Prep first
Before you start
- Fix the water source first and dry everything completely.
- Wear gloves, goggles without vents and an N-95 respirator before you touch it.
- Brush loose mold off outdoors if you can, so spores don't scatter through the house.
- Scrub with mild detergent and water, then dry the area completely.
Mold on a bathroom ceiling or wall is a living fungus whose tiny spores settle on wet surfaces and take hold. It won't grow without water or moisture, so the damp spot has to be fixed before any scrubbing will last. If the growth is set in, porous materials like ceiling tiles may have to be thrown away, since mold can be impossible to remove completely.
Fix the wet spot first, then run the bathroom fan or open a window so the surface dries fast. A mold and mildew remover works well on bathroom grout and tile, but it can't stop a leak from feeding the growth. If mold off the ceiling or mildew on the walls keeps returning, call a professional before you scrub again.
Before you start
What bathroom can take
Safe to use1
- Water
Use with care4
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
7 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Long glovesOrdinary household rubber gloves are fine with water and mild detergent, but long gloves are the recommended choice for mold. (opens Amazon)
- Goggles without ventsThey keep spores out of your eyes while you scrub. (opens Amazon)
- N-95 respiratorSo you don't breathe in spores when the mold is disturbed. (opens Amazon)
- Mild detergentFor the scrub on hard surfaces, mixed with warm water. (opens Amazon)
- Warm waterGoes with the mild detergent for scrubbing and rinsing.
- Plain white vinegarFor the light mildew wipe on hard surfaces. (opens Amazon)
- Soft clothsFor scrubbing, rinsing and drying without scratching the surface. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Fix the water source first
Repair any plumbing leak or other water problem before you clean, because mold needs water or moisture to grow. Dry the area completely so nothing damp is left behind the cleaned surface.
Step 2 of 6
Gear up and brush off loose mold
Put on long gloves, goggles without vents and an N-95 respirator before you touch anything. Where you can, brush loose mold off outdoors so the spores don't scatter through the house.
Step 3 of 6
Scrub with detergent and water
Scrub the mold off the hard surface with mild detergent and warm water, working one small section at a time. Keep at it until the dark growth lifts, and keep the cleaner moving rather than letting it dry on the surface.
Careful. Never use abrasive cleaners without water.
Step 4 of 624 to 48 hours
Rinse and dry completely
Rinse the detergent off with clean water, then dry the area with a soft cloth. Wet areas dried within 24 to 48 hours usually won't grow mold, so keep the area dry for that full window.
Careful. Don't let cleaners soak on surfaces, and rinse overspray off nearby surfaces.
Step 5 of 6
Wipe light mildew with vinegar
Wipe the cleaned hard surface with plain white vinegar, which handles light mildew on hard interior surfaces. Rinse it off with clean water and dry the area again before you move on.
Tip. Colored vinegar can leave a stain, so use the plain white kind only.
Careful. Keep vinegar off marble, limestone, travertine, granite and cement grout.
Step 6 of 6
Ventilate to stop regrowth
Run the bathroom fan or open a window when you shower, since that keeps the air moving and the surfaces drier. If mold keeps coming back, clean more often and keep the ventilation going.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for mold on bathroom
Look for a mild liquid detergent for the scrub, plain white vinegar for light mildew, and a mild drugstore hydrogen peroxide for natural stone.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on bathroom, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
Heavy buildup usually takes more than one round.
Heavy or long-standing buildup →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
A cleaned surface looks even in color, with no dark spots coming back once it has dried. If the spots return after the area is dry, the moisture source isn't fixed yet, so go back to the water problem before cleaning again.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your bathroom
Bathroom walls
Walls are usually painted, and flat or matte paint can't take hard scrubbing. Use a soft cloth with light pressure and work in small sections so you don't rub through the paint.
Wipe the corners and the lower wall near the tub line, where water tends to sit. Dry each section before you move to the next, so the wall isn't left damp between passes.
Mold cleaner
Most bathroom mold jobs don't need a special mold product. Mild detergent with warm water handles the scrub, and white vinegar covers light mildew on hard surfaces.
Choose the mildest cleaner that does the job, and save anything stronger for stubborn marks that the steps didn't lift. Check the surface type before you buy, since acrylic, cast iron and vitreous china each need different care.
Mildew on walls
Mildew is the lighter, surface kind of growth, and it usually responds to the detergent scrub and the vinegar wipe. Start at the top of the wall and work down, so drips don't re-wet the sections you've already cleaned.
