QUESTION FROM Karl

Trying to get rid of mold that is along the mortar folds in the bathtub and kitchen sink. No cleaning fluid or powder seems to work.

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear Karl:

As it sounds like you have found out, mold can be very difficult to remove from bathtub and sink grout lines.

Have you tried using boric acid or hydrogen peroxide yet?

You need to be very careful when cleaning mold, as the process can disperse mold spores into the air. Here is a webpage that provides very important safety tips for cleaning mold:

http://www.moldetect.com/mold-cleaning.htm

To get rid of mold in the affected area you should first put on rubber gloves, a filter mask and eye protection. Apply the boric acid or hydrogen peroxide onto the mold, making sure it becomes well saturated. It is very important that the mold be very wet before you start wiping or scrubbing, so that this will start to kill the mold immediately and help prevent mold spores from releasing into the air. Keep spraying the mold as you scrub with a non-abrasive pad, keeping it wet as you clean. This prevents mold spores from flying into the air. If any mold seems to be deeply embedded, then leave the mixture on longer so that it can sink in before scrubbing. Once it looks like you have gotten rid of all the mold, spray the area again with the boric acid or hydrogen peroxide and let it dry, as this will kill any remaining roots of the mold.

To keep the mold from coming back, you can take prevention steps such as:

o lowering the humidity in the room by opening windows and running fans to clear out the damp air after uses.

o keeping the area as dry as possible after uses.

o reducing the temperature in the room when not using it.

o regular cleaning to prevent and get rid of mold and mildew growth.


Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com

QUESTION FROM jefrimmer

How can I clean out mildew that has accumulated under the vinyl strip that holds the glass to the shower tile?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear jefrimmer:

Have you tried using Tilex brand cleaner (http://www.tilex.com/questions.html#mildew )? I've had very good success with it for controlling mildew in showers.

A couple of points that you might want to consider:

1) Read the instructions very carefully. The fumes are not good to breathe.

2) You will want to be very careful not to stir up the mold and mildew spores such that they disperse up into the air where they can cause respiratory problems.

3) If the mildew has gotten established deep under the vinyl strip, unfortunately, you may need to bring in a professional.

4) You should consider eliminating the root cause of your mildew problem. Why is your shower staying damp and becoming a breeding ground for mildew? Do you need to squeegee the water off the walls and floors into the drain after using the shower? Or do you need to place a fan in front of it, or install an exhaust fan? In other words, what can you do to keep your shower from being a damp spot waiting to grow mildew?

We hope this is helpful.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com

QUESTION FROM ev

What is the best way to remove mold/mildew stains
from colored grout in my shower?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear ev:

Here is a webpage that provides a good description of how to clean tile grout:

http://www.mrscleannw.com/tips/grout-cleaning.html

If this still doesn’t work for you, then it may be possible that your grout has become stained (especially since you say it is colored grout). If it has indeed gotten stained, then you have a couple of options: 1) you can use a tool called a "grout saw" to gently remove the top layer of grout, then re-grout your tile with clean grout; or 2) tile stores sell special grout stains that permanently color the grout and hide the stains.

Hope this is helpful
Home-Wizard.com