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What do I do about this moldy grout line?

rebeccamomof123

6 years ago

Bathroom was remodeled 3 years ago. This is the edge where the drop-in acrylic tub connects to the wall/tile. It's not terrible, but I'd like to prevent it from getting worse. I've tried scrubbing it with a toothbrush and some Comet with bleach and as I do that, some of the caulking is peeling away, revealing mold. Is this normal wear and tear in a bathroom? Is it fixable? I'm a novice at DIYing so simplified directions on how to fix this would be much appreciated!

Featured Answer

palimpsest

6 years ago

Cut out all the caulk, dry the area thoroughly including with a blow dryer. Clean it with alcohol and dry it again. Use mold resistant caulk. Do not use the shower until the caulk cures.

Dry at least that area every single time you take a shower. We dry the tile every time. Takes a minute and no mold or mildew in 4+ years.

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Comments (9)

rebeccamomof123
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you, Pal! Do you think it was poorly done, because we plan on using the contractor again, or is it a an unavoidable issue in most bathrooms?
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rebeccamomof123
Original Author
6 years ago
Also we have guests coming this weekend, and that is the shower they'll be using. Okay to use it as is, and then we'll redo new caulk next week when we can afford to give up the bathroom for a few days?
Fori
6 years ago
It's fine to use--it's mostly cosmetic at this point. Just hope your guests aren't hyper judgemental types! :)

You could always hide it with white caulk and peel that off along with the old when you redo it properly after the guests leave.
rebeccamomof123
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
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...
Fori
6 years ago
I don't know. Maybe he used the wrong caulk and didn't use an antimicrobial one? Aside from that I can't imagine the contractor did it. Hmm. I wonder how long caulk is supposed to last.

But if you're otherwise happy with the contractor, use him again. I'd take a large amount of black caulk before gambling on a new contractor!
User
6 years ago
What’s your ventilation like in that bath? That’s the usual suspect when you have a fairly new bath getting mildew.
rebeccamomof123
Original Author
6 years ago
Sophie, it's a very small bathroom, with one fan. It steams up big-time. That's probably the culprit?
enduring
6 years ago
Do you have enough gap at the bottom of the door to allow for air exchange when the fan is running? That might be a solution to you ventilation fan. Your room should not be steaming up. If you don’t have replacement air, you won’t vent. I believe about 3/4”-1” should help. Just take the door down and nicely trim the bottom and refinish. Until then leave the door cracked and see if that fixes the steam issue.

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