How do I tell if I have mold or just dirt?

ihmmy

In my bathroom, the grout for the tub/shower specifically. Round black specks... how do I know if it's mold vs just a bunch of dirt? One is cause for worry, the other means I just need to, y'know, be less lazy about cleaning the bathroom

Synthetic Orange

It's mold you filthy swine, get that scrubbing brush out!

Improvolone

Given the enviroment, it is safe to say mooooold

Daxon

Both mean you have to be less lazy about cleaning, you always get mold in your bathroom if you don't clean it.

Ripsaw

Petri dish. If it grows, start scrubbing. If it doesn't grow, start scrubbing.

Gross.

Samuel

I get big ol' mushrooms in my bathroom, it's great.

Sometimes I leave them for a week or so just to see how big they get.

I wonder if they're edible.

Szechuanosaurus

It's definitely mould.

You'll be lucky to remove the stains as well. Need some bleach-based cleaner. Or even, just bleach.

Maybe take the shower head apart and give that a good clean out as well because, you know, legionnaires disease.

GungHo

It's mold. Throw bleach on it. It will die. It will come back if your bathroom stays damp again. In which case, more bleach. It's cheap... it just smells like hell and if you put too much, you can burn your skin/eyes the next time you shower. But, let the bleach stay there for a good 10 minutes to get in the grout.

Szechuanosaurus wrote: »

Maybe take the shower head apart and give that a good clean out as well because, you know, legionnaires disease.

You can also submerge the shower head in bleach and that will clean it out, but I'd advise running water through it before using the shower head in order to make sure the bleach is washed out.

When I clean my bathroom, I use one gallon jug of bleach for the shower/tub, and another for the toilet and sink (it's what $1 a gallon, and it does a better job than cleaners you pay a lot more for). I use rubber gloves so I don't burn my hands to scrub and goggles so I don't get it in my eyes. I also have an old spray nozzel from a 409 bottle, so I can use that to atomize/spray bleach. It takes a long time for mold to come back. I don't have a window in my bathroom (stupid ass contractors), so mold's just going to form eventually... there's no easy way for me to keep the tub constantly dry. I can stall the formation of mold by using a squeegie on the wall tiles and the shelf of the tub to remove any standing water. Without moisture, mold can't form.

Improvolone

Mix bleach with baking powder to make a bleach powered paste.
Or, soak a rag with bleach and leave it on the spots.

Corak

Samuel wrote: »

I get big ol' mushrooms in my bathroom, it's great.

Sometimes I leave them for a week or so just to see how big they get.

I wonder if they're edible.

I hope you're kidding, I just.... I am terrified to imagine the filth of a bathroom that actually grows mushrooms...