Toilet Bowl Fungus
If fungus or mold grows in your toilet, it is not only unpleasant to look at, but it also presents a health risk since mold spores are detrimental to humans. Luckily, there are several ways to clean fungus from a toilet bowl and keep it from coming back. Using common household products makes the job easy and reliable.
Fungus on Toilets
Fungus grows like bacteria on a moist, wet surface in cool, shady areas, and if that describes your toilet or bathroom, it is susceptible to fungal growth. A few common fungi grow inside of toilets, but the most well-known is mold. With a green or black tinge, mold is fairly easy to spot but not so easy to get rid of. If you think your toilet has mold, take care of it fast before the mold spreads to other parts of the bathroom.
Preparing to Remove Fungus
To remove mold and other types of fungus, you need a few different cleaning chemicals. You will also need a respirator, goggles and a mask if you believe the fungus is black mold. You don't want to inhale the mold because exposure to it poses a health risk. Black mold will not kill you right away, but don't take any chances. The first step is to flush the toilet and get rid of all that water in the bowl. Turn off the water supply to the tank, which is right beside the tank on the wall. Flushing the toilet again will drain off the water.
Chemicals to Remove Fungus
Once your toilet is prepped and ready to clean, you can use any number of chemicals to clean off the mold. Bleach is known for its ability to kill bacteria and therefore is a good agent to kill off mold spores. Vinegar is also a good fungal killer. You can add the bleach right to the toilet bowl and also pour some into your tank, letting the bleach sit inside the toilet to destroy the fungus. Repeat this process several times, and fill the tank with water again by turning on the water supply if necessary. After applying the bleach, start scrubbing the mold with a scrub pad or brush using a bleach and water solution.
Preventing Future Fungal Growth
Cleaning fungus is only good if the fungus does not return again, so prepare to battle the fungus long term by adding more chemicals. Borax is a known fungus killer, which can be applied right to your bowl. The borax will keep fungus, mildew and mold from returning. As time goes on, take a few minutes to scrub down the toilet bowl with a toilet cleaner and bleach to keep any new fungus growth in check. Repeatedly cleaning the toilet bowl is the only way to solve the problem once and for all.
Writer Bio
Steve Smith has published articles on a wide range of topics including cars, travel, lifestyle, business, golf, weddings and careers. His articles, features and news stories have appeared in newspapers, consumer magazines and on various websites. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and journalism from University of New Hampshire Durham.
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