Your bathroom wallpaper is the ideal spot for black mold to thrive in. First off, the bathroom is one of black mold's favorite places in the house. It's probably number one. This is because it's humid and, unlike water damaged parts of the house, the bathroom keeps getting steamy and wet repeatedly each day.



Mold likes the wallpaper in particular because it's a nice, porous surface. This makes it easy for the mold to get there in the first place, and "breathe." Black mold needs a little air to thrive well, but it also needs the darkness. Mold that hangs out behind your bathroom wallpaper actually stores water, like a mouse in its hole with a chunk of cheese. This keeps it alive and going behind your wallpaper. Visit http://www.toxicblackmoldhelp.org to learn more about black mold removal.

Finding The Enemy!

Most people don't know they have black mold behind their bathroom wallpaper until they're removing it. Mold is sneaky, and you can't see behind your wallpaper. If you suspect that you might have bathroom mold, you might want to get your bathroom inspected. It's difficult to be sure by yourself, but if you have sudden nasal decongestion, trouble breathing or other mold-related health symptoms when you go into your bathroom, you definitely have a problem. And, if you can't see the mold anywhere, there's a good chance it's behind the wallpaper.

You vs. The Mold: Getting It Off Your Bathroom Wallpaper

Unfortunately, the only way to rid yourself of the evil mold behind your bathroom wallpaper is to remove the wallpaper itself. If you decide to do this, there are some precautions you must take:

- Put plastic around the bathroom as if you were painting. Remember that mold is toxic stuff and the spores can get anywhere and cause you even more trouble. Imagine that you are cleaning up toxic waste somewhere, and you don't want it to touch anything!

- Make sure the room is well ventilated. If you're bathroom has no windows, at least run the exhaust fan. When you start stripping that wallpaper, the mold is going to go everywhere, so you want to make sure there's plenty of air circulation.

- Wear protective gloves and a mask. You don't want it to touch anything, including YOU! The bigger, the thicker the gloves, the better. Also, look for a mask that is especially made for mold cleanup. Some masks just cover your mouth and nose, but at your local hardware store you can find special masks intended for mold removal.

- After you take off the nasty, moldy wallpaper, save it in plastic bags before you throw it away. As I said before, it's important to not let the mold touch anything. You also don't want the spores to be airborne.

Keep It From Coming Back

Even more important than cleaning up the mess is keeping it from coming back. The bathroom's always going be a popular spot for mold, but here are some things you can do:

- Buy a humidifier to keep in the bathroom. Use it as directed, and turn it on after showers to help keep the bathroom from getting too moist.

- Make sure you turn on the exhaust fan when you're showering. You might want to run it a little bit afterwards too.

- You can buy woven wall paper that is designed to keep off mold and mildew. Look around at wallpaper suppliers and tell them what you're looking for.

- Some wallpaper dealers also sell waterproof wallpaper. You might want to check these out, but make sure it's the real deal. Ask the dealers how exactly it keeps off the moisture. Regular vinyl wallpaper isn't always "mold proof."

- Instead of wallpaper, paint the bathroom. Although mold can grow on paint, this will greatly reduce your risk of getting a mold infection behind your bathroom wallpaper.