlorine in the bleach and creates an invisible gas that scars your lungs the first time it is created and you don't feel a thing. She advised me to use white vinegar and water in a 50/50 mix and do not rinse off. It will leave an acid base behind that helps stop the mold from regrowing for a long time.

My body is completely infiltrated with this mold now and I had to leave my house and continue to have some side effects from being so sick. It causes headaches along the trigeminal nerve pathway, I would actually have spasms in my eye balls that others could see, could not walk or stand up once the headache started, had about 6 headaches like this a day, lost almost 40 pounds in 2 months because I couldn't keep anything down.

The only thing that helped was IV's at the ER and serious pain meds and ice cold showers, wet towels frozen in the freezer and draped on me in front of fans and all the windows open, even during the coldest winter with snow on the ground.

This is a very serious problem and worth using the vinegar no matter what anyone else suggests. I live in Oregon and we lose babies every year to black mold because it infiltrates their lungs. Please pass this info to your friends, it might make the difference between life and death. (08/26/2009)

By wolfbytez

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

Thank you for the heads up on bleach/mold problem.

Two children in my family got pneumonia from mold, as well as their mother. That was when my sister in law packed them out of their apartment and moved them to her house. She heard they were sick, went to the house, which was on a damp hillside, took one look and packed them. The house was infested with mold. The apartments needed to be demolished. (08/27/2009)

By PIKKA

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

Thanks to all who posted, very good information. Does anyone know how to tell the difference between mold and mildew? Is there a visual difference? Just wondered because someone who seems to know the difference just took a look at my ceiling and told me she is sure it is mildew from poor ventilation. I'm thinking that would be easier to remove. (08/27/2009)

By Grannysjb

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

You asked about telling the difference, I don't know but I have seen free mold kits on TV, maybe you could get one of those and see which one it is. Good luck. (08/28/2009)

By micksgirl

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

I have had a lot of success mixing lemon juice, peroxide, and water in a spray bottle. The citrus and peroxide kill the mold. Just spray and let it sit for a while then wipe off. If you don't address your moisture problem it will return. After the mold is gone you can use a mild chlorine bleach and water solution mixed with a few drops of dish liquid to clean the wall really well. Good Luck. (08/28/2009)

By grannygirl

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

I have mildew. It starts off looking just like the ceiling is a bit dirty. It is sort of grayish, but gets darker and darker. It grows above the shower, and was in the house when I moved in. I need to clean it off yearly. I dress in white, put on goggles, and think I will use a mask this time. Put bleach in a spray bottle, and spray that on the mildew. Give it some time to work - 10-15 minutes per patch. My ceiling is textured, so if I try to scrub, I get paint splotches dropping down. I do use a scrubber sometimes, but the bleach is what does the work.

I might add that I have an exhaust fan in the bathroom that we use all the time, as well as a window which we open when showering or bathing, when it is warm. And here in Saskatchewan, it is a pretty dry climate. When you get something like this, it is difficult to eradicate it entirely; the mildew spores hide in the grooves in the textured ceiling. If anyone knows of a paint especially made to cover this up after it has been cleaned, let me know, please. I haven't tried painting over it. (09/02/2009)

By louel53

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Removing Mold From Painted Walls

How can mold be cleaned off a textured ceiling?

By Nina

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RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

In the past, I've dealt with this same thing. I took one part bleach mixed with 3 parts water and put cheap plastic painters-plastic over my carpeting and furniture. I then put on old clothes then put on goggles and dipped a sponge into the bleach-water then wring it out about half way leaving sponge fairly wet bit not sopping.

Press wet sponge to ceiling and leave for 10 seconds then repeat everywhere the mold is. Do this again in 2 weeks to get any mold spores that you didn't get the first time. Lastly, seal with a quality stain-killing tinted primer. If you tint the primer you might not have to also paint. If it were a wall you could use a sprayer, but not on the ceiling. A fairly large sponge works best. (10/12/2009)

By Cyinda

RE: Removing Mold From Painted Walls

I use a spray of straight bleach. And it needs to be on the ceiling for a few minutes. I have mildew, which is a nuisance, but not harmful. For heavier infestations, I use a kitchen scrubbing brush or a large nail brush. It does take off some of the texture, but that can't be helped. (10/15/2009)

By louel53

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Mold on the Bathroom Ceiling

How do I remove mold from the bathroom ceiling?

By CHELLE60FOUR from Detroit, MI

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RE: Mold On The Bathroom Ceiling

There's more than likely been a roof leaking and water/moisture penetrated to cause a breeding ground for mold to set in. Chlorine bleach and water usually removes light mold, but if it returns in a matter of days the mold problem is serious. (09/14/2009)

By Lorelei

RE: Mold On The Bathroom Ceiling

I think I saw an article the other day on peroxide removing mold. Google peroxide and mold removal to make sure. Good luck! (09/14/2009)

By Robyn Fed

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Removing Mold From Painted Walls

How do I get mold off painted walls?