If you suspect mold in your toilet, it's important to take immediate action. Not only can mold cause structural damage to your home, but it can also lead to serious health issues such as allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems.
Black mold is a fungus that grows in warm, damp areas. Its spores may mistakenly trigger an allergic reaction in your immune system. An allergic reaction to black mold may cause various symptoms, including coughing, sneezing, congestion and irritated eyes.
So while black mold probably won't kill you, it can make you feel sick and should be removed as soon as possible.
Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions.
This usually means that you have a larger mold issue in your home. Just like any mold, toilet mold can lead to a wide variety of health issues especially in those people who are allergic to mold or already dealing with other health issues.
It is very important to inhibit the growth of mold in your toilet tank and bowl for health reasons. While some molds are more dangerous than others, it is better not to take the risk and let mold continue to grow and spread within your home. Some common health risks that mold presents include: Rashes.
Flush the toilet and wipe the seat and rim with a 1:10 bleach-water solution. Scrub any remaining mold stains with a toilet brush or similar non-abrasive material. Add 1 cup of bleach to the tank and flush.
The CDC-informed consensus is that most people don't need to worry much about mold — it's pretty common, and the vast majority aren't “toxic.” Many are allergenic, but even then, you may not be affected at all, unless you're allergic.
These symptoms usually first appear 2 to 9 hours after exposure and last for 1 to 3 days. Other affected persons have progressive shortness of breath and cough, as well as weight loss.
Each person's body is affected by mold toxicity in different ways. Some experience constant migraines and headaches, shortness of breath, brain fog, fatigue or even depression. Since symptoms differ from person to person, they may not be quickly associated with mold exposure.
Having mold around the toilet is something relatively common but that doesn't mean it's normal. Although most people don't realize it, you should treat the mold problem as your top priority to get rid of it since it's not good for your health, especially if you have respiratory problems, such as asthma.
You can find pink mold in the shower, tub, toilet and other places around the bathroom. It's usually not as hazardous to your health as black mold and other fungi, but there are some pink mold dangers, such as urinary tract infections, intestinal problems and in rare cases pneumonia.
In some cases, people may experience symptoms of mold sickness immediately after exposure, while others may not notice any effects for weeks or even months.
Perfectly healthy individuals with no history of respiratory issues have been reported to suffer prolonged coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. This combined with a weakened immune system that long-term mould exposure can cause may lead to even worse conditions like bronchitis.
Black particles in the toilet bowl water
The black particles are likely the result of the disintegration of the float in the toilet tank. The float is especially likely to break down over time if you use an automatic toilet bowl cleaner in the tank. Replace the float or call a plumber about replacing the float.
This causes the mould to multiply quickly and leave a far higher amount of mould spores in the air of your home. By breathing in a lot of these mould spores you can develop a variety of health conditions for your lungs such as Hay fever, Sleep apnea, severe coughing, Asthma, and various pulmonary infections.
Mycotoxin Test
The best way to test for mold toxicity is to look for mycotoxins in the urine. Vibrant Wellness, Great Plains Laboratory, and RealTime Laboratories all provide urine lab tests to screen for the presence of mold toxins within the body.
When they finally do emerge, symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, fatigue and weight loss. It is also common for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis patients to develop a tangled mass of fungus fibers called an aspergilloma or “fungus ball” in cavities within the lungs.
Bleach. A good place to start is chlorine bleach. You can purchase a chlorine bleach cleaner specifically meant for bathroom mold, such as Tilex Mold & Mildew Remover. So long as you don't have colored grout (which will likely fade if you use bleach), you can spray the cleaner directly onto the moldy grout.
When searching for black mold, look for circular-shaped spots that are black, dark green or dark brown. Some black mold can also take on shades of orange or have flecks of white within it. Most of the time, black mold has a slightly furry appearance.
A variety of mold species can grow in toilets, including Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Stachybotrys (also known as black mold). These species are known to thrive in moist environments and can spread quickly if not removed promptly.
In order to distinguish mold from dirt, you can do a test using household bleach. Pour a few drops of the bleach in the dark spots along the grout lines. If the dark areas lighten after a few minutes, then you certainly have mold. If it remains completely dark, then you have dirt and not mold.
Some natural ways to prevent mold include spraying hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar on the area of concern. You can also try adding one-quarter of a tablespoon of baking soda to a spray bottle of water and once dissolved, spray it directly on the mold.
You might want to lift the lid on the toilet tank. Most people don't pay much attention to the tank, but the water standing inside there can trigger smells — typically musty ones related to mold and/or mildew, which can grow in any consistently moist, closed space.