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Discussion starter · #22 ·
update..

this is why ditch diggers should stay away from mold/grout issues.

i'm scrubbing away...NOTHING happening.

wife comes in and says..."you know there is a thin bead of clear silicone over that grout, don't you? now that i think of it, for grout, it did feel mighty smooth.

i'm calling the tile guy, have him come take care of it. if i try and recaulk, i'll use a whole tube, and it'll look like chit.
 
#23 ·
IMO, why is there silicone over the grout? Did you do it, or the tile installer?

Then if the grout has silicone over it,and it has mold, the issue is deeper/inside than the surface of the bathroom!

You may have a water issue behind the tile, that will need to be addressed here.

Remember one thing , EVERY house/home, has mold or the mold spores in it, just takes bit of moisture, and little heat to grow!
 
#24 ·
Inner10 said:
If you mix those two together they are pretty weak, you get a little carbonic acid and sodium acetate...but it's mostly water.
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You don't mix them, just use them in conjunction with each other. First vinegar wash, wait an hour, clean up and then baking soda mix, let it sit and wash. The two combined do a pretty good job of cleaning and killing mold, mildew and other bacteria. I've only had call backs when the mold and mildew were behind the tile.

I will also note that these were not on my tile installations.
 
Discussion starter · #25 ·
Dave in Pa said:
IMO, why is there silicone over the grout? Did you do it, or the tile installer?
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we didn't do it, must have been tile installer. i know when he did it, there was like a cement board he put up behind the tile. locally, he's known as the "guy that does it best". he does tile work on most of the upscale homes here.

dunno, i'll have to ask him what's going on.
 
#27 ·
No matter what cleaner you use, it'll come back. Chances are your tile substrate is wet which will harbor the growth in the future...that is if he tiled directly over the CBU without topical waterproofing.

Best to keep grout in order and sealed with a quality product. Clean regularly, squeegee when done and ventilate the bathroom.

Oxygen bleaches are a welcome improvement over the chlorine variety cleaners on the market.
 
#28 · (Edited)
dayexco said:
update..

this is why ditch diggers should stay away from mold/grout issues.

i'm scrubbing away...NOTHING happening.

wife comes in and says..."you know there is a thin bead of clear silicone over that grout, don't you? now that i think of it, for grout, it did feel mighty smooth.

i'm calling the tile guy, have him come take care of it. if i try and recaulk, i'll use a whole tube, and it'll look like chit.
Click to expand...
If it is behind the silicone, and not on the surface, it's coming from behind and wicking forward... which would indicate a potential bigger problem that you are just starting to see (or it could be something you caught in time)... you mentioned in an earlier post that he used cement board, what type of water-proofing did he use on the walls prior to tiling and did he seal the seams and fasteners before doing so?

If there was no water proofing applied, and he was relying on the cement board as the barrier, the news may not be good as cement is porous...

One of the ways to increase the longevity of a tiled shower, is to get in the habit of squeegeeing the water off the walls after each use (literally takes 10-15 seconds)... most water evaporates naturally through the course of the day, but leaving as little water to do so increases the life of the shower...

Another question to ask is what type of grout was used... cement or epoxy, sanded/non-sanded... corners should be caulked not grouted... one of the reasons why is water follows the path of least resistance and can be absorbed into cracks in the corner and at areas where water has a tendency to pool (where horizontal and vertical surfaces meet)...

.
 
#31 ·
The silicone caulk sealed the grout at that spot. If the chosen grout is porous then water can be trapped behind the grout there.But since it is only at one spot, check the grout and be sure there isn't a gap or missing grout near that spot.. Also, when he originally applied the caulk, he may have left a small space where water could enter behind the caulk.
 
#32 ·
Chlorine bleach performs a good and safe job, viz-a-viz mold cleaning. However, it does a lousy job viz-a-viz mold remediation.

Bleach will only kill mold with which it comes into contact. In other words, it kills the surface but not the root/spore.

Concrobium (sp?) is a product that we have used with great effect. It (supposedly) kills the mold ... all of the mold.

Used the stuff in foggers for large area treatment. However, simply applying it to the surface, in instances that there is little mold, works quite well. Kills the stuff all of the way.

There are other products out there that do as good (or to believe their marketing) better job. However, the majority of my experience is with Concrobium.

All kinds of stuff on the world wide interweb ... look it up.

Try the bleach first. If it comes back go for another product that will effectively kill it.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Lanya LaPunta said:
Chlorine bleach performs a good and safe job, viz-a-viz mold cleaning. However, it does a lousy job viz-a-viz mold remediation.

Bleach will only kill mold with which it comes into contact. In other words, it kills the surface but not the root/spore.

Concrobium (sp?) is a product that we have used with great effect. It (supposedly) kills the mold ... all of the mold.

Used the stuff in foggers for large area treatment. However, simply applying it to the surface, in instances that there is little mold, works quite well. Kills the stuff all of the way.

There are other products out there that do as good (or to believe their marketing) better job. However, the majority of my experience is with Concrobium.

All kinds of stuff on the world wide interweb ... look it up.

Try the bleach first. If it comes back go for another product that will effectively kill it.
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Chlorine is far from good to clean and kill mold in grout and it's far from safe. It's in the same class as gasoline. It's caustic and highly reactive to other chemicals. It also leave a hazardous residue.

