Corner apartments present a lot of inconvenience, since the corner of the house, unprotected from external natural factors, is always cold and damp, and as a result, mold fungi. Living with such “neighbors” is extremely dangerous, so it’s worth showing these single-celled creatures their place once and for all.
Why is fungus dangerous?
At first glance, dark group colonies represent only an aesthetic inconvenience, making them blush in front of their guests. But this is only half the story; the main danger is fungal spores that can travel freely in the air that all residents of the apartment breathe.
Fungal spores can cause health problems such as:
- asthmatic attacks, as well as diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
- allergic reactions in the form of skin rashes and irritations;
- deterioration of general health;
- decreased level of immunity.
Young children are especially susceptible to fungal infection and can develop chronic diseases for life.
Methods to combat fungus
Science and technology have invented everything in the fight against fungus: chemical solutions, special grouts, disinfectant detergents. But I will say from personal experience that all these drugs have a lot of disadvantages:
1. High cost - good grout costs the same as the tile itself, so it’s worth paying a considerable amount of money to fight fungus.
2. Detergents (anti-fungal) do not have a long shelf life, and within a couple of weeks after their application the same picture repeats, forcing you to spend money on purchasing such a product again.
3. Chemical disinfection carried out by specialists forces you to leave your home for a long time, which also causes inconvenience. Plus, such a service is expensive and not long-term.
Stop growing fungus!
After reading a lot of literature and studying what I was dealing with, I came up with the great idea of trying to destroy the fungus myself. Since there is no particular money for this procedure, I will tell you about the most economical and long-term method of combating fungus.
The main goal of my work is not only to destroy the fungus, but also to prevent its reappearance on the tiles and the seams between them.
So, for the whole process you will need a few things:
- slaked lime (costs a penny, you can buy it at any hardware store);
- any washing powder;
- glass container (in my case, a regular 500 ml jar);
- latex gloves;
- gauze respirator;
- old toothbrush;
- thin brush for painting (it is better to take the hardest one).
The first stage of work is removing the fungus. To do this, take 2 tablespoons of powder, add hot water (250 ml), stir well and let stand for 5 minutes.
After this, you need to put on a respirator and gloves and, dipping a toothbrush in a soap solution, go through all the seams, thoroughly cleaning out the dirt.
By the number of black streaks, you can estimate how heavily the tile is contaminated and how life-threatening it is. When all the seams are cleaned, you need to leave everything as is for 30 minutes, then completely wash the entire tile with a clean soft cloth.
The second stage is drying. After cleaning, the tiles and grout should dry thoroughly. To do this, it is best to open the windows or turn on the hood. Two hours of airing will be enough for complete drying.
The third stage is grouting. Having used all sorts of grouts such as Ceresit and its analogues many times in my practice, I was overcome by disappointment, which began already in the second week after the process of sealing the seams. An expensive component fell off from its intended place, and the story with the fungus was repeated more than once.
Having learned from the literature that the fungus does not live in an alkaline environment, I decided to try rubbing the seams with ordinary slaked lime, and the result exceeded all my expectations. To do this, you need to dilute the lime in a 1:1 ratio with water, let it stand for 10 minutes, and use a regular stationery brush to apply the solution to the seams.
Then let it dry thoroughly in the open air by opening the window or transom.After the tiles have dried, you need to remove any remaining lime on the ceramic surface, which is not difficult to do with a soft cloth and citric acid diluted in water.
The result is magnificent, the seams are white and beautiful, but the biggest advantage is that they do not get wet and do not contribute to the formation of fungus. Even in the bathroom, where the whole family bathes every day, the seams remain white and free of fungus for quite a long time.
Thanks to this simple method, once a year it is enough to completely clean the seams between the tiles with a cleaning solution and rub them with lime, and you can forget about the fungus forever! Cheap and cheerful, and most importantly very effective!
