Mildew is the scourge of my bathroom. Those little spores move in, uninvited, and squat on my ceiling where they reproduce in a big mildew orgy spreading in the steamy mist of my shower. It’s gross. So we try kill ‘em all – best way I know is with Mr Muscle Mildew Cleaner – it contains bleach. You just spray it on the ceiling and the mass carnage of mildew ensues.
Like most household chores, the problem comes in with the actual physical labour part of the job. First you need a chair or something to stand on, that you don’t mind getting all bleach-splattered (a step ladder would be nice but I don’t own one of those). Then you actually have to stand on the chair (in clothes you don’t mind getting bleach splattered) and reach up with hands over head to spray the stuff. Then you have to be very careful not to get it in your eyes (so I wear oversized sunglasses that I don’t mind getting bleach splattered).
All in all, it’s just far too much work. Instead I suggest a Mildew Bomb. Much like one of those fizzy things you put in the bath, this little ball of chemicals reacts when it gets wet, letting off a mist which kills mildew. You just pop the thing on the floor of your shower, sprinkle on some water and then leave the room. You head off to work and return to find your shower mildew free. You leave the window a little open to let the fumes out.-- Flux, Nov 15 2005 reminds me http://us.gizmodo.c...-showers-136429.phpof the shower shower (...) [neilp, Nov 16 2005] Get some of these. _22Shower_20Scum_22_20Eating_20Organism [angel, Nov 16 2005] Reminds me of this: Potpourri_20Bomb [st3f, Nov 17 2005] Database of products that contain Sodium Hypochlorite http://householdpro...prodcat=Home+inside [Ling, Nov 18 2005] MORTEIN Roach Bombs for showers.-- skinflaps, Nov 15 2005 Good point. Take out everything you don't want bleach-splattered - especially the laundry basket!-- Flux, Nov 15 2005 Your bathroom may already have the wherewithall to perform this - bleach mixed with certain other cleaning products will release chlorine - that should sort out the mildew (Don't try this in your own home)-- coprocephalous, Nov 15 2005 Love the thinking - but my concern is the vapourised chemicals. So many of the household cleaners are pretty evil chemicals. I'm wary enough of them when they are liquid but when they're gas?-- Jinbish, Nov 15 2005 I SO wish there was a product that did this.-- salachair, Nov 15 2005 How about a small sticky ball that you can lob onto the ceiling that will stick there? The impact starts a reaction inside the ball, and a small explosion splatters the bleach in a much smaller area..-- Minimal, Nov 15 2005 There must be something in nature that eats mildew, algae, fungus and so on. Oh, wait, that would be roaches.-- DrCurry, Nov 15 2005 // There must be something in nature that eats mildew, algae, fungus and so on. Oh, wait, that would be roaches. //
O_O
I think our shower has mildew, I'm not sure, but there is this disgusting black stuff that is spreading from around the fixtures and soap bottles. I'm afraid to touch it!
I had this idea, to fill the shower full with water and dump a load of bleach and chemicals in. To bad that won't work, the shower doors won't hold that much water and I'm afraid of the bathroom becoming our kitchen. 2nd floor bathoom filled with water = floors falling in. Also there is holes and moss growing on the outside of the home. Well, we live in low income aprtmnts. The outside is pretty gross, covered in spiders and green stuff. Old brown rotted wood. The inside is nice though, all white walls and stuff.-- EvilPickels, Nov 15 2005 If this is all for the fear of dripping, couldn't you use some sort of gel, like shaving cream, except with bleach?
Or you could find something else that kills mildew. Perhaps a little neutron bomb?-- Worldgineer, Nov 15 2005 //Your bathroom may already have the wherewithall to perform this - bleach mixed with certain other cleaning products will release chlorine - that should sort out the mildew// What other cleaning products? I'm certain I accidently did this once, just pouring a bunch of random stuff into the tub. There was a Chlorine smell, eyes and nostrils and throat were stinging a bit, but damn did that tub get clean fast! It's worth it once a year.-- sleeka, Nov 15 2005 Funny. I never did think I'd see the day people started discussing housework on the Halfbakery.-- DrCurry, Nov 15 2005 Kind of like a cross between flea bombs, and those new water released cold relievers. Definitly a +, especially if it would be something that would clean other stuff (i.e. hard water and soap scum and such)of the walls of the tub/shower.-- PollyNo9, Nov 15 2005 [sleeka] Some people do that just once per lifetime, usually at the end.
I'd rather take mildew on the ceiling over breathing chlorine gas anyday. Toxins should be used sparingly, targetted, not widely dispersed.-- sophocles, Nov 16 2005 I know. I would be careful, I promise. I just need the recipe again.-- sleeka, Nov 16 2005 Or you can buy a product called the Shower Shower, which automatically rinses your shower stall after every use.-- Weirdo55, Nov 16 2005 I think I've read that mould & mildew don't like cold very much either, so I wonder if the fire extinguisher would work.
Some days I wonder if the fire extinguisher would work on fire ant colonies. (or telemarketers, or ...)-- Zimmy, Nov 16 2005 A heat gun would kill those buggers too, without any toxic mess.-- bungston, Nov 16 2005 Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) mixed with ammonia produces chlorine gas. Done safely, it is very effective--at killing everything.
Block off all air vents, and put a large fan in the window, blowing outward. Pour some bleach in the tub, and tie a string to a bottle of ammonia. Run the string under the door, and block it off with a wet towel. Tip the container over from outside the room, and wait for the gas to kill everything in its path.
Wait at least 24 hours before entering the room. If for some reason you need to counter the chlorine, a hose with a mister nozzle is your best bet.
I don't suggest actually trying this, but it's safer than scrubbing in the same room as chlorine.-- Aq_Bi, Nov 16 2005 Of course, if you go into the room while that's going on, then you can stop worrying about the mildew.-- shapu, Nov 16 2005 And you can probably expect a visit from Homeland Security.-- DrCurry, Nov 16 2005 While I love the mad-scientist solutions on the annos, must say that Worldgineer is right on target with the gel/foam idea. Why is everything toxic in spray form?-- rubyminky, Nov 17 2005 Because your lungs like oxygen... but so do many of these chemicals, which in turn like your lungs as well.-- Jinbish, Nov 17 2005 Hmmm...I don't get mold very much in Colorado. Much too dry climate. Maybe you could just spray a concentrated solution of hydrogen peroxide on the mildew. It would kill everything, lift it off with bubbles, and produce only oxygen and hydrogen gas, maybe some CO2. I'm not up on my chemistry right now.-- discontinuuity, Nov 17 2005 On a more practical note - quit booing you! - there is paint for bathrooms which contains an additive to prevent mildew. It works very well.-- bungston, Nov 18 2005 I agree partly with [Ag_Bi]; Sodium Hypochlorite is what you need. Bleach (Hydrogen Peroxide) is different, and doesn't work.
Just 4% Sodium Hypochlorite in water will get rid of all mould (even mould that is growing inside silicone sealant). It's used in much smaller doses in cooling water treatment plants, to get rid of algea.
From memory, I think some of the 'Duck' brand contains the right chemical.
Edit: See link for very large list of products-- Ling, Nov 18 2005 Hydrogen peroxide might work. It's another toxic bleaching agent, but fortunately us mammals break it down harmlessly into water and oxygen with the aid of the catalyse enzyme. I doubt many fungi posses this ability. No hydrogen gas or CO2 here. It doesn't even contain carbon.
Standard 3% H2O2 might not be very effective, but it can be boiled up to 30% before the azeotrope forms.-- Aq_Bi, Nov 18 2005 random, halfbakery