Asked on Jan 01, 2014

Mold/mildew creeping across top of baseboards

Elise Anderson
by Elise Anderson
Area around built-in shower.Rug is front of shower was discovered to have a LOT of mold,which washing alone did not eliminate.???????????
  6 answers
  • Dianne Ward Dianne Ward on Jan 01, 2014
    Tilex is the only product I have found to completely kill mold. However, you must find the source of the moisture and eliminate it. Do you have a leak in the shower door or shower curtain not containing all the water? Mold feeds on sheetrock (drywall) material so it must be sprayed extensively with the Tilex.
  • Victoria Muzik Victoria Muzik on Jan 01, 2014
    FIRST FIND THE SOURCE OF THE MOISTURE BLEEDING ALONG THE SHOWER. TILEX WILL FIX SURFACE MOLD BUT IF IT PERSISTS MAY HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM.
  • Julie Yeary Julie Yeary on Jan 01, 2014
    My first attack would be bleach.
    • See 2 previous
    • Gabrielle Falk Gabrielle Falk on Jun 16, 2015
      Bleach will only bleach but won't kill mould spoors. Obviously moisture is getting in somewhere, so maybe Elise may need to get in a plumber to check if pipes are leaking under the floor; maybe the shower could need re-sealing around the joins. If there is a large problem, and you can't clean the mould, you might need to get an expert in as black mould is very toxic. I got rid of a little bit of mould on the ceiling living room wall (faces south-not much sun) with undiluted tea tree oil. Gabrielle from Aust
  • Do you have an exhaust fan? If not, you may want to consider installing one. It is must have to help with moisture. You have to buy a 250+ higher CFM exhaust fan too to do any good. Locating the source of moisture and the mold, just as others have suggested is important. You say built in shower~does that mean the plastic showers sold in big box stores? or tile? I find those darn plastic showers, if not installed properly, seem to help mold grow. Do you have shower doors? I would thoroughly clean and remove the caulking from around the doors and shower and start over. I have a hand held steamer which after I peeled old caulking I steamed out the crevices in the shower, let dry, and recaulked everything and let sit for 24 hours. Mold grows in those funky places. I have to add that I have one bathroom I have completely gutted and installed a 300CFM exhaust fan and I have no mold or mildew issues even with a teenager who takes long hot showers and leaves wet towels lying around. In my master bath, which I only did a simple renovation until I can gut it and add a fan, I find myself cleaning all the time and with a cheap plastic walk in shower unit, the mold is a constant battle. I am allergic to mold so I can walk into a room and smell it and then my breathing gets funky. Mold is a dangerous thing so you need to take measures. Good luck.
    • Gabrielle Falk Gabrielle Falk on Jun 15, 2015
      @The Garden Frog with C Renee Hi: An exhaust fan is good, but I still have the bathroom window wide open. In winter, I also leave the ceiling heater on for a few hours (a 3-in-one - fan, light, heater). Bathrooms that are within a house with no windows, are notorious for mould. Cheers, Gabrielle from Aust.
  • Lulu Lulu on Feb 25, 2016
    I would suggest having someone com out to identify that mold. It could be a huge health hazard especially for children+elderly. There must be an ongoing leak somewhere you can't see.
  • Deb K Deb K on Oct 15, 2022

    Hi Elise, hope this helps. First ensure you have fixed the moisture problem, make a bleach mixture of 1 cup bleach to 1 cup of water to kill off the mold and mildew.