The appearance of mildew or water stains on your walls is a sign
that something is wrong. Merely painting over the stain won't make
the problem go away, so you need to address the issue before you
can make it disappear.
First, make sure that necessary repairs
behind walls or roofs have been repaired. Moisture damage may be
slow in accumulating, but when your bathroom wall caves in or you
wake up one night to find a hole in your ceiling, you'll wish you
had identified the problem and had it repaired long ago.
Only after the cause of the moisture
has been repaired should you take steps to tackle covering or removing
the damage caused by it. Mildew and mold stains are some of the
toughest to remove, because if you don't do it right, they will
reappear time and time again, no matter how much paint you've slathered
on the wall or ceiling.
Spores cause mold and mildew, and
they flourish on walls and floors. As water pulls chemicals from
drywall, woods and paint, it leaves behind stains. While these stains
are extremely difficult to remove, you can do it with a little bit
of elbow grease, some patience and a few basic supplies.
You'll need:
Household bleach
TSP solution
Rubber gloves
Bucket
Sponges
Eye protection
Note: Before using any type of cleaner,
whether store bought or home made, make sure that you have adequate
ventilation. Some chemicals can cause respiratory distress in unventilated
areas!
In a bucket, mix 3 parts of water
to 1 part of household bleach. With a sponge, thoroughly saturate
the stained area of the wall with the solution and repeat again
in about 20 minutes, whether the stain has disappeared or not.
Rinse with a clean sponge. Allow area
to dry completely, and then clean with TSP (trisodium phosphate)
or an adequate substitute. Make sure to clean the area afterward,
as paint won't bond well to wall if TSP remains.
Afterward, prime wall with
an adequate, stain-blocking primer and paint as desired.
