Eeeck.. Toilet mold around the water line and up in the flush passages.
After about a week there is a black mold that forms along the waterline and when I scrub that and get up into where the water enters the bowl there is the same mold on the brush.
I have white vinegar, baking soda and bleach. I’m wondering what the best way to clean this up and hopefully occur less often.
And yeah, I have googled this but I would actually like to know how real people have dealt with this.
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Hubby is certified in mold abatement and he usually tells people bleach. But there must be a leak that needs fixing if mold is growing.
Try Clorox Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Tablets with bleach. They will provide a consistent level of bleach to kill the mold.
Bleach normally works well. Pour straight bleach into your toilet and leave it for a while. This gives the bleach enough time to eliminate the black mold and mildew growth on the bowl.
Don’t forget to leave the bathroom window and the door open, and the toilet lid up because mold thrives in dark humid places.
@BosM I would rather not introduce a bunch of chemicals into my environment.
@Smitha I am more concerned with the mold up in where the water comes out but I will bleach the bowl. I did look in the tank and mold doesn’t appear to be a issue there.
I should probably add that I live in Oregon and it rains a lot. Rain almost everyday and I don’t use a heater and leave my windows open in the winter. That might up the difficulty of this problem.
@johnpowell I have the same problem, with mold above the waterline and around under the rim, so I’m following, too. I use toilet cleaners with bleach and they don’t seem to help. I’d love to know how to get a cleaner up and inside where it’s hanging out – or at least get enough in that it has a lasting effect.
@JohnPowell, it’s just bleach in tablet form.
@glacial That is my main problem too. I can’t get anything up in all the cracks and crevices to hang out long enough to work. Fucking gravity.
This may sound lame but at times it can also be due to the design of the toilet. Usually there is an area inside the structure of the bowl where water sits causing an air pocket – that is most likely the primary site of the mildew growth -and it is in an area that can not be reached for cleaning. There really isn’t anything that can be done about this other than to do the constant cleaning.
@Smitha I was a bit worried about that. I fear that is the source of the mold and it is infecting the waterline. Luckily I rent so if some other stuff doesn’t work first I will ask to have the toilet replaced. But Ideally I can avoid that.
I hope someone come’s up with a good solution, or else get it replaced. Just check if the flapper in the tank is old or gone bad .This could also create a black gooey substance.
Scrubbing isn’t helping much. I did put it in a bowl with vinegar and baking soda. I now need to mop my bathroom.
I’m going to let it soak in bleach for a bit.
Get this. It works like a charm.
Oh Shit! You need to replace the flapper!! I guess chlorine eats rubber away from the washers and the gaskets around the fill valve, flapper, etc and as it dissolves it, the black washes down into the bowl.
For starters, don’t leave the lid down on your toilet seat. That increases the humidity in there, and encourages mold.
It isn’t that. I have read about chlorine doing that and tonight was the first time I have used it. And none of the parts in my toilet are black. I am aware that I might have made that happen after the bleach bath. But if it leaks I can replace the innards myself or let the management company deal with it.
@snowberry :: I don’t. And I have also never peed standing up in here. Amazing how sitting is a lot better when you have to clean your own bathroom.
@johnpowell Sounds like you’re trying out lots of different cleaners. Please be aware that it is dangerous to mix cleaners. Bleach can release chlorine gas when mixed with vinegar, for example. Be sure to open windows and flush with plenty of water after trying one chemical and before trying another.
You also mentioned that you tried vinegar and baking soda. One is acidic and the other is basic. I think the two just cancelled each other.
I don’t necessarily have better advice than the above, but if what you have really is mold, then I understand that bleach is the best thing for getting rid of it. Why not pour some bleach directly into the tank (not the bowl)? You don’t have to use straight bleach, by the way. One cup in one gallon works well. (Of course, if you’re pouring it into the tank or the bowl, you need to account for the volume of water already in the tank or bowl.)
@johnpowell You likely have small leak in the flapper seal. Prove it to yourself by dropping some colored food dye into the tank. You will see the leaking. Fix it by buying a replacement ball valve from the hardware store for <$8.
But before you do, pour about 8 oz of laundry bleach into the tank and let it sit for a day. It will kill the creeping crud. After a few hours you might try flushing it once and pouring a new batch of bleach into the tank and letting that soak. Gravity and the slow leak will work for you.
Don’t pee in the bowl while the bleach is working. That will release chlorine gas. Not good. If you gotta go, pee into a cup, pour it down the sink and rinse it down while you are washing your hands. Very efficient and no mess.
I’ve noticed this black stuff around where the water enters since we moved into our brand new home, in all three of our toilets. I just use a cleaner with bleach in it to scrub it off. Honestly, I hadn’t thought it was a big problem until I saw this thread. Hm…I guess I need to bring it to my husband’s attention so we can find out why it’s happening.
Sometimes, the holes under the rim, where water enters the toilet bowl, get partially or completely blocked. This is often caused by mineral deposits, accumulated mold or filth, or cleaning product build-up.
Take a wire clothes hanger – the type from a dry cleaner – and straighten the hook on top. Use this now-straight wire to poke into the holes and make sure they’re completely open.
Sometimes, black “goo” happens under the rim because the incoming water isn’t sufficient to for rinsing.
It’s also always moist there, and mold spores are deposited through the air, so cleaning it isn’t really going to prevent it, just reduce the rate of accumulation.
Prop the arm up a bit to raise the waterline slightly above normal (but not really high). Throw a handful of denture cleaner tablets into the tank.6–8-10, depending on the size of your tank. You certainly don’t want it to boil over. The foaming action will work to clean and sanitize all the parts in the tank, without being corrosive.
You can now buy denture cleaning tablets @ the Dollar Tree for a buck a box. Works for a lot of stubborn stains in and on glass and china.
I thought I would add a update here. After cleaning the flapper the mold hasn’t returned. It has been a week and the bowl is still visibly mold free. Normally it would have been pretty bad by now.
Everyone should give Smitha a GA.
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