A moldy shower drain is a common issue in many households because the bathroom is a damp place with enough food for molds to grow and thrive there in the shower drain.
And in comparison to other spots, dealing with molds in shower drain is difficult because the mold colony can’t be spotted easily. Thereby, you may look for solutions to get rid of a moldy shower drain.
So keep reading on to find effective ways to eliminate mold from your shower drain.
What Causes Mold In The Shower Drain?
A shower drain is a dark, damp, and confined spot which makes it ideal for molds to thrive and multiply. Besides, adequate food sources are available there for mildew in the form of hair, shampoo scum, soap, discarded skin, and others that mainly and directly encourage mold growth in a shower drain.
Table of Contents
As several things are directly responsible for causing mold in a shower drain, these main causes have been discussed in detail below for your further knowledge and to give you a clear view of the causes.
Discarded Skin:
Mold can easily reproduce, thrive, and colonize on human skin because its created with biodegradable materials similar to many other natural substrates that develop mold. Besides, discarded skin cells are one of the common food sources of mold.
During taking a shower/scrubbing the body loads of dried skin shed, go down into the shower drain, and get latched there which gradually becomes a major food source and encourages mold growth in the shower drain with the help of a dark and humid environmental condition.
Hair:
Regularly our hair falls while taking a shower or washing hair which can get stuck in the shower drain and potentially fuels the growth of mold in the shower drain.
It’s because trapped hair in the shower drain makes it difficult for water to pass through properly, and this results in a humid condition and provides enough food sources for mold to multiply faster.
Soap:
Soap, particularly bar soap indeed is a primary reason behind mold in a shower drain. After every use of bar soap, it leaves a white flimsy layer known as soap scum as well inside the shower drain pipe, which gets accumulated over time in the drain and stuck there.
It even resolidifies and forms a big, goopy mass inside the drain making a perfect environment for mold to grow and have enough food to thrive in the shower drain.
Humidity:
A shower drain is a highly humid spot as water always passes through the pipe, so it’s constantly wet. And along with the heat in the bathroom’s air, a highly humid environment is created down there in the drain.
Besides, it’s known to all that humid and dark places can start the growth of mold as such a place provides an ideal living spot with plenty of food sources for mold.
What Does Mold In Shower Drain Look Like?
Due to several factors, mold can appear in different colors instead of just one color, thus, it’s natural for you to be curious to know what color mold you can expect in your shower drain. Here is the explanation-
Pink Mold:
It’s a quite common scene to see pink-colored mold in the bathroom, however, pink mold isn’t the one that you would expect to see in a shower drain.
This is because in reality, pink mold isn’t any kind of mold, rather it’s a very prevalent sort of airborne bacteria named Serratia marcescens that cause pink or sometimes red slime sort of thing around the toilet bowl, water fixtures, around shower drain, and in the shower room.
So, it’s absolutely unlikely to see pink mold in the shower drain.
Black Mold:
Yes, you are right! Black mold is the exact color of mold that you surely will notice in a moldy shower drain.
Black mold, also known as toxic black mold is the most commonly grown and found mold in most shower drains.
Black molds either look completely black or dark green inside a shower drain, they have a circular growth, and grow and thrive the best in dark, damp and humid environments such as shower drains, sink drains, etc.
When you’ll have a moldy shower drain containing black mold, it will smell musty, and really fast mold growth will occur.
How To Get Rid Of Mold In The Shower Drain?
One can get rid of mold in the shower drain just by using natural methods such as an application of baking powder and hydrogen peroxide, baking powder and vinegar, borax and water, or baking powder and water. But if the mold situation in the shower drain is too bad, take help from professionals.
The above-mentioned ways to get rid of mold in the shower drain have been explained in detail below for your better understanding.
Baking Soda And Hydrogen Peroxide:
A very efficient and natural of getting rid of mold in your shower drain is by applying baking soda and hydrogen peroxide down the drain.
Start the process by mixing a half cup of baking soda with one cup of water. Then, pour the mixture inside the shower drain and wait for about 30 minutes at least.
After that take one cup of hydrogen peroxide and pour it down in the shower drain as well, and wait for another 30 minutes. Lastly, clean the shower drain by pouring hot water through the drain.
It will eliminate the remaining mold in the drain as hydrogen peroxide is an all-natural cleaner.
Baking Soda And Vinegar:
Just by using baking soda and vinegar from your kitchen, you can eliminate mold from your shower drain because both of the ingredients contain powerful anti-fungal elements and remove any type of clogging from the shower drain.
First, sprinkle ½ cup of dry baking soda inside the shower drain followed by pouring 1 cup of distilled white vinegar. Let the froth rest for at least 15 minutes.
Then, pour hot water down the shower drain for 2 minutes, and after pouring leave the shower drain for 5 minutes. Lastly, let cold water flow in the drain for a minute, and you’re done.
Borax And Water:
Borax being a cleaning agent do a wonderful job of eliminating mold in the shower drain.
Take ½ cup of borax and mix it with ½ cup of normal water to make a paste. Then apply the borax and water paste around the outer edges of the drain’s opening.
Leave the paste to sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rub as well as scour all around the moldy area to loosen up the mold remnant. At last, wash the shower drain using hot water for 2 minutes.
Repeat the process if needed.
Take Professional Help:
If none of the described tips doesn’t work effectively in eliminating mold in the shower drain, take help from professionals and get rid of mold for good.
Is Mold In The Shower Drain Dangerous?
If you continue to use a bathroom with a moldy shower drain, it can be really harmful to your health, especially if you have allergies or if you are an immunocompromised person.
Moreover, you can also get affected by chronic coughing, shortness of breath, pneumonia, lung diseases, and eye irritation.
How To Prevent Mold In The Shower Drain?
There are hundreds of ways to prevent mold in the shower drain, here the most effective ones have been listed and described to help you out.
Clean The Shower Drain Regularly:
On a regular basis, you must clean your shower drain so that mold can’t get the environment to form inside the drain.
You can simply run hot boiling water through the drain pipe for 2 minutes, and it will surely clean all waste and dirt from the shower drain. Also, it will remove any clogging caused by hair or soap scum.
Keep Bathroom Window Open:
Since mold grows in an excessively damp environment, you can lessen the moisture from your bathroom’s air just by leaving the bathroom window or exhaust vent open. It’s the easiest way of preventing mold in the shower drain.
Use Humidifier:
Using humidifiers in your bathroom certainly will cut down the excess moisture and chances of having a moldy shower drain in the future. Use a humidifier regularly in your bathroom.
Use Shower Gel:
Instead of bar soap, use shower gel to take a shower as shower gel produces less soapy scum and gets less attached to the shower drain which certainly lessens the risk of mold development in the drain.
Final Thoughts
A shower drain is a dark, damp, & confined spot which makes molds grow. Anyone can eliminate a moldy shower drain by using baking soda & vinegar, baking soda & hydrogen peroxide, baking soda & water, or borax & water. But in a worse moldy drain situation, take professional help.