How to Remove Unsightly Caulk Mold From Your Shower

Mold in the bathroom is a common sight, and this is because our bathrooms are naturally damp environments where mold can thrive. This is not good news for your caulk seals, which become rather unsightly once mold hits them. However, it’s not the end of the world. Mold isn’t a permanent visitor, and you can easily remove it from all surfaces – including caulk. It takes a little work, but it’s so worth the effort for a bathroom that looks incredible. 

Why is Mold Such a Problem? 

The thing is, mold actually poses a pretty serious health risk to you and your family – especially black mold. For those who have conditions like asthma or are allergic to mold, it can cause severe respiratory problems that can result in hospitalisation or fatalities after prolonged exposure. It also poses a risk to children and the elderly who have lower immune systems. 

It can even cause asthma in those who have not suffered from it before. For those who have no underlying issues, it still has the ability to impact their health in a negative manner. It increases the risk of chest and lung infections. This is why ventilation and removal are so important, especially in bathrooms where mold absolutely loves to grow. 

What You Will Need

Here are the tools you will need to get rid of that pesky mold:

• A basin or large bowl 
• Bleach 
• Baking soda
• Clingfilm
• Paintbrush 
• Gloves 

The Removal Process 

While the gloves are optional, it is a good idea to keep them on for this task as bleach can irritate the skin easily and it’s not nice to get on your hands. This is one of the most effective methods for removing mold from caulk.

Step One: Mix the bleach and baking soda together until you get a nice paste. It should be the same kind of consistency as a good cake batter. 

Step Two: Take the old paintbrush and use it to apply the paste to the caulk. You can also use the gloves to do this, but the brush is better at spreading the paste evenly.

Step Three: Grab the clingfilm and apply it as best you can over the paste. After an hour or two, you can then remove the covering. 

Step Four: Rinse the paste away with warm water and dry by dabbing it with a clean cloth. The mold should be gone, but if some remains you can repeat the process until it is completely gone. 

If you aren’t a huge fan of using bleach to clean your caulk, you can also use white vinegar as it works as both a disinfectant and a cleaner. It’s also a natural product, which means it is less harmful to the environment and also kinder to your skin if you accidentally get some on yourself. It can also be mixed with baking soda to clean and disinfect effectively. 

How to Keep Caulk Mold Away Permanently 

There isn’t a cleaning method that will keep caulk mold away forever, even though I am sure we would all love one. However, there is another alternative. If you really don’t want to keep repeating the mold cleaning process, you can invest in a fully self-contained showers. These come with their own seals and do not need caulk.

Why is this better? Well, the seals that these enclosures come with are easier to clean and maintain so that you can just rinse and dry them after each use without too much worry about mold growth. So, while the only solution for getting rid of caulk mold permanently is to remove the caulk, a shower enclosure makes an excellent alternative. 

To Conclude 

It takes a little work, but cleaning the mold off your caulk is not massively difficult. The main thing is that you keep on top of it so that you can ensure it doesn’t make a large reappearance. It’s important to ensure that mold is removed as quickly as possible, and this method is the best. 
While the only permanent solution is a new shower enclosure with its own seals, this can actually be a really nice way to bring life back to your bathroom and could be a great option.

About The Author: Written by James Varner

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash