Chlorine bleach isn’t the holy “purify all” that we once thought it was. Mothers and housekeepers all across the country the past century have tended to think that if it needs to be cleaned or disinfected, bleach will do the trick. Most people would think that chlorine bleach will kill mold, but new studies prove that this is not the case. It is not effective in killing mold on porous surfaces like walls of a household, ceiling tiles, and etcetera.
Unless the mold is on top of a counter or a sink, the bleach will do next to nothing to eliminate the mold. A recent study paid for by Clorox, the largest manufacturer in the world of chlorine bleach, says that attempting to kill mold with bleach is best done on hard surfaces only. This means that if you find mold growing on your wall, trying to clean it with chlorine bleach is not going to help because the mold is growing not only on the outside of the wall, but also deeper in the wall than the chemical can reach. Chlorine bleach is too diluted and not strong enough to get rid of mold unless it is on a non-porous surface like tile.
Chlorine bleach is also not a registered disinfectant with the EPA that works with killing mold. The EPA puts a registration number indicating that a product kills mold on any product that does, but you will not be able to find this on any chlorine bleach label.
Another thing that some people are unaware of is the dangerous properties that chlorine bleach can have if it is mixed with other cleaning products such as anything containing ammonia or anything that contains acid. The mixing of these products causes toxic gases to be released into the air in your home and this occurs most often when someone is trying to disinfect something in their home or get rid of disease-causing microorganisms like mold. Mold is serious business, but don’t risk your life by mixing household chemicals trying to find a cheap way to kill the mold that exists in your home.
In addition to being ineffective in killing mold, it also tends to damage and discolor some surfaces it is used on such as metal.
Showing posts with label bathroom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bathroom. Show all posts
Monday, January 21, 2008
Water Damage Prevention in the Kitchen and Bathroom
If you’re looking to prevent water damage to your home, it might take a little effort, but it’ll be worth it in the long run. Here are a few ways to help prevent water damage in your kitchen and bathroom.
Checking for hidden water leaks in your home is pretty easy and it’s very possible that you have one in your house. Turn off all appliances that use water, go outside and take note of what your water meter says, and leave the appliances off (don’t use any water at all) for at least one hour. After the hour is up, check the water meter again to see if the reading has changed. If it has, you probably have a leak.
Check underneath your dishwasher to see if the line that goes to it from the water pipes isn’t leaking. If there is standing water near the base of the dishwasher, you have a leak. Another way to check for leaks here is to check if any of the materials around the dishwasher are discolored or warped in any way.
Your refrigerator is often a culprit of water damage, as well, especially refrigerators with built in ice makers. Sometimes the line to the ice maker bursts or ice builds up near the bottom of the door and keeps it from shutting all the way, resulting in items in your freezer thawing. Make sure the line to the ice maker is connected firmly and does not leak.
Sinks often need to be re-caulked around to prevent water damage under the sink and on top of the counter.
In the bathroom, soft spots in the floors near the edge of the tub or shower along with discoloration is a sure sign of water damage. Re-caulking where the walls meet the floor or where the walls meet the tub can help solve the problem. If you have tiled areas in your bathroom, cracks in grout or areas where it is missing can also cause damage.
The overflow of toilets is an obvious cause of water damage, even if it doesn’t happen that often. Putting too much toilet paper into toilets or other objects into the toilet can cause it to back up. Deodorants that hang inside the toilet bowl are something that causes blocks in the plumbing, can block the line completely, and if it is chlorine-based, can cause the pipes to rust and lead to an additional leak.
Checking for hidden water leaks in your home is pretty easy and it’s very possible that you have one in your house. Turn off all appliances that use water, go outside and take note of what your water meter says, and leave the appliances off (don’t use any water at all) for at least one hour. After the hour is up, check the water meter again to see if the reading has changed. If it has, you probably have a leak.
Check underneath your dishwasher to see if the line that goes to it from the water pipes isn’t leaking. If there is standing water near the base of the dishwasher, you have a leak. Another way to check for leaks here is to check if any of the materials around the dishwasher are discolored or warped in any way.
Your refrigerator is often a culprit of water damage, as well, especially refrigerators with built in ice makers. Sometimes the line to the ice maker bursts or ice builds up near the bottom of the door and keeps it from shutting all the way, resulting in items in your freezer thawing. Make sure the line to the ice maker is connected firmly and does not leak.
Sinks often need to be re-caulked around to prevent water damage under the sink and on top of the counter.
In the bathroom, soft spots in the floors near the edge of the tub or shower along with discoloration is a sure sign of water damage. Re-caulking where the walls meet the floor or where the walls meet the tub can help solve the problem. If you have tiled areas in your bathroom, cracks in grout or areas where it is missing can also cause damage.
The overflow of toilets is an obvious cause of water damage, even if it doesn’t happen that often. Putting too much toilet paper into toilets or other objects into the toilet can cause it to back up. Deodorants that hang inside the toilet bowl are something that causes blocks in the plumbing, can block the line completely, and if it is chlorine-based, can cause the pipes to rust and lead to an additional leak.
Water Smart Bathroom Remodeling Made Easy
While the bathroom is usually not considered the soul of a house, it is still an important room that is visited by all members of the household at least twice a day. Anyone wanting to renovate their bathroom should go ahead and take all the advice given here into account as they plan their project so they maximize the value that it will add to the home. There are a few different things you need to be sure of when you go to renovate the bathroom and minimize the amount of possible future water damage.
