How to Get Rid of Black Mold from Shower Caulk

By
|

This post may contain affiliate links. When you buy through some links on this post, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The shower is an important area in the home. Along with the bathroom, it is where we clean our bodies and relieve ourselves whenever we need it. As such, much water goes through this room, whether flushing the toilet, running the sink, or using the bath or shower.

There are areas that are susceptible to mold, though. For example, the caulk that binds the bathtub or shower to the floor and wall is porous. Since it is porous, mold can get into the caulk. We will tell you how to eliminate black mold in shower caulk.

Mold is bad enough as is. Black mold is terrible. Even if you don’t have sensitivity to mold, black mold can make you sick. You don’t want that in your shower caulk, so you should remove it as soon as possible. Shower caulk can be pretty easy to remove and reapply, but if the mold is already there, you may have an underlying problem.

What Is Black Mold?

Mold is bad enough, considering it is a fungus that produces spores. These spores can enter your lungs and cause your immune system to go crazy. This will lead to allergy responses such as watery eyes, itchy skin, coughing, and sneezing.

However, black mold is much worse. Black mold, called Stachybotrys chartarum, produces chemicals called mycotoxins. The more black mold, the more mycotoxins will be in the air.

In some extreme cases, black mold has led to death. Others have gotten diseases from mycotoxins. Black mold is no joke. If you find that your home has black mold, you will want to get a mold remediation specialist into your home as soon as possible.

Shower caulk is a perfect place for mold to grow, so you may want to consider your options. If you are skilled with bathroom maintenance, shower caulk is easy to remove.

Remove Black Mold From Shower Caulk

Before you do anything, remember that mold is dangerous and should never be messed with without safety gear. Putting gloves on is important. You should also consider a surgical or sawdust mask to avoid inhaling the cleaning fumes.

Mold can flake off and rise into the air to the point where you can breathe it in. The spores are bad enough, but actual mold pieces can cause a worse reaction.

Similarly to removing mold from grout, caulk works very similarly. Since it is porous, water gets into it easily. This is how the mold got there in the first place. Since mold is a living thing, it must be killed rather than scrubbed away.

As such, pouring bleach or ammonia onto it is a great way to kill it and get it out of your shower caulk. Sure, vinegar can knock out some mold, but when it comes to black mold, you might be asking, ‘Are home remedies for fungus eradication effective?' because you're going to need something more powerful.

It is simply a matter of putting bleach into a spray bottle. You can dilute it with water if you don’t want to worry about the fumes. Spray the bleach along the caulk of the shower or bathtub and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Afterward, you must get a toothbrush or some other hard bristle brush and scrub it down. You may have to apply it more than once, though.

Conclusion

Shower caulk is a lot like grout in a shower. It is composed of similar ingredients, so you may see them being sold near each other. If need be, caulk can be removed using a scraping tool. It can then be reapplied with a caulk gun, but you should ensure all the mold is gone before replacing the caulk. However, it can be treated with bleach and a heavy scrub-down just as easily.

Mold can be killed by bleach or vinegar, but never combine these two together because it could be deadly. But you may want to stick with bleach if removing it from caulk. Caulk is usually white, so you won’t have to worry about bleach damaging it. You must spray the bleach and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes to kill the mold inside the caulk. Afterward, scrubbing it down and washing it off will remove any mold that you might have in the caulk.

Recent Posts