Said It Here

How to clean a really mouldy rental shower and fix the caulk

Neglected showers accumulate stubborn mould and grime that regular scrubbing cannot easily remove without causing physical fatigue. This makes it difficult to know whether to strip and replace old caulking or just clean what is already there, leading to confusion for people new to deep cleaning.

Overview
People affected8 accounts across 1 forum
Workarounds found19 items attempted
Community agreement1,793 total upvotes

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

19 items+ Contribute

Found another way around this?

Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.

  1. 1
    Spraying the shower with vinegar and scrubbing with a hard brush
    Did this help you?
  2. 2
    Planning to replace the shower curtain
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  3. 3
    Attempting to ventilate the bathroom after showering
    Did this help you?
  4. 4
    Using electric spin scrubbers to avoid manual arm fatigue and bending
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  5. 5
    Using battery-powered pressure washers for quick cleaning
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  6. 6
    Using daily squeegees or towel drying to prevent buildup
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  7. 7
    Keeping a soap-dispensing dish brush in the shower to clean in small chunks during routine showers
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  8. 8
    Spraying commercial chemical cleaners like Wet & Forget to avoid scrubbing entirely
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  9. 9
    Using baking soda combined with dawn dish soap, bleach, and hot water with a Scotch Brite pad
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  10. 10
    Using toilet cleaner or a spray with bleach
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  11. 11
    Using laundry stain remover
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  12. 12
    Using a toothbrush for cracks and a water pick for rinsing gunk out
    Did this help you?
  13. 13
    Hiring a cleaning service
    Did this help you?
  14. 14
    Buying a replacement shower head
    Did this help you?
  15. 15
    Pouring bleach and letting it sit to work its way inside
    Did this help you?
  16. 16
    Using Zep tile and grout cleaner following instructions
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  17. 17
    Regrouting the surface
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  18. 18
    Scrubbing hard surfaces with detergent and water while wearing safety gear, keeping the area dry, using ventilation fans or opening windows/curtains.
    Did this help you?
  19. 19
    Consulting a professional for widespread mold or potential leaks.
    Did this help you?
Tried another approach not listed above?+ Share your workaround ↑

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/CleaningTips8 people · February 2026 – September 2026

“I have been in a serious funk since the holidays. I work from home and I let my apartment go completely. The bathroom was the worst victim.”source ↗

“I started scrubbing with a regular sponge but my arm was burning after five minutes. I almost gave up right there.”source ↗

VroomVroomSpeed03 · r/CleaningTips · 1,672 upvotes

“I don't have advice but from someone who has the same problem, I'm proud of you OP. Wish I could get that burst soon.”source ↗

Wonderboyjr · r/CleaningTips · 106 upvotes

“Sorry in advance, i know you guys probably get a million mouldy shower posts 😅. I'm just a little new to cleaning and want to get this right.”source ↗

“The one thing im confused on is is caulking. Ive seen posts where people recomend recaulking, but also im not sure the shower has caulk in the first place? Do i just remove the mould and then apply caulk?”source ↗

Eel_in_Denial · r/CleaningTips · 9 upvotes

“How on earth do I get this grout clean ? No matter what it always looks like this ..”source ↗

Think-Sort-9944 · r/CleaningTips · 3 upvotes

“I’ve used baking soda , soap, dawn wash. So temped to just get a new shower.”source ↗

Bubbly-Swordfish-341 · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Ugh let me know if you figure it out, this drives me crazy!!”source ↗

Euphoric_Run7239 · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“their shower has mold all over the place (glass door, walls, shower head, weird crevices) and since they are leaving me home to watch the cat this weekend, i want to clean the house for them, so what would be the best way to clean it?”source ↗

“i have my own shower upstairs that my parents don't use so it hasn't been used for quite awhile, it has a curtain rather than a door and i don't know how to prevent it from getting gross.”source ↗

WeirdLengthiness5924 · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Shower head is less than a year old. Is this dangerous mold?”source ↗

Independent-Map7286 · r/CleaningTips

Where this came up

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