Emily Hurley I think I've also seen bathroom paints with additives to prevent this, but I am not positive.

3D-Tile-Design - Bertram Tasch Hello melinnb,

I assume your ceiling is a regular gypsum board covered by a layer of paint. If the mold is only a thin layer on the surface, you may be able to remove it properly. Especially when your ceiling is covered with a good paint.

However, mold is not like dust or dirt. It has a reason why it is on your ceiling. The most common reason is to much humidity and not enough air circulation over a longer period of time. It could be also caused by condensation water behind the ceiling panel e.g. from your vent pipe. In this case you have to remove the molded ceiling panel/board and replace it.

Very important is to figure out what exactly caused the mold to eliminate the source. If it is too much humidity and not enough air circulation, clean or replace your old ceiling fan. Install a countdown timer (http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/Lighting/ElectricalTimers/PRD~0528841P/Leviton+Digital+20A+Countdown+Timer.jsp?locale=en) and let the fan run at least 30 minutes every time after having a shower.

If it is condensed water from your vent pipe, wrap insulation around the pipe before you install the new ceiling panels.

Our advice: Use in your whole bathroom and especially on the ceiling a panel which will not accumulate any humidity. There are a couple different materials with this characteristic on the market. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be glad to help you.

3D-Tile-Design.ca - Bertram Tasch - http://www.3D-Tile-design.ca

melinnb Thank you so much! I am sure that it is from too much humidity and not enogh air circulation; we do have a fan and it does need cleaning - I will check into the timer. Thanks again and I will check the vent pipe as well.

3D-Tile-Design - Bertram Tasch Here are two pictures where you can see a typical stain pattern caused by condensation water from a vent pipe.