How to get rid of mould in shower safely?

[ivanptr]

Hi last year we moved into a house and hired someone to regrout our shower stall because its an old house and the old grout was all deteriorated and the precious owner ignored the issue for years, which caused the water leaking through the shower to the bedroom. It was a nightmare. 

The company used an epoxy grout called Mapei Kerapoxy and resolved the issue.

However, just after 4 months, we can see mold starts forming on the grout. This happens even if we turn on the exhaust fan while bathing. Two issues we are struggling to resolve: 

1) Is there any non erosive product that can clean and wont errode / damage our new grout? 

 

2) Also we are considering to install an exhaust fan on the bathroom window. Now our bathroom exhaust fan is connected to the ceiling space, but our roof is metal. Unlike tile roof, the ceiling space under metal roof is quite enclosed without sufficient airflow. It seems extracting moisture to the another enclosed space is not quite a good idea. Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance.

[KatieC]

Hi @ivanptr 

These are some great questions and I know @EricL  will have some great advice when he is online later. 

Let me tag @Brad and @gippslandhome as they have given great advice with mould remover previously. 

@MitchellMc said "Since a bathroom is a high humidity environment, it encourages mould to grow. The more ventilated the space is, the less likely mould growth will set in" in this great article: What is the best way to clean a shower? | Bunnings Workshop community so it definitely makes sense to install an additional exhaust fan or start looking further into the one that is in your ceiling.

Katie

[EricL]

Hello @ivanptr

Our first order of business is to remove the mould. I suggest using Selleys 750ml Rapid Mould Killer Remover. Before using the spray, make sure that the exhaust fan in your shower room is turned on. If you don't have an exhaust fan, use an ordinary house fan to blow the wind into your bathroom. The mould killer has a very strong smell. Spray the walls and floor very well, give it 10 minutes to activate. Do not wash the mould killer away. Use a Mr Clean Handheld Iron Scrub Brush or similar in combination with dishwashing soap. Scrub the area clean and wash all the soap away. 

When you have newly grouted tiles, it is often recommended to seal the grout and tile with Betta TileCare 1L Tile & Grout Sealer. It provides an invisible moisture repellent film and reduces mould and mildew growth. You can still apply this, but you will have to wait until the tiles and grout are totally dry.

As mentioned by my colleague @KatieC if you don't have an exhaust fan in the bathroom, it's something worth considering as it removes excess moisture which causes mould to grow. I recommend HPM 3 In 1 LED Light With Exhaust Fan And 2 Instant Heat lamps.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please don't hesitate to post them.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric 

[MichaelR]

When I lived in Europe for a while I found that not many bathrooms had exhaust fans. They combat the mould by cleaning the shower down after using it.

Just use a squeegee and/or microfibre cloth to clean down your shower after use to get rid of the excess water. Yes, it's an extra minute added to your shower routine. Yep, it's a bit of pain, but I've found you hardly have to do a deep clean of your shower if you do it everyday. 

And if you're looking for a bit of help removing the mould you have, then the Rubbermaid Scrubbing Reveal Power Scrubber Brush is awesome.

Choice magazine has a great article on mould. https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/surface-cleaners/articles/getting-rid... Basically, vinegar is good at killing mould, bleach based products are good at hiding the mould. 

Hope that helps.

[EricL]

H @MichaelR

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your suggestion of how to get rid of mould in the shower.

I totally agree with your technique. I always thought my mom took forever when she had her shower, it was only later on that I realized that she was cleaning the shower every time she took a shower. No wonder it was spotless all the time. If you find yourself doing some D.I.Y. projects and needing some assistance, please let us know. Our members would be more than happy to provide advice and information. 

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

Eric