My disgusting bathroom--HELP!

[bisous]

As background, I live in a very nice area in an older duplex that has never really been updated. It had new carpet put in 11 years ago but has original appliances that are old looking but still function. I'm okay with this because as a result, my rent is well below market rate. I have only one problem--my bathroom is DISGUSTING and I need to fix it somehow.

The people who lived here before me were not terribly tidy. Carpet cleaning and new paint have fixed the years of neglect but the bathroom is another story. The shower is some sort of vinyl perhaps?? with a ridged bottom for the floor. It has deep black stains. I think it was mold but I've used tons of icky chemicals including straight bleach and nothing kills the mold. So I'm thinking now that it is mold STAINS. That said, the grout/caulk has got an out of control mold problem. I've always had a fine time keeping a shower clean by using milder chemicals and just cleaning more often. I've been cleaning the shower at least twice a week and the mold is growing at astronomical rates. I can't keep up and am forced to use bleach. On top of that, the fan doesn't function properly. We shower with the window open and I wipe down the windowsills and walls after each shower. Still, now mold is growing THROUGH THE PAINT on the ceilings which are really too high for me to reach without a ladder.

So I really have two problems. First, the truly disgusting shower floor which has never been up to my standard--even when we moved in. I don't know what to do. I think replacing the shower is out of my budget. Any suggestions here MUCH appreciated.

Second, I'm having trouble with "breakthrough" mold. I think it is reasonable to clean the shower twice a week without having mold issues. But maybe you can help me think of some other way to keep the mold at bay? I'm hoping not to have to use bleach as I don't think it is healthy to be around that smell! Also, the walls are out of control! I'm going to have DH wipe them down with bleach this weekend to kill any current growth but how do I stop this?

Thanks SO much in advance!

[crl]

My guess is that the shower is leaking and there is mold growing underneath the pan and/or behind the walls. Unless your rental agreement specifies otherwise, your landlord should be responsible for the repairs. A better fan in addition would help.

Catherine

[WatchingThemGrow]

IMO the landlord needs to gut the bathroom and make it safe and habitable. I'd be having respiratory issues with what you are describing, for sure.

[bisous]

See, I think we have sort of an extralegal arrangement with the landlord. They keep the rent artificially low because they don't want to be bothered. As they explained it, a problem with the roof--they would fix it. A problem with the garbage disposal--fix it yourself.

I realize that this is not in accordance with CA law but this situation is truly so much better for our family than to move to a more expensive but better managed place that I don't want to make waves. Truly, the amount of money we save per month is phenomenal. We're probably $600 per month UNDER market rent. So if I really need to, I can have the shower redone and still come out on top.

The other interesting thing is that nobody in our house is having any kind of breathing problems or illness. This house is odd because the rooms are not connected--they don't have any kind of ductwork because there is no central air. Instead each room has its own series of radiant heating ceiling tiles. We keep the bathroom window open almost all the time and the door closed and we're STILL dealing with mold!

[crl]

Are you all handy? Would your landlord pay for the supplies? The gardenweb bathroom forum has a lot of information about how to do a shower--especially a tile shower. It's a bigger project than we could take on, but people do it.

Catherine

[bisous]

I'm not handy but DH fancies himself so! And we're very motivated. I'll go check it out over there. Thank you!

I'm thinking about just buying a window fan and seeing if that makes a difference. I found this one on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Holmes-HAWF2021-Dual-Blade-Window/dp/B00008XET9/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1365449402&sr=8-3&keywords=window+fans

to see if that reduces the mold creation problem on our ceilings and walls.

[crl]

For the dry wall (or plaster?) portion of the bathroom, you may be able to make a difference if you clean the mold off, prime with the right primer (kiltz I think?) and repaint. But if the shower is leaking that won't fix the real problem, you know?