Bleach will not kill the mold in the grout. It even states that it's only effective on non porous surfaces.
 
#34 ·
TNTSERVICES said:
Chlorine is far from good to clean and kill mold in grout and it's far from safe. It's in the same class as gasoline. It's caustic and highly reactive to other chemicals. It also leave a hazardous residue.

Bleach will not kill the mold in the grout. It even states that it's only effective on non porous surfaces.
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In other words, you agree with what he said.:whistling

Unless of course, you're implying we should all immediately stop driving gasoline fueled automobiles....
 
#35 · (Edited)
SmallTownGuy said:
In other words, you agree with what he said.:whistling

Unless of course, you're implying we should all immediately stop driving gasoline fueled automobiles....
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Lanya LaPunta said:
Chlorine bleach performs a good and safe job, viz-a-viz mold cleaning.

Try the bleach first.
Click to expand...
No, I don't agree with all of what he said.

I am not sure what you mean by stop using gas in cars. That makes no sense. No one is advocating using gas to clean up something in someone's home. Nor am I saying not to use bleach in other circumstances.

The mold is in/on the grout, a porous surface. Bleach isn't the product to recommend to clean and kill mold and mildew in this circumstance. So again, I don't agree with recommending using bleach at all, nor is it "safe".
 
#36 ·
TNTSERVICES said:
He said it was safe and effective. But it's not, so no I don't agree with what he said.

I am not sure what you mean by stop using has in cars. That makes no sense. No one is advocating using gas to clean up something in someone's home. Nor am I saying not to use bleach in other circumstances.

The mold is in/on the grout, a porous surface. Bleach isn't the product to recommend to clean and kill mold and mildew in this circumstance. So again, I don't agree with recommending using bleach.
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I dunno, you brought up gasoline.

Wonder why bleach isn't pulled off the market. It is so damned dangerous.

So many millions of uniformed people use bleach for mold and mildew.
(like me). Or hydrogen peroxide, or baking soda, or whatever I got handy. One time, I got a spare toothbrush out and used some Gleem with Tartar Control.

Still and all its important to have opposing views presented.
 
#37 ·
SmallTownGuy said:
I dunno, you brought up gasoline.

Wonder why bleach isn't pulled off the market. It is so damned dangerous.

So many millions of uniformed people use bleach for mold and mildew.
(like me). Or hydrogen peroxide, or baking soda, or whatever I got handy. One time, I got a spare toothbrush out and used some Gleem with Tartar Control.

Still and all its important to have opposing views presented.
Click to expand...
I did mention gasoline, but in context. Chlorine and Gasoline are in the same classification of dangerous chemicals. It was meant to illustrate that while bleach is a household chemical, it's that reason the dangers are over looked. We become complacent. It was never my intention to make chlorine out to be the super dangerous chemical.

Whatever method you use is your choice. I am just passing on what I have learned. Take it or leave it.
 
#38 ·
TNTSERVICES said:
I did mention gasoline, but in context. Chlorine and Gasoline are in the same classification of dangerous chemicals. It was meant to illustrate that while bleach is a household chemical, it's that reason the dangers are over looked. We become complacent. It was never my intention to make chlorine out to be the super dangerous chemical.

Whatever method you use is your choice. I am just passing on what I have learned. Take it or leave it.
Click to expand...
100% agree.
 
#39 ·
TNTSERVICES said:
Chlorine is far from good to clean and kill mold in grout and it's far from safe. It's in the same class as gasoline. It's caustic and highly reactive to other chemicals. It also leave a hazardous residue.

Bleach will not kill the mold in the grout. It even states that it's only effective on non porous surfaces.
Click to expand...
Did you read my post, or is that beyond your comprehension level? Where did you find that chlorine bleach is in the "same class as gasoline"?

As far as it being caustic "1.able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action:
"a caustic cleaner"

Vinegar would fall into that category, as well, due to its acidic qualities.
 
#40 ·
Lanya LaPunta said:
Did you read my post, or is that beyond your comprehension level? Where did you find that chlorine bleach is in the "same class as gasoline"?

As far as it being caustic "1.able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action:
"a caustic cleaner"

Vinegar would fall into that category, as well, due to its acidic qualities.
Click to expand...
Do you often get your panties in a bunch when someone doesn't agree with you on everything you say? I did read and comprehend. You said it's safe, when there are dangers involved. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. If someone has used an ammonia cleaner in the shower that would be a bad combo. That's just one example.

You also suggested to try it first and if it doesn't work go another route. Well, it won't work. It might clean the surface but it won't kill the mold in the grout. So why try something that isn't going to last as a long term solution. Sounds like a waste of time and money to me.

Bleach classified as toxic just like gasoline. Vinegar is not.

If you think that Bleach and Vinegar are in the same class, substitute bleach for vinegar in your salad dressing.

In order to ingest bleach, as in purifying water, it's 8-16 drops per gallon of water. Then you let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow it to dissipate. For a vinegrette it's 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. So are you saying bleach and vingar are the same because they could both possibly be considered caustic?

The pH of Chlorine is around 11, vinegar is around 2.4. Not even close to being the same.
 
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