A musty odor from the bathroom or kitchen sink drain is the nastiest thing to encounter in your home. What’s the cause of the drain stench? This may be a result of mushrooms growing in the sink drain.
As you read further, you will understand the reasons that lead to the presence of mushrooms in your sink drains. Additionally, eliminating the mushrooms is important to prevent future occurrences.
Why Would Mushroom Grow in Your Sink Drain?
Mildew, mold, and fungus breed in humid, dark, or low-ventilated areas; when left unattended, they cause the growth of mushrooms from the buildup. The mushrooms in the drainage system, windows, walls, and extra are single-celled micro-organisms with fungal spores.
A leaking toilet should be repaired as soon as possible so that it doesn’t create a conducive environment for the growth of mushrooms.
The following are significant reasons mushrooms would grow in your sink drain.
Inadequate lighting
Doing a quick humidity checkup in your home will show that the darker the area, the higher the humidity. This explains why you mostly find mold, fungus, or mushrooms in areas with insufficient lighting.
Warmth
Warm temperatures between 77 to 86 degrees are ideal for the growth of molds or mushrooms. A bathroom that’s used often for showers or one that lacks proper ventilation makes the temperatures warm. Also, a bathroom with a heater system for hot showers brings warm temperatures.
Moisture
The shower or kitchen areas are usually the dampest places in your home. This explains why when you go to the shower after someone gets out, you feel like you are being hit with some vapor.
Always wipe off water from the sinks after use and bathrooms after a shower to help reduce moisture buildup. You can also ventilate the areas for proper airflow.
How to Get Rid of Mushroom Mold, Fungus, and Mildew
You should remove any mushrooms growing on your bathroom ceiling, wall, or floor before removing the others in the drains.
Clean your sink and pipe drains
The following home remedies are excellent in the removal of mushrooms.
- Use boiling water: Take boiling water and pour it down the sink drain for some minutes. The hot water acts by clearing away the residues on the inner sides of the pipes.
- Use vinegar and baking soda mixture: Make a solution of white vinegar and baking soda; 1 cup of white vinegar and ¼ cup of baking soda. Pour the mixture into the drain and wait around 10 to 15 minutes.
- Baking powder and hydrogen peroxide: First, fill ½ cup with baking soda and pour it down the drain. Next, wait about 20 minutes for the baking soda to be absorbed completely, then pour over 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide.
If you have tried all three methods and none seems to work, then it’s time to call an expert to solve the issue.
Deep clean the bathroom
Regularly clean your bathroom and maintain dry towels or mats. This is to stop molds and fungi from rooting from there, as it will be difficult to remove them eventually.
You should clean the bathroom thoroughly at least twice a month, whether mushrooms are present or not. This can be done by scrubbing with soapy water followed by bleach. However, pay utmost attention to delicate surfaces when scrubbing your bathroom floor or walls.
Rinse off all the dirt and soap with clean water. Next, use a disinfectant solution or spray to kill all the germs and inhibit the growth of any other molds.
Use dehumidifiers
Get rid of excess moisture in your home using dehumidifiers. Systematic use of dehumidifiers in the bathroom, basement, laundry areas, and kitchen helps reduce the possibility of molds and mushrooms.
Ventilate the house
Leave the bathroom door and window open to allow easy circulation of air. If your bathroom has no window, you can use a dehumidifier and let it run for 30 minutes every time the shower is used. Alternatively, let your fun run for some time to help bring in fresh air quickly.
Use fungicides
Fungicides are cleaning solutions that kill fungi, mold, mildew, or bathroom mushrooms. A fungicide cleaner can be made using bleach and warm water in a ratio of 1 to 3. Pour the mixture into the drainage and let it rest for some minutes.
The fungicide sprays should be applied only after removing the mushrooms and cleaning your sink drainage system to achieve the best results. Lastly, plunge the drain and rinse with clean water.
Fix Bathroom or sink leaks
Look out for any leaking joints in the drainage pipes, shower heads, and toilets that can be breeding grounds for mushroom molds. The leaking joints should be repaired or sealed quickly as soon as they are located.
What is Black Slime, and How to Get Rid of It?
Having black slime oozing from your drainage doesn’t mean your home is dirty. The black gunk comes from bacteria buildup from shaving cream, dead hair skin cells, toothpaste, or hand soaps. Mushrooms in the sink drain necessitate the growth of black slime.
The hard truth is that black slime can’t be removed as quickly as you think. Luckily, you can try to remove the black gunk first or call an expert plumber if the problem persists.
To remove the black slime, put on gloves, remove the drain stopper, and then scrub the sticky substance. If this procedure doesn’t work, plunge the drain while ensuring the plunger covers the entire drain opening.
After the clog has been plunged, you can pour boiling water over the drain to remove all the remaining residues.
Is Mushroom Mold Dangerous?
Always wear masks and protective gloves to remove bathroom mushrooms, as they can cause health problems when eaten or inhaled. This is because some bathroom mushrooms are poisonous. For example, you may experience some respiratory issues. Similarly, toxic mushrooms can lead to death in the worst-case scenario.
The above techniques can easily remove mushrooms growing in the sink drain. But if you don’t want the mushroom mold to recur in the future, deny them the temperature or moisture they need to thrive.