Catherine

[marymoo86]

If it is a shower leak it could be affecting more than just visible mold. Why not contact the landlord and see if he/she wants to be involved? I wouldn't be comfortable with tenants making that kind of repair. There could be serious issues and down the line it could necessitate ripping out money you may have spent if it is just more than kilz and paint.

[DietCokeLover]

You might try treating the walls and surface areas with a product that kills mold. I can't think of the name at the moment, but we bought it at Lowe's when we had a water leak. Then, Kilz your walls and apply fresh paint.

Another thing to try is steel wool. If you aren't concerned about some scratches, you ouldn't try scraping the inside of the tub where the black s to see if the steel wool pulls up some of the discoloration. We had a tub that some of the finish was worn off and no amount of scrubbing could get the soap scum to release from it. I bought steel wool and went nuts in there. Looks like a brand new tub!

[crl]

If it is a shower leak it could be affecting more than just visible mold. Why not contact the landlord and see if he/she wants to be involved? I wouldn't be comfortable with tenants making that kind of repair. There could be serious issues.

I do think this is a very valid point. This likely is closer to new roof than it is to new garbage disposal. I would contact the LL and state the problem with your suspicion that this is symptomatic of a leak. Then if the LL won't fix it, you can decide whether to ask for permission to fix it yourself.

Catherine

[Tondi G]

http://tilecleaning.org/removing-shower-mold.htm

[bisous]

I do think this is a very valid point. This likely is closer to new roof than it is to new garbage disposal. I would contact the LL and state the problem with your suspicion that this is symptomatic of a leak. Then if the LL won't fix it, you can decide whether to ask for permission to fix it yourself.

Catherine

I think this is wise. I'm going to gather as much information as I can and see what kind of fixes are available. Then I'll ask if it is okay to fix it or if they'd like to do so.

[bisous]

http://tilecleaning.org/removing-shower-mold.htm

This link is helpful. The caulking/grout is definitely compromised in my shower. I need to kill everything and THEN recaulk... IF I don't end up replacing the whole thing.

I'm going to try steel wool! I haven't tried that yet and it is cheap and worth a try.

[doberbrat]

yeah, I'd contact the LL maybe you can phrase it as a "just so you know..... this is going on what would you like us to do?"

replacing the bathroom fan is reasonably easy and that might be the problem. Having an open window doesnt really help if its not super dry and windy outside. So you could do that and see how it goes.

I have a friend who had their bathtub reglazed or refaced (dont know if they're the same) and she's reasonably happy with it but I think of that as a bigger thing and would at least ask the LL if you can do that. (might want to get estimates first)

[WatchingThemGrow]

It sounds like the drywall behind the shower and above it is the problem.

[elbenn]

This won't help with mold, but for stains on the vinyl shower floor, you could try easy off fume free oven cleaner. There are websites that discuss how effective this is for cleaning really hard to get out stains. It is supposed to be better at removing stains than steel wool with much less elbow grease.

[hellokitty]

I agree that this is an issue the LL needs to be aware of and from the sound of it, it's not something simple, like a garbage disposal. From your description, this is a bigger problem, you just can't see the root of it. It probably is underneath, in the drywall or leaking. In that case it is, "big" enough that the LL definitely need to be involved and need to do something about it. Best of luck, it sounds like you have given it your best shot, but the bathroom needs a desperate update, not just for looks, but for functional and safety/health reasons.

[trales]

replacing the ceiling fan is super easy and under $250. I would talk to them, see what they want to do, and then start fixing.

[ncat]

Not sure where you live, but when I lived in the Bay area, several of the rental rooms (landlord/owner lived in same space) I looked at had serious mold issues in the bathroom ceilings. The place I rented did not, but the landlady had a fan on a timer and was extremely strict about making sure that it ran for a minimum of 5-10 minutes after anyone took a shower in addition to during a shower. I have not lived anywhere else where this was a common issue.

If the fan does not function properly, this could cause problems! I would consider killing mold and repainting with Kilz in conjunction with a fan replacement.