Hi. We live in an older house and our bathroom is getting gross. Ok, yes, I know we need to replace it, but we can't do that until we have the money to replace the whole bathroom, the tub and floor tile also need to be replaced, and it doesn't make sense to do the grout now if we are going to have to do it again soon. So I really need product recommendations.
Anyways, despite regular cleanings, there is mildew growth on the tile grout, especially in the corners where the tub and tile meet. I've tried a few things, including bleach. I hate using bleach though because of the VOCs. Is there some product that is a little thicker that will stay on the stains and not drip? Also would like something that is green-as in environmentally friendly. Any suggestions?
Tilex works, although I feel I need a gas mask when I spray it on. It doesn't take scrubbing, I just open a window and let it sit. Nothing lasts though, the yuck comes back pretty quickly. Maybe we need better ventilation.
I use the bleach....I have found that once you clean it up, the best way to hold it at bay is to keep the shower area dry. My parents go as far as to dry their shower with a towel...I tried that, but just not realistic. We now leve our shower door open and the fan on extra long. It has helped. I have thought about getting a sham wow type product for drying and see how that works.
Hi A.,
We had a similar problem a year ago and decided to have the tile regrouted. I am not sure if that is something you are interested in, but we called Grout Medic, and they were wonderful people. I just googled their phone number: ###-###-#### and the person we spoke to was named Kevin Ferrara (sp ?) He can come out and give you a FREE estimate. We ran into other problems with our home, the builder did not put greenboard behind out shower, only drywall, so we had major mold problems behind the wall and would not have known that unless we had started to have the tile regrouted. I think, it is about $400.00 to do this, but I can't remember because we ended up having a mold remediation company come in (Belfor) who was also wonderful to clean up the mold and gut our bathroom and other rooms where the mold had spread to. Send me a personal message if i can help any further. Good luck.
Jennifer
Lysol Mildew works really well. It smells so you want the us a fan or open a window. You spray and let it sit for 5 min and then wipe away the mildew and wash it with water. Good luck. After the mildew is gone and you have washed off the cleaner, if you are worried about it, I would use a green clean to go over it again before kids bathing in the tub.
HAve you tried soft soap. I use it on everything. Also if not then remove the grout and re-apply new grout. :)
you need to take out the old grout and re grout it. here is a red plastic tool for $1.00 you can get that scoops up the old grout and you scrape it off. You have to get it all out before you regrout or it will just grow back underneath and show though again. If you have a good hanyman he can do it too. Ours did it for $50.
J.
Hi A. ~
I am actually partnered with an Inc. 500 Wellness company whose products are all non-toxic and chemical free. They have an incredible bathroom cleaner that works wonders.
Let me know if you want more information!
Is it the actual grout (the cement-like stuff between the tiles) or the softer stuff (caulk) that is usually used on corners and where the tile meets the bathtub? If the latter, I don't think anything will get it clean once it starts to get mildewy, but you can easily remove and replace it yourself. Just look for bathroom caulk at home depot or a hardware store. You can remove the old stuff using an exacto knife or razor blade.
For natural cleaners, you might try white vinegar or lemon juice, although I think usually the mildew is in the caulk, not just on top of it.
Hi A. I use Scrubbing Bubbles and get the soap scumb and mildew up pretty good. But if your biggest problem is the mildew, try limeaway, Clorox Anywhere and products that are for mildew remover.
