How to get rid of returning caulking mold in all ceramic shower?
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Though the white caulking around the floor edges of our all ceramic shower remain clean looking for a couple of days (after using different cleaning products, including bleach), the mold always returns, making it appear unclean and uncared for. Is replacing the caulking our only option? And what product should we use to keep that from happening again & so rapidly?
Following
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/green-way-rid-mold-caulking-27039.html
Wipe down with vinegar instead. Vinegar kills mold spores, bleach does not.
Perhaps you don't have good ventilation in your bathroom. I like to wipe down my shower using the towel I dried off with. That would help eliminate the moisture problem somewhat.
You have mold on the drywall, so remove the base board and scrub off the mold with bleach water on the drywall and baseboard allow to dry well before sealing with mood resistant caulking.
It sounds like there is mold under the caulk and the existence of the caulk is blocking you from getting to all of the mold. Unfortunately, in my case, I had to strip out all the caulk with this triangle shaped tool, scrub the underneath with heavy duty cleaner and then re-caulk.
Here is the kind of tool I used. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Homax-2-Piece-Caulk-Finishing-Set-5860/203604199
It was time-consuming but not terribly complex. By re-caulking the 50 year old bath, I was able to delay the gut-rehab to that bathroom four years. It took me those years to save up the money to do the rehab.
Bleach is a good cleaner for this in that it will make it look clean, but it does not kill the mold spores. Vinegar is a good antibacterial and antifungal agent that will kill the mold spores that it is applied to and left to dry. You may never be totally be rid of the mold and mildew because it is the nature of the beast in that it is a frequently wet and warm environment. All you can do is try to keep it at bay when it shows up.
peroxide will kill mold, even black mold just be sure no animals can get to the shower to possibly ingest it.
I use a squeegee to remove all excess water from the tile walls, shower/tub to help eliminate mold!
Your mold issue will continue to return however unless you deal with the moisture that Is causing it. Proper ventilation is important but may not be the only Culprit. I would be concerned about what is going on under the tile. Mold needs an organic food source also. While bleach may remove the Staining, it will not kill spores. But even if a product is used to kill spores, they travel easily so treating the area where mold was visible is not solving the problem, more like ”out of sight, Out of mind”. It doesn’t matter how often you clean, until the moisture/water issue is resolved, mold will continuously grow back. Also keep in mind that it is Impossible to completely remove mold from your home And there are thousands of varieties. Air sampling can be done to determine the type and concentration of the mold. The outdoor air is also sampled as a control and levels are compared. It is not possible to be 100% spore free.
It sounds like there is mold under the caulk. You need to get to that and treat it.
White vinegar heated up, dawn, and water. Mix well. Keep the shower door open so that it dries after showering.