Water is both the friend and enemy of your bathroom, since water can cause a considerable amount of damage if the area is not prepared to deal with it properly. If you are remodeling a bathroom, make sure that there is an exhaust fan in the ceiling to vent steam out of the room during showers and baths. Humidity buildup in a tight space made of porous materials like drywall is a bad idea, since these will become discolored and molded fairly quickly if it is not kept in check. Mold loves to live in the wettest areas of your home, so it is in your best interests to make sure that the bathroom stays as dry as possible.
You also need to be sure that everything in the bathroom gets sealed properly by the contractor that you hire to do it. If you remodel it yourself, you should do your research and make sure that you know what you are doing. Tile that is not sealed correctly will allow water underneath it and this will cause damage to the floors over time.
Depending on the age of the house and the condition of the plumbing behind the walls, you may want to replace the plumbing with newer material. Check it for possible leaks and do not hesitate to replace the plumbing if you are having doubts.
Try to make sure that your toilet does not overflow very often. Even though the tile underneath it should be sealed completely to keep water from getting to the floor underneath, you should not take chances. If you choose to have carpet in the bathroom instead (bad idea), you will need to be even more careful.
The plumbing underneath the sink also needs to be checked out. Depending on the condition of the vanity and what it is made of, you may want to replace it to add some more value to the room.
Water is both the friend and enemy of your bathroom, since water can cause a considerable amount of damage if the area is not prepared to deal with it properly. If you are remodeling a bathroom, make sure that there is an exhaust fan in the ceiling to vent steam out of the room during showers and baths. Humidity buildup in a tight space made of porous materials like drywall is a bad idea, since these will become discolored and molded fairly quickly if it is not kept in check. Mold loves to live in the wettest areas of your home, so it is in your best interests to make sure that the bathroom stays as dry as possible.
You also need to be sure that everything in the bathroom gets sealed properly by the contractor that you hire to do it. If you remodel it yourself, you should do your research and make sure that you know what you are doing. Tile that is not sealed correctly will allow water underneath it and this will cause damage to the floors over time.
Depending on the age of the house and the condition of the plumbing behind the walls, you may want to replace the plumbing with newer material. Check it for possible leaks and do not hesitate to replace the plumbing if you are having doubts.
Try to make sure that your toilet does not overflow very often. Even though the tile underneath it should be sealed completely to keep water from getting to the floor underneath, you should not take chances. If you choose to have carpet in the bathroom instead (bad idea), you will need to be even more careful.
The plumbing underneath the sink also needs to be checked out. Depending on the condition of the vanity and what it is made of, you may want to replace it to add some more value to the room.
Remodeling Your Bathroom After Having Water Damage
Remodeling your bathroom after some water damage can be quite a hassle, but knowing that the new renovations will stand the test of time and add a good amount of value to your home can make the whole project worth it.
One thing that you will need to do, especially in bathrooms where carpet was installed, is make sure that the floor boards and support beams are not water damaged to the point that they are rotten. Replacing floor boards can be expensive, but if you are remodeling, you do not want to have a good looking job on top of an unstable foundation. Knowing that the floor is not going to collapse underneath you brings a lot of peace of mind to you and the rest of your family. Spare no expense on the floor to make sure that it is structurally sound.
Installing tile is not the hardest thing to do in the bathroom, but you really need to make sure that it is done correctly. If it is done badly, water will get right back underneath the tiles and will begin damaging the floor underneath immediately. Having a properly sealed floor in the bathroom is essential if you want to make sure that the floor boards do not become water damaged again any time soon.
The most important areas of the bathroom floor that need to be sealed are around the bath tub and the toilet. These items are more likely to overflow from time to time than the bathroom sink and the areas around them need to be very water tight.
Make sure that the plumbing that you have installed is made completely water tight. You really do not want to have leaks inside the walls where they are obviously difficult to get to. You will have to take out drywall or even possibly tile to get to leaks in the wall sometimes, so make sure whoever you hire to do it does the job correctly.
Every bathroom needs to have an exhaust fan in the ceiling or on the upper portion of a wall so the steam produced by showers and baths does not collect on the ceiling. Not only can this collecting discolor the ceiling over time, but it can also allow mold to start growing in a relatively short period of time.
If you are going to have a shower stall that is enclosed around the ceiling, it will need to have its own exhaust vent and light, since steam will not be allowed to escape the shower stall very easily.
One thing that you will need to do, especially in bathrooms where carpet was installed, is make sure that the floor boards and support beams are not water damaged to the point that they are rotten. Replacing floor boards can be expensive, but if you are remodeling, you do not want to have a good looking job on top of an unstable foundation. Knowing that the floor is not going to collapse underneath you brings a lot of peace of mind to you and the rest of your family. Spare no expense on the floor to make sure that it is structurally sound.
Installing tile is not the hardest thing to do in the bathroom, but you really need to make sure that it is done correctly. If it is done badly, water will get right back underneath the tiles and will begin damaging the floor underneath immediately. Having a properly sealed floor in the bathroom is essential if you want to make sure that the floor boards do not become water damaged again any time soon.
The most important areas of the bathroom floor that need to be sealed are around the bath tub and the toilet. These items are more likely to overflow from time to time than the bathroom sink and the areas around them need to be very water tight.
Make sure that the plumbing that you have installed is made completely water tight. You really do not want to have leaks inside the walls where they are obviously difficult to get to. You will have to take out drywall or even possibly tile to get to leaks in the wall sometimes, so make sure whoever you hire to do it does the job correctly.
Every bathroom needs to have an exhaust fan in the ceiling or on the upper portion of a wall so the steam produced by showers and baths does not collect on the ceiling. Not only can this collecting discolor the ceiling over time, but it can also allow mold to start growing in a relatively short period of time.
If you are going to have a shower stall that is enclosed around the ceiling, it will need to have its own exhaust vent and light, since steam will not be allowed to escape the shower stall very easily.
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