How to Stop Mildew in Shower

Removing mildew makes your shower a more sanitary environment.

Having mildew in a shower is not just unhygienic, it creates an unappealing showering environment. It's hard to feel like you're getting completely clean in a space filled with with green and black spots on your grout and shower curtain. Mildew negatively affects the air quality by emitting a sour, musty smell. While mildew isn't tough to remove, part of keeping your shower clean means taking active steps to prevent the mildew from returning.

Things You'll Need

• 2 spray bottles
• Bleach
• Soft scrub brush
• Old toothbrush
• Vinegar

Instructions

1. Fill a spray bottle half full with bleach. Fill the remaining portion of the bottle with cold water. Shake the bottle well.

2. Spray the diluted bleach solution onto the entire surface of the shower: the grout, floor and curtain. Allow it to penetrate for 10 minutes, then wipe away the mildew with the soft scrub brush. Use an old toothbrush to clean between the tile grout and in corners.

3. Rinse the entire shower area with buckets of cold water. If you have a shower curtain, keep it straightened out at all times so it can dry thoroughly and retard mildew.

4. Fill a spray bottle with an equal mix of cold water and white vinegar. Spray your shower after every use to prevent the development of mildew. The vinegar smell will go away nearly immediately, and there's no need to rinse it off.

5. Run your ceiling fan in the bathroom after every shower and keep windows open. Keeping the lights on also prevents mildew from coming back.

References

• Mrs. Clean USA: Cleaning Bathroom Mold & Mildew
• "Green Up Your Cleanup"; Jill Schoff; 2008