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Moldy bathroom smell



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amother
Blue


 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 12:47 pm
We have only one bathroom for all our needs. One small window and we need to keep the door shut for safety because one kid might try to give his toys a bath. Too dangerous to think of- burns, falling in the tub, drowning (shudders). Nope- door stays shut.
But the room smells! Mold or mildew- eww! I hang up all wet stuff so it can dry, try to rotate towels often so they aren't sitting there.
I have a damp rid container thing but not sure if it is helping any.

Advice please! The smell is so gross and driving me nuts!
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Rubber Ducky




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 12:59 pm
Try putting a fan in the window to expel air — ie., blow bathroom air to the outside: https://www.amazon.com/Holmes-.....sb-20
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amother
Blue


 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 1:09 pm
Rubber Ducky wrote:
Try putting a fan in the window to expel air — ie., blow bathroom air to the outside: https://www.amazon.com/Holmes-.....sb-20


Wrong kind of window. Not the right type for a fan... But thanks!
Any other ideas? Is my damp rid doing anything? How would I know?
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Miri7




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 1:21 pm
You could get a de-humidifier for the room. Or even having a regular small fan that directs the air toward the window may help - just getting more air circulation in there could help dry things out. But you do need to get control of this before you get real mold growing.
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#1baker




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 1:24 pm
When my bathroom smells of mold it usually means my shower liner and curtain need a cleaning or a changing it always helps
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kollel wife




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 1:36 pm
Install a ceiling fan.
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 1:55 pm
You need an exhaust fan in the bathroom. If there is nowhere for the steam to go when you take a shower, it will penetrate the ceiling among other things, mold will grow and the only way to get rid of it from porous surfaces like sheetrock is to rip it out. You don't want that to happen. Is there an exhaust fan already installed that can be fixed so you can run it each time a bath or shower is taken? If not, can you have one professionally installed or buy a light fixture exhaust fan and install it yourself?

In the meantime, machine wash your shower curtain and replace your liner with a new one. While the curtain is down, do a thorough look around the tub and all crevices and see if there is mold anywhere on the tiles. This is easy to clean as the tiles are not usually porous.

In addition, you might need to reduce some of the wet items hanging to dry in a sealed room where there is no circulation. Towels and bathing gear can be thrown into the washing machine as soon as they get wet, and then dried fresh in the dryer.

Good luck!
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amother
Ecru


 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 2:03 pm
And open the bathroom door when ever your child is sleeping
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amother
Blue


 

Post Wed, Jul 06 2016, 11:46 pm
Great ideas. But I am in an apartment with no washer. So can't wash things often. Landlord won't do anything if he can get away with it. We aren't staying too long so doesn't make sense to buy ceiling fans or anything "just for this bath".
Anyone try damp rid? Is mine working? Do I need 2?

So nervous about mold.
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lavender_dew




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 07 2016, 8:11 am
Damp Rids will help but make sure you change it often. They are meant for places like closets and basements I think, so if they're in a room like a bathroom which will be very humid from showers and baths, just make sure you aren't leaving it in for too long for it to be effective.

If you have mats make sure you wash them frequently, or replace with rubber that you can wipe down. Do you have a shower door or a curtain/liner? We also have a tiny bathroom that smelled gross no matter what I did. Finally I realized it was the glass shower door and the frame. I removed it myself (it's very easy!) and replaced it with a cheap curtain set from Walmart. Spray the shower walls and grout with a bleach-based cleaner. If the grout is yucky maybe you can get your landlord to replace it (or, again, an easy thing to do yourself if he won't do it).

It is also very important to leave the door open whenever possible. If you have no fan, no open window, and closed door you aren't getting any fresh air in there which is not good! Is there any possible way to attach a baby gate to one side of the door panel to keep your younger child out and the door could remain open?
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amother
Blue


 

Post Thu, Jul 07 2016, 11:29 am
We have a small window but no exhaust fan.
And have I mentioned my landlord will do nothing?
I wash the bathroom at least once a week but can't do more as I can't stand bleach- will anything else work? Lysol?

I try to let my curtain air dry vs bunching it up in the corner.
Thanks again!
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naomi2




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 08 2016, 8:40 am
use a clip on fan-any will be better than none.
try a dehumidifier
dont hang wet clothes in there
use bleach on mold
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