How to Clean Up Mold on the Bathroom Ceiling Caused by a Skylight Leak
When excess moisture leaks through your skylight, you can have a messy situation in your bathroom. The excess moisture soaks into the bathroom ceiling and creates the ideal breeding ground for fungus such as mold. Mold cannot only stain the bathroom ceiling and spread to other areas of your home, it can cause respiratory complications in many people. To prevent further damage to the bathroom ceiling, remove the mold as soon as possible.
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Remove items -- such as small pieces of furniture and towels -- from the bathroom and place them in a safe location during the cleaning process. Take down wall decorations and curtains.
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Cover flooring and items not removed from the bathroom with dropcloths to protect them from the mold removal solution.
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Wipe the ceiling clean of surface dust, dirt, cobwebs and other debris using a dry dust mop. Don a pair of rubber gloves and open bathroom windows to provide better air circulation and ventilation.
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Pour 2 cups warm water into a bucket. Add 1/4 cup tri-sodium phosphate and mix with a spoon. Saturate a sponge in the mixture and -- while holding the sponge over the bucket -- wring out the excess liquid.
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Scrub the mold off the ceiling with the saturated sponge. Rinse the sponge clean under cool running water when it becomes soiled. Submerge the sponge in the mixture, wring out the excess liquid and continue scrubbing until you have removed the mold from the bathroom ceiling.
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Wipe the mixture off the ceiling with a cloth dampened with cool water. Fill a small container with undiluted chlorine bleach. Dampen a clean, white cloth in the bleach and wipe the bathroom ceiling with the cloth. Let the thin layer of bleach dry on the ceiling.
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Rinse the bleach residue off the ceiling by wiping with a clean cloth dampened with cool water. Do not overly saturate the ceiling with the water. Let the ceiling air-dry. Point fans in the direction of the ceiling to aid in the drying process.
References
Tips
- Tri-sodium phosphate -- also known as TSP -- is a heavy-duty cleaning agent that you can purchase at home improvement stores.
Writer Bio
Amanda Flanigan began writing professionally in 2007. Flanigan has written for various publications, including WV Living and American Craft Council, and has published several eBooks on craft and garden-related subjects. Flanigan completed two writing courses at Pierpont Community and Technical College.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
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