Grungy Bathroom Grout? Tips and Tricks To Remove And Prevent Mold And Mildew

Jun 04, 2018 by apost team

Moldy, mildewed, dirty grout is a common problem in bathrooms. Bathrooms are the dampest areas in most homes, and the leftover moisture from daily use leads to mildew and mold forming and grout deterioration that allows even more mold and mildew to accumulate. 

Light-colored grout shows every stain. All grout is porous, meaning that it just soaks in moisture and stains if not properly and routinely sealed. Add that bathroom grout in showers and around tubs isn’t always easy to get to for hard scrubbing, and you have a recipe for a bathroom that leaves you gagging in disgust and feeling helpless as to how to fix the problem. 

The presence of mold and mildew isn’t just an unsightly problem, however. For those with allergies and asthma, mold and mildew can bring on serious to life-threatening allergic reactions and attacks. Even for those without asthma and allergies, the presence of mold and mildew is an irritant to the mucous membranes. You may find that mold is impacting your skin, lungs, eyes, throat, and/or nose. 

First thing is to get rid of mold and mildew from your bathroom, and then you can work on taking away its bathroom pass permanently.

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1. Dishwashing Liquid 

This detergent has many uses, from stain removal to killing fleas on your dogs. Here’s yet another - mold removal. Scrub the grout with dishwashing liquid and hot water, let it sit for a few minutes, rinse away, and use a microfiber cloth to dry any leftover moisture.

2. Vinegar And Baking Soda 

Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and thoroughly coat the area to be cleaned. As you’re allowing it to sit for a few minutes, you’ll make a baking soda paste. Depending on how large the area is to be cleaned, you may need to increase or decrease the batch size. A box of baking soda to 1/4-1/3 cup of water covers two large showers. Dip your brush into the baking soda paste and scrub the entire grout surface. Rinse and use a microfiber cloth to dry. 

3. Bleach 

First, a word of caution with bleach. Some commercial bathroom cleaners contain ammonia. You never mix ammonia and bleach; the resulting chemical reaction can burn your lungs. So, if you clean your tile or tub with ammonia-based products, wait a day for this grout cleaning remedy and ensure you rinse the area with water thoroughly before beginning. Using a spray bottle with 10% bleach to 90% water, thoroughly spray the grout. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse. Spray any remaining stains for brushing. Rinse and dry with microfiber cloth. 

Now, that you’ve removed all the mold and mildew from your tubs and showers, it’s time to work on keeping that grout healthy. Here are some tips to make those weekly or bi-weekly deep cleanings easier: 

• Keep a spray bottle in your shower of equal parts water and vinegar. After showers, simply spray down the entire area with the solution as you get out. 
• Make sure your bathroom is properly ventilated, leaving fans on and/or doors open for 10 minutes after showering. 
• Keep a window squeegee in your shower to remove excess water. 
• Keep grout lines waterproofed by using a grout sealer yearly. 

If you have any additional tips, feel free to leave them for our readers, and do be sure to let us know how these tips work out for you.