Mould on bathroom ceiling

Thanks dottynan I'll try that.

My bathroom is prone to mould despite being adequately heated and ventilated. We’ve had people in to see if there’s an underlying issue and none has been found. About a year ago we had some kind of ventilation system put in the loft which has greatly reduced the mould. Still a couple of spots but nowhere near as bad as it used to get despite an extractor fan, open window for showers in all weathers and anti-damp paint. I do think that some houses are more prone to damp/mould than others and the usual advice just doesn’t apply to them.

Hi my husband wears glasses 12 months ago he went to the optician thought glasses that cost150£ish I said today I need to go to opticians and the reply was to go home bargains £1.50

Put some soda crystals in an old china cup and add enough neat bleach to make a paste. Put it on the mould. Might need a second coat but it takes it out of sealant around the bath, which has proved pretty stubborn

We have a house with an internal cloakroom and no ventilation. We have installed a very small (400mm x 400mm) electric radiator in the room, which we have on a timer and it comes on morning and evening for 3 hours all year round. That and a coat of anti-mould paint (Wickes own brand) has kept the room mould proof for over 10 years.

Bleach just makes it look like it's gone, clove oil spray apparently kills the spores.

He MUST open the window!

Bleach and Zinsser, and then you can get specialist anti-mould paints, but no point if he keeps doing what he is doing! That water has to to go somewhere!

I run a dehumidifier (on the landing) in the winter. There are humidity-controlled extractor fans in the bathrooms but I don't want to lose much heated air to the outside. They'd run all day without it and it's incredible how much water it extracts every day. I never dry washing indoors either.

White vinegar will kill the mould spores, then bleach or watered down bleach to remove the stain. Open window half hour before shower and leave open for half an hour after. But dehumidifier will absolutely remove damp from the air.

Mold (mould) is a definite health hazard! Sixty years is a tremendously long time to be putting up with that reoccurring condition. It is almost impossible to get rid of. You need to make sure you don’t get it in your lungs!

Get whatever preventative cleaner, paint or PROFESSIONAL to service this. If you have a window, use it‼️ On top of that, in lieu of a ceiling ventilating fan - buy a floor fan and immediately turn it on high after showering to get the humidity out - even blowing out into other rooms which could be a good thing in winter.

Do not hang wet towels in the bathroom to dry. Remove them elsewhere. Use the fan till bone dry. House would be hard to sell if there are mold conditions.
Good luck!
USA Gundy

You need at the least an extractor fan, however, this will also cause cold air to be drawn in. The best option is a ventilation system. It draws air from the bathroom and kitchen and takes it through a heat exchanger to outside, meantime, the cold outside air is drawn in to replace stale air and goes through heat exchanger, therefore being warm air going in and is pumped into living and bedrooms. We had ours put in 5 years ago and never have any issues with damp or mould. Has also saved us on heating bills. Low cost to run.

We have a dehumidifier fitted in the ceiling on our landing. It looks like a white circular dish lampshade. The workings are in the loft. Brilliant.
It was in the house when we bought it two years ago.

An efficient extractor fan would clear the steam and prevent the formation of mould. Newer houses are probably built with extractors installed, but it's possible to retro-fit. My previous house, a late-Victorian end-terrace had one and the bathroom was clear of mould.

I strongly recommend to use a dehumidifier ....not IN the bathroom obviously but if you left the door open & any bedroom doors open you will be surprised how they help with dampness throughout the house. They dont use lots of electricity either. We are amazed with how much better our whole house feels....we leave ours on low perhaps twice week in the Autumn/Winter. The house feels much warmer too.

Astonish mould and mildew spray. It's only around £1 a bottle. Does the job for me. I also use a dehumidifier to dry my washing when I can't put it outside. But as others have said look for the source.

As a landlord I have had this problem many times and always remind tenants (a) to open windows in bathrooms and (b) not to leave wet washing around unless there is an open window. I always ask them where they think the water goes!

We used this absolutely brilliant!

Open windows fully before taking a shower so moist air keeps moving. Keep partially open at other times.
Do be careful of fumes of bleach etc.
Black mould is nasty stuff and can cause a serious lung condition.
If possible check the insulation in the roof over the mould spot, it might be deficient and hence creates a cold spot at that part of ceiling.

Condensation always settles on the coldest surfaces, so I'd be looking at having extra insulation above that ceiling. Fans can be fitted in ceilings, too, with vents outside, under the eaves.

Mould is bad for your health, and will cause a problem should you want to sell the house.

Do get estimates from Rentokil or some such firm, or at least from a good builder and have the problem solved once and for all.

You may still be able to either get a grant to solve the problem, or a tax rebate as mould is a health hazard - a builder should be able to advise you on this.

A store like Lakeland has extendable scrubbers designed to get into corners. You could even do it sitting down. Well worth the investment.

I had a few spots of mould on my bathroom ceiling. So the other day I used my Flash speed mop, put on a damp cloth with a tiny bit of bleach and rubbed over. Was worried it might turn emulsion yellow but seems fine and mould gone.

BTW... it doesn't seem to damage the paint.

Environmental health told me neat thick bleach on a sponge years ago (but leave windows open and door closed till the smell has gone).

It will kill all mould and spores it can get to (but if the mould has put deep roots down it will come back).
Once gone however you can at least deal with it to keep it at bay.

Definitely fit an extractor fan.

I found the Cillit Bang spray worked on my ceiling (later got roof fixed) and like earlier poster said, cover your nose and mouth, it’s strong stuff.