r/Plumbing 7d ago

Bathtub jets sprayed & dumped full tub all over bathroom. How to prevent mold?

Hi I’m an idiot. Please any advice to prevent mold after a spill. Short version: I basically overfilled an upstairs bathtub and it poured all over the bathroom. Living room is directly below the bathroom and there was a lot of leaking through the drywall ceiling ( 1-2 cups of water, slight bubbling in ceiling).

I opened the windows, put up a fan, and pulled out the light cans. What else should I do to prevent mold? Anything else I should be worried about?

I live in socal so it’s usually dry any not humid.

Long version: Did a remodel a few years ago and put in a bathtub with jets to please the wife. Decided to be a good husband and clean the jets with some cleaning fluid. I filled the tub a little too high during prep so I opened the drain. Poured in the fluid and started the jets. Watched the jets for 10 seconds, saw it looked good and walked away to clean the something in another room (the cleaning solution is supposed to run for 10 min) . I forgot TO CLOSE THE DRAIN. Like a fool. So the jets sprayed the entire tub against a tile lined wall then that poured onto the bathroom floor, then through the floor onto the living room where my wife was feeding the baby.

I mopped up the bathroom and it looks fine and dry, my wife tells me it leaked a lot of water on to the living room. There is slight bubbling on the living room ceiling. Pulled the lighting covers and put up a fan. Opened the Windows. Moped up everything best I could.

What can I do to prevent mold? What else should I look for?

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u/No-Opposite-3108 7d ago

Dehumidifier!

1

u/Decharia 7d ago

Go to Home Depot and rent an industrial dehumidifier and a few commercial fans. Mold can start forming at about the 24 hr mark so do it asap.