Asked on Oct 28, 2014

How to remove mildew from drywall and textured ceiling

Heather
by Heather
Need advice how to remove mildew from drywall and textured ceilings?
  11 answers
  • In order to properly fix this issue you need to understand how it got there in the first place. If not you can go through all the steps needed to fix this issue and it will simply return later on. All the mold or mildew that grows on walls and ceilings is because of moisture. The moisture levels can be caused by in the case of a bathroom a shower or tub not being vented during use. In other areas of the house cooking and or elevated moisture levels from humidifiers being set to high or excessive amount of plants can create the moisture. However there is a bit more to it then just the moisture. Room temps have a lot to do with this issue. Cooler walls and or ceilings, often the result in the winter of not being properly insulated can cause the elevated moisture levels in the room to condense on the wall surface. Quite often we see and read on Home Talk about mold in bathroom ceilings. Its not just about the shower not being vented, its the fact that the ceiling above that comes into contact with the colder attic allows the steam to condense. Three things are needed for mold. Moisture, food source in this case its the paint and drywall and air. Remove or control any one of these and no mold. That simple. In your case you have another issue, the texture. Depending upon the type of texture it is that you have will determine the method in which to fix. Also depending upon how much mold or mildew it is that you have. If its just a darkening of the ceiling and its really only a sand texture, you can clean the surface using a bleach and water solution to remove any loose mold growth, let dry, then paint using a good quality mold resistant primer. Zinzer makes several types. Ideally a oil based primer is best for mold sealing and prevention. Once dry then paint. If the ceiling is one of those pop corn types you will need to scrape the texture off using a stiff plastic putty knife with some sprayed water to loosen the texture off. Once removed, you can prime again. Then purchase a can of ceiling texture paint. They make something that will come as close as you can without all the fancy equipment that was used when the ceiling was first done. Follow by spray painting or using a roller doing the entire ceiling to blend in the finish. Ideally any mold that has developed on drywall the drywall should be removed and replaced. This is normally done in extreme cases. lastly, be sure to determine why you have an elevated moisture level in the room(s) that are having this issue and solve that first. If it was just a past roof or bath leak then your ok, but if its something other then a single occurrence issue fix that first or you will be doing it again and again.
  • DutchJetje DutchJetje on Oct 29, 2014
    Hi there, have the same problem in our family bathroom! We use a mixture of bleach and water. And I plan to use a mildew resisting paint, especially for wet rooms next time. Or maybe even a ventilation system but we have an old house and are trying to keep it in it's original form. So no vent openings in the new windows etc.
  • Annie Niehouse Annie Niehouse on Oct 29, 2014
    You have to remove the drywall and redo it.......bleach won't help with molds.....if you get black mold you should worry, it causes illness....find out where the leak is ad fix it....otherwise it will continue until the ceiling falls in......
    • @Annie Niehouse Your exactly correct on this. People do not understand that bleach only removes the surface material. Not the root structure of the mold where its living in the drywall. But depending upon just how bad it is or how soon you can get to it before it has a chance to develop, cleaning and proper paint and moisture control will stop it. Also there is no such thing as Black Mold. its a phase that Dan Rather on CBS news coined when mold first started becoming a concern. All molds can get you sick. It all depends upon your personal immune system and overall health.
  • Janeane Janeane on Oct 29, 2014
    I just got that INSTAGONE-PRO that they advertise on TV and that stuff is amazing....and very fast!!!
    • @Janeane That instagone stuff is snake oil. It did not remove anything, all it did was bleach the color out of the mold that you can see. Only way to remove mold is to remove it. Cleaning, paint will do nothing other then mask what you have. If you have another moisture increase in the area, the mold will return, often much worse then before.
  • Karen V Karen V on Oct 29, 2014
    TSP solution, mix according to package instructions and then roll on with a whiz roller. you can find all of these products at a home improvement store Lowes or Home Depot.
  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Jan 08, 2024

    Increase ventillation by use of Vents!

  • Deb K Deb K on Jan 08, 2024

    Hi Heather, hope this helps you.

    To remove mold from a popcorn ceiling, you should first ensure that the area is well-ventilated. Then, you can mix a solution of water and mild detergent and use a soft-bristled brush to gently scrub the affected area. After cleaning, it's important to thoroughly dry the area to prevent the mold from returning.


    Use a mixture of water, vinegar and baking soda to spray the moldy spots. Spray the area once or twice so it gets covered but not so much that it drips. Once it's wet you can use a toothbrush or a scrub brush to scrub away any discolorations and mold.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Jan 08, 2024

    Spray with vinegar, that will kill the mold spores, let dry. Then bleach the dark stain out. Try to get more air circulating through the area.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jan 08, 2024

    First, you will need to kill the spores. Use white vinegar. Then peroxide to remove stains.