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.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Spraying the shower with vinegar and scrubbing with a hard brush
- 2Planning to replace the shower curtain
- 3Attempting to ventilate the bathroom after showering
- 4Using electric spin scrubbers to avoid manual arm fatigue and bending
- 5Using battery-powered pressure washers for quick cleaning
- 6Using daily squeegees or towel drying to prevent buildup
- 7Keeping a soap-dispensing dish brush in the shower to clean in small chunks during routine showers
- 8Spraying commercial chemical cleaners like Wet & Forget to avoid scrubbing entirely
- 9Using baking soda combined with dawn dish soap, bleach, and hot water with a Scotch Brite pad
- 10Using toilet cleaner or a spray with bleach
- 11Using laundry stain remover
- 12Using a toothbrush for cracks and a water pick for rinsing gunk out
- 13Hiring a cleaning service
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“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 ↗
“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 ↗
“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 ↗
“I’ve used baking soda , soap, dawn wash. So temped to just get a new shower.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to clean mold and swampy smells off a garbage disposal rubber flap
- 4How to clean the mold and gunk left under a removed shower door
- 2Shower finish peeling off when cleaning
- 3How to clear heavy bathroom steam without an exhaust fan
- 4How to clean decades of heavy buildup on bathroom hardware
- 5How to get rid of severe black mold on bathroom grout