How Does Mildew Happen?

Where Mildew Grows

• Mildew, variously defined as a mold or a fungus, is distinguished by a brownish-black flat growth appearing in damp, poorly ventilated, warm areas both inside and outside the house. Left untreated, it can spread extensively, cause a musty smell, and trigger respiratory distress in those allergic to it. It can infest any absorbent material such as cloth, paper and tile-grout. It is most often noticed in bathrooms, around tubs and showers. It can also be found frequently in shaded, damp areas outside the house, on siding, shingles and concrete, sometimes in company with moss.
  
  

How to Combat Mildew

• Immediate weapons against this well-known "bathroom rash" are chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and many formulations of bathroom cleaners. They provide quick results but require taking some precautions while using.
  If you are treating mildew with one of the above, ventilate the room you are working in as best you can. If your bathroom is an interior room, run the room fan or set up a table fan to pull fumes out of the room.
  Wear rubber gloves and, if you are cleaning large areas, tie a bandanna or protective mask over your mouth and nose. Remember also that bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or any other product containing them, can bleach clothing as well.
  Scrub thoroughly with cleaner. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes (during which you leave the room), then rinse. Repeat if necessary. Dry surfaces of any accumulated water.
  Mildewed fabrics will need to be pre-soaked in a bleach solution (follow directions on product to determine how much to add to a washer-load of water for heavy-duty cleaning), then wash with detergent. Again, this process may have to be repeated. Some fabrics benefit from having mildewed areas soaked in lemon juice, sprinkled with salt and spread out in the sun to bleach.
  
  

Preventing Mildrew From Returning

• Whether you are scrubbing bathroom tile grout, basement walls, or outside shingles, this is not a process you wish to repeat more often than you have to.
  The best preventative measure against returning mildew is improved ventilation and air-circulation. This can be as simple as keeping the door leading from the basement to the upstairs ajar or as challenging as laying down the law to teenagers who routinely leave the bathroom looking like a seal pool. Let more light in on the problem if you can. Consider replacing bathroom curtains with a pull-down shade used only when privacy is needed.
  Explore ventilation strategies for garage and basement areas, where mildew often gains a solid foothold. Trim shrubbery around moisture-collecting outdoor areas to improve natural air-circulation. Attack new infestations with cleaner as quickly as possible to prevent spreading.