Lazy Housekeeper Needs Help (mildew)

[Suzie-Q]

Okay, so I've let my shower go far too long without a proper
cleaning, and now I have very thick mildew in the corners around
the bottom. It's a ceramic shower (walls and floor).

What's really the best thing for eliminating all this thick mildew
forever?

I know bleach is good, but there is literally no ventilation in
this bathroom.

Thanks in advance,
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
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[Vox Humana]

"Suzie-Q" <sme617x@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:sme617x-91428D.14053217112004@news1.west.earthlink.net...
> Okay, so I've let my shower go far too long without a proper
> cleaning, and now I have very thick mildew in the corners around
> the bottom. It's a ceramic shower (walls and floor).
>
> What's really the best thing for eliminating all this thick mildew
> forever?
>
> I know bleach is good, but there is literally no ventilation in
> this bathroom.
>

Once you remove the mildew by scrubbing and using a bleach solution, you
will need to establish some ventilation. You can use a small fan if you
can't open a window. I think that even with the best effort, you will have
a little mildew to deal with. I use an after shower spray and that helps a
lot. About twice a year I still have to spot treat some areas.

[Phisherman]

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 20:06:32 GMT, Suzie-Q <sme617x@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>Okay, so I've let my shower go far too long without a proper
>cleaning, and now I have very thick mildew in the corners around
>the bottom. It's a ceramic shower (walls and floor).
>
>What's really the best thing for eliminating all this thick mildew
>forever?
>
>I know bleach is good, but there is literally no ventilation in
>this bathroom.
>
>Thanks in advance,


Add a fan that vents to the outdoors or install a window. If you
already have a bathroom fan, replace it with a stronger one and put a
30 minute auto-shutoff timer on the switch. Dry the shower after use
(I use a squeegee and an old towel). If you do these things, I doubt
mold or mildew will be a problem.

[jamie]

Suzie-Q <sme617x@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Okay, so I've let my shower go far too long without a proper
> cleaning, and now I have very thick mildew in the corners around
> the bottom. It's a ceramic shower (walls and floor).
>
> What's really the best thing for eliminating all this thick mildew
> forever?
>
> I know bleach is good, but there is literally no ventilation in
> this bathroom.

I suggest you start by applying paper towels well-soaked in vinegar to
the mildewed areas, and leave them a couple of hours to kill off a good
part of the mildew, and then a scrubby-sponge and a little detergent
to remove most of the muck. Then see if a mildew-cleaning bathroom
cleaner can handle the remainder. Vinegar may not be the most pleasant
smell, but it's nowhere near as bad as full strength bleach fumes.

I did find that ZAP cleaner lived up to its TV promises to whiten
particularly nasty mildewed bathtub tile when I moved into my previous
apartment, but its are fumes as nearly as bad as bleach, so I wouldn't
suggest using it without ventilation.

Most places I ever lived had health codes requiring either a window
or a ventilation fan in all bathrooms. You should see about getting
a ceiling fan installed.

--
jamie (jamiemck@newsguy.com)

"There's a seeker born every minute."

[Sis]

Also, be sure to wear vinyl gloves to protect your skin. Sis
"jamie" <jamie@spam-me-silly.net> wrote in message
news:slrncpofnc.38s.jamie@bozo2.local.net...
> Suzie-Q <sme617x@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Okay, so I've let my shower go far too long without a proper
> > cleaning, and now I have very thick mildew in the corners around
> > the bottom. It's a ceramic shower (walls and floor).
> >
> > What's really the best thing for eliminating all this thick mildew
> > forever?
> >
> > I know bleach is good, but there is literally no ventilation in
> > this bathroom.
>
> I suggest you start by applying paper towels well-soaked in vinegar to
> the mildewed areas, and leave them a couple of hours to kill off a good
> part of the mildew, and then a scrubby-sponge and a little detergent
> to remove most of the muck. Then see if a mildew-cleaning bathroom
> cleaner can handle the remainder. Vinegar may not be the most pleasant
> smell, but it's nowhere near as bad as full strength bleach fumes.
>
> I did find that ZAP cleaner lived up to its TV promises to whiten
> particularly nasty mildewed bathtub tile when I moved into my previous
> apartment, but its are fumes as nearly as bad as bleach, so I wouldn't
> suggest using it without ventilation.
>
> Most places I ever lived had health codes requiring either a window
> or a ventilation fan in all bathrooms. You should see about getting
> a ceiling fan installed.
>
> --
> jamie (jamiemck@newsguy.com)
>
> "There's a seeker born every minute."
>

[Lloyd Randall]

In article <sme617x-91428D.14053217112004@news1.west.earthlink.net>,
Suzie-Q <sme617x@earthlink.net> wrote:

> Okay, so I've let my shower go far too long without a proper
> cleaning, and now I have very thick mildew in the corners around
> the bottom. It's a ceramic shower (walls and floor).
>
> What's really the best thing for eliminating all this thick mildew
> forever?
>
> I know bleach is good, but there is literally no ventilation in
> this bathroom.
>
> Thanks in advance,

If there's literally no ventillation you'll have worse problems than
surface mildew.

A paste of baking soda and chlorine bleach will remove some tough mildew
stains. Let it sit.

If you scrub mildew with a mixture of bleach and water, add a tablespoon
of baking soda for each tablespoon of bleach. It's effective for
cleaning and killing microbes but easier on the skin and nose.

Water with a little ammonia and a little borax can remove mildew. If
it's not rinsed away, the trace of borax that remains will inhibit
regrowth.

--
Best Regards,
Lloyd