Shower and bathtub caulk aren’t often in the spotlight of your bathroom fixtures - you rarely notice the fixture adhering your tiles together until it gets dirty, grimey and moldy. Over time, it gets more and more difficult to remove mold from caulk, so best to nip the problem in the bud.
Caulk is a soft and porous mineral that lines the gaps between tiles, affixing the individual tiles together and creating a seal to keep the walls from retaining water damage resulting from frequent moisture. Since caulk serves as a barrier against moisture, the mineral is constantly wet with everyday usage of the shower and bathtub.
Constant moisture and a humid environment makes the perfect conditions for mold to form. With the porous surface of the caulk, mold can get deep into the material, damaging the caulk from the inside. These molds cause stain spots to form in moldy caulk, as well as pose respiratory hazards like allergies and hypersensitivity.
How To Remove Mold In Shower Caulk
Shower caulk is most susceptible to mold, as the shower area is used everyday. Mold spores love constant moisture, and the shower is the perfect source for their water needs.
Causes
Constant Moisture
Mold and mildew love dark, damp areas. The shower is where people go to wash themselves, so it comes as no surprise that the shower area is always kept moist. Inhibit the growth of mold by wiping the shower area dry after each use, making sure to get between the tiles and into the grout.
Soap Scum
You wash away soap from your person when showering, but are you mindful where the suds wash off to? Soap scum is residue left behind from soap, after the suds have been allowed to dry on the shower walls, floors, and fixtures. Soap scum and water stains contain trace amounts of minerals and cellulose - the favourite food of black mold!
Helpful Tip: If black mold suddenly appears after periods of submerged water, such as after floods or at leaks, call professional services to remove the mold as this may be a species of toxic black mold.
Present Colonies
If mold is growing fast in your bathroom caulk, then you may have mold colonies already present around your home. Mold spores are invisible to the eye, and you won’t know they’ve gotten in your house until they form visible colonies. By the time you notice mold colonies growing, their spores have already spread to other areas of your home.
To prevent mold from spreading, make sure to get rid of all mold and mildew colonies in your home. Use a spray mold killer that is safe to use around people and pets, and consistently inspect the dark and damp corners of your home for any signs of mold.
Methods
Baking Soda Paste
For shower wall caulk, watery sprays will just slide off after application, so a baking soda paste works well to remove mold from shower wall caulk. Mix together a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and apply the mixture onto your shower caulk.
The paste sits on the wall until it dries, and contains two ingredients known for killing mold and mildew at the root. The dried paste can then be rinsed off with warm or hot water. Use only on white caulk, as the paste is a known bleaching agent.
Vinegar Spray
Mix together equal parts of water and distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle, and liberally spray the entire area after every bath. Leave the solution to dry, and wipe off any killed off mold colonies. Reapply when necessary. Keep the spray bottle handy for daily cleaning.
Bleach Gel
A commercial bleach gel, like Clorox Bleach Gel Pen, whitens, refreshes, and removes mold from grout at any angle. The thick solution stays on the surface, even as it defies gravity! The pen also features a fine tip, so you can effortlessly glide the pen over caulk lines to apply bleach gel directly on mold and mildew. Rinse after the solution has dried.
How To Remove Mold In Bathtub Caulk
While the bathtub itself may not be tiled, the surrounding walls and floors usually are. The bathtub is not as regularly used as the shower area, but the bathtub caulk can grow mold even without consistent moisture, as the bathroom environment is humid.
Causes
Humidifier
If you’re the type to relax with aromatherapy, or set a relaxing mood with a humidifier, then those may be the culprit in mildew cultivation on your bathtub caulk. Oils and moisture from aromatherapy devices can accumulate on caulk, feeding mold colonies and mildew spores.
That doesn’t mean you need to give up your self-care routine. Just wipe the walls dry after every use and you’ll be able to keep mold from ruining your relaxing bathtub soak.
Moist Shower Curtain
Fabric shower curtains provide a bit of privacy, and a delightful touch to any bathroom, but when wet, they can harbour destructive mold that leave stains and cause allergies. A moist, fabric shower curtain is mold paradise - fabric fibers provide food and shelter to mold spores. Make sure to wash your shower curtains frequently to prevent mold growth, and keep them dry.
Scum from Bath Bombs and Bath Gels
Soap isn’t the only source of scum. Bath bombs and bath gels are made with hard minerals like epsom salt, essential oils, and citric acid. While some ingredients may inhibit the growth of mold, additives left behind can cause a chalky or oily film on the bathtub caulk. This film allows mold to attach and grow on the caulk, while the humidity encourages colony growth.
Methods
Bleach Spray
To treat moldy caulk, use a mixture of bleach and water in a spray bottle. Using bleach will kill off any mold and mold spores in your bathtub, especially in the pores of the caulk. Let it sit, and allow the solution to remove mold. Rinse after 10-20 minutes.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a terrific fungicide, and removes mold from your caulking almost instantly. Use the cleaning agent diluted or undiluted, and place directly on caulking where mold is most present. You may need to apply multiple layers, but this cleaning agent should kill off present mold colonies, and whiten their stains too.
When to Call Professional Services?
When the mold colony is too large, or you suspect you have the toxic type of mold in your home, then it’s time to call in the professionals for help. Luce Home has decades of experience in treating, removing, and preventing mold from forming. We offer services like general cleaning, caulking, and mildew removal.
Check out our website for a full scope of our services, and give us a call today so we can get a start on making your home spotless!
