Bleach alone isn’t enough: the two-step method to remove mold from shower grout
Black mold covered the shower grout, silicone, door frame, and joints, but bleach wasn’t the first product used to remove it. In a video from Cleaning How To, the shower is cleaned in two stages, starting with an alkaline cleaner before bleach is applied to the mold.
First stage removes dirt and buildup from the surface. Bleach comes after rinsing, with one trick keeping it in contact with mold along grout and silicone instead of letting it run off.
The Shower Gets an Alkaline Cleaner First
An alkaline cleaner is sprayed across the shower, then worked into grout, silicone, tracks, and corners with a toothbrush. A larger brush covers wider sections.
The homemade mixture shown in the video contains 400 ml of water, 50 ml of rubbing alcohol, and 50 g of washing soda. Warm water helps dissolve the washing soda. A store-bought alkaline bathroom cleaner can take its place.
After scrubbing, the shower is rinsed to remove the cleaner and loosened buildup. Black mold still remains along parts of the sealant and frame.
Bleach Comes After the Shower Is Cleaned
Second stage targets the remaining mold with diluted bleach.
Instead of spraying the solution and letting it run down vertical surfaces, strips of toilet paper are placed over moldy joints and silicone. Bleach solution is sprayed onto the paper until wet, keeping the treatment against the affected areas while it sits.
Sections where toilet paper can’t be placed are sprayed and left to dwell.
The Mold Disappears After the Second Treatment
Dark areas along the silicone and shower frame disappear after the bleach treatment. Bleach oxidizes the mold, but it follows the alkaline cleaning stage rather than replacing it.
Order matters: alkaline cleaner, scrub, rinse, then bleach on the remaining mold.
Bleach should never be mixed with another cleaning product. The first cleaner needs to be rinsed away before bleach is applied.
Bleach removes the mold left behind, but the shower shows why spraying it over the buildup from the start misses half the job. The first change happens before the bleach comes out.