If the mildew returns in the same spot after the wall is dry, look for the damp source behind it before cleaning again.
Bathroom tiles
Tile is a hard surface, so the main steps apply directly, with the detergent scrub doing most of the work. Pay extra attention to the edges and corners where the tile meets the tub.
If you're not sure what the tile is made of, skip the vinegar wipe and use the detergent scrub alone. That keeps the cleaning safe until you know more about the surface.
Bathroom grout
Skip the vinegar wipe on grout, and rely on the detergent scrub with a brush to work into the lines. Grout holds moisture, so rinse and dry the lines thoroughly before you move on.
If the grout stays discolored after the mold is gone, the Grout guide covers those stains in more detail.
Bathtub
The tub material decides what you can use. Acrylic tubs can't take abrasive cleansers, cast iron can't take steel wool, wire brushes or abrasive pads, and vitreous china gets scratched and dulled by strong abrasive cleaners.
Airjet acrylic baths can't take full-strength bleach. Ammonia can damage the finish on vitreous china, so keep it away from that tub, and rinse after each use and dry with a soft cloth to keep the finish in better shape between cleanings.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
Old mold that has dried into grout, paint or porous material is harder than fresh growth. Light marks often fade with a second pass, while dark growth in porous material may not lift at all.
Where natural stone rules out vinegar, a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution is the stubborn option: 1/2 cup in a gallon of water, using the mild drugstore strength. Work it in, then rinse thoroughly and dry the area before you judge the result.
Porous materials such as ceiling tiles may have to be thrown away, because mold may be impossible to remove completely from them. A dry, clean surface is the realistic goal, so judge the result by whether the spots come back.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on mold on bathroom?
Several common remedies were written for fabric, so they don't always fit a bathroom. Mild detergent and warm water is the safe start, with white vinegar saved for light mildew on hard surfaces.
Works1Helps1Skip2Avoid2
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't paint or caulk over mold
Clean and dry the surface first, because paint applied over mold is likely to peel. The same rule covers caulk, so finish the cleanup before you seal anything.
Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or vinegar
Chlorine bleach mixed with ammonia, or with any cleaner that contains it, can produce toxic fumes. Lemon juice and vinegar are also off the table with bleach, so rinse everything out before you use anything else.
Don't rely on bleach as a routine fix
Chlorine bleach and similar biocides aren't recommended as an everyday mold cleaner. If you do use one, ventilate the room and exhaust the air outdoors.
Don't run the heating or cooling system
If you suspect the heating or cooling system is contaminated with mold, don't run it, since it could spread mold through the building. Get the system checked before you turn it back on.
Don't use aerosol cleaners on an acrylic tub
Aerosol cleaning products are a poor choice for acrylic, so skip them there. Stick with the detergent, warm water and soft cloth from the scrub.
When to call a professional
If the mold covers more than about 10 square feet (roughly 3 ft by 3 ft), it's beyond a simple bathroom cleanup, so follow the larger-scale cleanup guidance or hire an experienced professional. Mold from sewage or contaminated water also belongs with a professional, and for dull or scratched acrylic, contact the manufacturer's customer service for repairs.
Questions
What causes mold in a bathroom?
Mold is a living fungus, and its spores land on wet surfaces. None of them will grow without water or moisture, so the damp spots in a bathroom are where it starts.
Why does the mark stay after the mold is gone?
Mold can cause staining and cosmetic damage that can't always be reversed. Once the growth is removed and the surface is dry, a faint mark may still show on some finishes.
Will mold come back after I clean it?
It will if the moisture source is still there. Fix the leak or damp spot first, then clean, because cleaning alone won't stop spores from settling on wet surfaces again.
How long does the whole job take?
Scrubbing, rinsing and the vinegar wipe take one session. After that, allow 24 to 48 hours for the area to dry completely, since wet areas dried within that window usually won't grow mold.
What if I don't know what my tub is made of?
Stick to warm water with mild soap and a soft cloth, and skip abrasive cleansers, pads and solvents until you know the material. Check the tub's paperwork or the manufacturer's markings before you try anything stronger.
Is it okay to clean a bathroom ceiling with the same steps as the walls?
Yes, the same scrub, rinse and dry steps apply, and the vinegar wipe works on hard ceiling surfaces too. Work in small sections so cleaner doesn't drip onto areas you've already dried.
Methods, care labels and related guides
Good to know
Mold on other materials
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.