Ummm, vinegar. DOH! (SMACK!) Hello again Al. You seem to be the 'Font of All Knowledge', locally at least. :) In my defense, I usually don't think of vinegar as a cleaning chemical. When I see something fuzzy and fungus-like I reach for the bleach. Then again, thinking back (WAY back) to high school chemistry it is probable that what I'm seeing are crystallized salts. I dimly recall something along those lines anyway. Regardless, I'll give the vinegar a try. I like the wet terra cotta look but I'm not sure about the white fuzzies. Naturally, I'll have to go out and buy some vinegar. All I have here is a very good Balsamic and I, at least, am not ready for a burgundy terra cotta pot. :D Thanks again! Regards, Tim :)

How about TEC XT? Comes in both Sanded and Unsanded versions (for most colors), and is supposed to be more stain resistant and mold and mildew resistant than other cement-based grouts. It does require a longer cure time 7-10 days before getting wet or sealing (doesn't need to be sealed, but can be, with a solvent-based sealer, which we did when we sealed the marble and trav tile in both bathrooms). I sealed it in the MB at 7 days because I needed that bathroom functional "now" LOL. It also requires a drier clean-up (just wring sponge out well when wiping off excess grout, according to the rep with whom I spoke during my grout "research"--there's a video you can watch, too). It's a little stickier than the reg TEC grout, so you might need a bit more elbow grease to remove grout haze, but that's about it. We used the Bright White for the field tile in both upstairs baths (used the reg TEC in Bright White for our kitchen and guest bathroom since the XT either wasn't around then or we just didn't know about it at the time). We used both the Sanded and the Unsanded. The Unsanded is a bit whiter than the Sanded (because the sanded has actual grains of sand, which I'm sure you know), but both seem white enough. We used a very glossy, very white, Porcelanosa large format tile in the MB. Our grout lines are very tight, except for the White Thassos mosaic/border (which came pre-mounted on mesh), and the Unsanded worked very well. We also used it (in Almond) with the split faced trav mosaic in the hall bath which had practically non-existent grout lines in spots. Of course, when I say "we" used any of these products, I mean our wonderful tile guys used them for us!

We developed the squeegee habit for the entire shower stall when we had our very first tiled shower, plus I clean weekly with a steam cleaner - no harsh chemicals. The habit must have paid dividends because we never experienced orange mold/mildew. The squeegee quickly dries the entire surface, and getting and keeping things dry is the first line of defense. Do you put grout sealer on your grout frequently? We do that at least once a year. Clean thorough, dry it thoroughly (we'll leave a fan running in the shower for a couple days), then apply the grout sealer. Spray-on aids I've read about, but haven't used and can't vouch for them: -Use a mixture of white vinegar and water (50/50) and spray it on the surface after the shower. The odor should dissipate when it dries. -Spraying with a mixture including some Tea Tree Oil is another method - 10-drops Tea Tree Oil to a quart of water. Another possible cause is from how the tile was installed. If the tiling surface wasn't the correct type of waterproof sheetrock or concrete backer board (for wet surfaces like a shower stall or bathtub), the mold may be coming from the back of the tile where the sheetrock has absorbed moisture over the years.

Fori, is starting to get annoyed again worse than not pleased? I love your mood names ;) Thank you for the advice, if they were that judgemental they would not be invited weekend guests, LOL! I'm probably my own worst critic with house details. It will bother me way more than it will bother them I'm sure. So, not shoddy contractor work, right? Because I plan on using the same contractor for the upstairs bathroom in a few months...