How to Clean Mold & Mildew From the Shower
When you shower, you may notice blackish discolorations in the grout between shower tiles, or even on the tiles themselves. Molds and mildew are fungi that thrive in damp conditions like the bathroom, which can accumulate over time, forming a very stubborn stain. With the proper clean tools, however, tough mold and mildew stains can be removed. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Chlorine bleach
- White wine vinegar
- Paper towels
- Abrasive scrubber
- Grout/caulk
- Grout sealant
Instructions
-
-
1
Clean the shower, scrubbing all surfaces thoroughly. A standard cleaning is needed to prepare the surface of the shower tile for further treatment.
-
2
Soak paper towels in white vinegar, and stick them to the shower tile. The moisture of the vinegar will allow the paper towels to stick readily, but as they dry out, they will start to fall off. You should try to soak the shower in vinegar for up to eight hours, so periodically pouring some vinegar down the wall, to resoak the paper towels can keep them from falling off. Keeping the paper towels on for such a long duration will allow the vinegar to penetrate the grout and slowly kill the mold and mildew.
-
-
3
Clean the tiles with chlorine or bleach. Make sure the room is well-ventilated and that you are wearing expendable clothing. The bleach will kill mold and mildew while whitening the tiles and grout, as the vinegar remains in the grout fighting the deeper mold.
-
4
Regrout and caulk tiles to keep mildew out. Old cracked grout, or spots that allow water to penetrate the tiles are breeding grounds for mildew. Filling in such areas with new grout and caulk is a good way to prevent more mold and mildrew from forming.
-
5
As a final touch, consider applying a grout sealing product to your shower. Grout sealants either work as a topical coating that creates a barrier between the grout and water, or by saturating the grout, giving it better resistance to water absorption, which makes it more difficult for mildew and mold to get into the grout. Wait at least two days before applying sealant to new grout.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Mold and mildew thrive in damp conditions. Running a fan as you shower, or keeping a window open for ventilation can prevent steam build up and stop mold and mildew from forming.
