Your restroom probably endures the highest humidity in your household. Due to the ceaseless presence of water, it becomes a perfect breeding ground for the expansion and spread of mold and mildew.
If these fungi are giving you a headache, you should contact a mold removal expert immediately. On average, you can spend between $500 and $1,500 for the entire project.
Many homeowners in the country spend around $900 for bathroom mold removal. This price covers the labor and materials costs.
You might also spend more depending on the size of your bathroom, the type of mold in the bathroom, and the extent of the infestation.
Most contractors will charge you $75 – $120 per hour for their labor, but you might still find a few who charge $5 to $15 per linear foot.
| Service | Quantity | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom mold removal cost | per sq. foot | $5 | $15 |
| Bathroom mold materials cost | 40 sq ft | $320 | $680 |
| Bathroom mold removal labor cost | Per hour | $75 | $120 |
| Total average (40 sq ft. bathroom) | 40 sq ft | $520 | $1280 |
Average Bathroom Mold Removal Estimate: $900
Price factors that will impact cost
Other factors that will influence your total expenditure for the project will include:
Cost of mold testing – Before any remediation process, most experts opt to conduct mold tests to confirm the type of mold in your bathroom. This information then guides them on how to deal with it. You can spend between $300 to $900 extra on this.
Hiring pros or DIY – Hiring experts for the remediation project is usually more expensive than doing it as a DIY. If you know your way around mold remediation, you can significantly cut down your costs.
Cause of the mold – If the mold infestation was caused by a leaking tap, roof, or poor insulation, you’ll spend a lot more on repairs.
Damages and restoration – Replacing the surface structures that the mold may have compromised obviously increase your costs.
Home insurance – While most home insurances don’t cover mold remediation, if you live in an area that’s prone to flooding, you can easily find insurance that covers at least a part of the remediation costs. This helps bring the prices down.
Types of bathroom mold
As you probably know, there are over 300,000 types of molds in the environment. Of these types, there are several molds that are fairly common in the bathroom. This includes the Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and black mold.
They mainly appear dark grey, green, blue, and sometimes brown making them quite easy to distinguish. The Aspergillus mold is the most likely to appear in your bathroom.
If you don’t spot these stains, other common molds you’ll find include:
Pink bathroom mold
When cleaning your bathroom, you might also come across some pink fuzzy patches and stains on the walls. These are known as the pink bathroom mold.
Despite their name, pink molds aren’t actual mold. They’re, in fact, a type of water-borne bacteria known as Serratia Marcescens, which can also appear within red-pigments, or orange.
The good thing about them is that they’re easy to spot and clean.
Black bathroom mold
Another common mold is the black mold. Known by many to be a dangerous and infectious mold, you have to be careful when dealing with it. It appears as a green-black patch that’s common under the showers, sinks, and bathtubs.
Dealing with this mold can be harder and more costly since you might need to spend extra cash on mold testing to ascertain the mold type.
Removing mold from showers
Mold under your shower appears like dark or greenish patches depending on the type of mold. Once you’re sure which type of mold it is, here are some steps you can try to remove the mold:
Step 1: Gather your supplies
Find all the chemicals and tools you’ll need for the job. This may include bleach, white vinegar, a spray bottle, and a course-pad brush. You’ll also need some protective gear such as a face mask, gloves, and eye protection gear since the chemicals you’re using might be toxic.
Step 2: Mix bleach with water and spray
Take some bleach and mix it in water to form a solution. Put the bleach solution into a spray bottle, then spray all the affected areas on the shower. Leave the solution on the moldy surface for about half an hour, and scrub it out using your coarse brush. Use warm water to rinse it. If you choose to use vinegar, the steps are still the same.
Step 3: Use a dry towel to dry cleaned areas
Find a dry towel or piece of cloth and use it to dry the clean areas.
How to remove black mold from shower grout
Your bathroom tile grout is usually the most mold-infested area in your bathroom. There are different ways you can address the situation, e.g., you can use bleach, vinegar, sodium peroxide, and even salt.
Using baking soda
Step 1: Assemble your supplies
To successfully complete the job, you’ll need baking soda, a spray can, cloth, and a brush or toothpaste. You should also always ensure that you have your protective gear on.
Step 2: Mix baking soda and water, then spray
Now mix your baking soda with water and then spray it on the infested areas using a spray bottle. Next, wait for around 30 minutes, then rinse the surfaces with warm water. If the grout is very dirty, you can wait for an hour or two before rinsing.
Alternative: Use baking soda paste
Instead of making a baking soda solution, you can also make a paste from the baking soda and apply it to the moldy grouts. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then scrub the paste with a soft brush. Finally, rinse with water and repeat the process until the grout is clean.
Using Vinegar
Step 1: Protect yourself
Ensure you have your protective gear on (gloves, face mask, and eye protection gear).
Step 2: Mix and spray the vinegar solution
Mix equal amounts of the white vinegar with water in a spray bottle, then give it around half an hour to settle on the infected surface, then gently scrub it. Your last step will be rinsing the surface and repeating it until it’s clean.
Using Bleach
Step 1: Get your supplies
Confirm you have all the requisite tools to start cleaning your bathroom grout. Ensure you have a bleach (chlorine), gloves, spray bottle, face mask, a brush, and toothbrush.
Step 2: Mix bleach and spray it
Mix the bleach and water in a 1:4 ratio, then use a spray bottle to spread the solution to all the mold-affected areas. Wait for 30 minutes, then use a brush to scrub vigorously and rinse with cold water. Repeat the processes for the best results.
Alternative: Scrub bleach directly
Instead of mixing your bleach with water, you can also scrub bleach directly on the grout using an old toothbrush. Allow the bleach to settle on the grout for around 30 minutes, then rinse it with warm water.
Keep in mind: Using bleach can cause fading and discoloration of your colored tiles.