Said It Here

How to get rid of severe black mold on bathroom grout

Normal household cleaning products often fail to clear deep black mold on old bathroom grout, leaving tenants to figure out if they need to regrout or get the landlord to intervene. Left untreated, severe mold leads people to worry about structural damage and forces them to use dehumidifiers just to slow it down while trying to decide what needs to be replaced.

Overview
People affected18 accounts across 3 forums
Workarounds found45 items attempted
Community agreement136 total upvotes

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

  • The most recent one is from October 2026.
  • This comes up 16.7× more often in r/CleaningTips than across the site as a whole.

What people tried

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

45 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
    Using normal cleaning products provided by the landlord
    Did this help you?
  2. 2
    Using industrial strength peroxide or specialized mold and mildew removers like RMR-86
    Did this help you?
  3. 3
    Running a dehumidifier 24/7
    Did this help you?
  4. 4
    Destroying and replacing the affected drywall
    Did this help you?
  5. 5
    Adding ventilation or checking for hidden water leaks
    Did this help you?
  6. 6
    Using a pinpoint steam wand
    Did this help you?
  7. 7
    Scrubbing with an old toothbrush
    Did this help you?
  8. 8
    Making a paste out of dish soap, peroxide, baking soda, and water with a grout brush
    Did this help you?
  9. 9
    Using specialized commercial grout cleaners
    Did this help you?
  10. 10
    Using a dehumidifier to improve room humidity levels
    Did this help you?
  11. 11
    Spraying moldicide products like Concorbium
    Did this help you?
  12. 12
    trying cleaning vinegar and baking soda
    Did this help you?
  13. 13
    scraping the old caulk and re-caulking
    Did this help you?
  14. 14
    Seal the meeting point of the tiles and bath with a silicone bead to prevent further damp issues.
    Did this help you?
  15. 15
    Remove the tiles and reapply them.
    Did this help you?
  16. 16
    Attempting to inspect and clean the area DIY-style with protective gear
    Did this help you?
  17. 17
    Checking if the issue is just dust and dirt buildup
    Did this help you?
  18. 18
    Replacing the fixture or hiring a professional
    Did this help you?
  19. 19
    Using Laticrete Stonetech Tile and Grout Cleaner
    Did this help you?
  20. 20
    Scrubbing with bleach
    Did this help you?
  21. 21
    Running the bathroom fan and wiping down walls
    Did this help you?
  22. 22
    Using a bleach and water solution with a soaked towel
    Did this help you?
  23. 23
    Applying commercial products like Concrobium Mold Control Spray
    Did this help you?
  24. 24
    Using vinegar or borax
    Did this help you?
  25. 25
    Contacting a landlord to address water infiltration
    Did this help you?
  26. 26
    Using bleach
    Did this help you?
  27. 27
    Using ready-to-use mold and mildew removers
    Did this help you?
  28. 28
    Scrubbing and letting cleaners sit overnight
    Did this help you?
  29. 29
    Removing and redoing the grout
    Did this help you?
  30. 30
    Spraying with cleaners
    Did this help you?
  31. 31
    Scrubbing with a brush
    Did this help you?
  32. 32
    Pouring bleach
    Did this help you?
  33. 33
    Using baking soda
    Did this help you?
  34. 34
    Using a bathroom fan after each shower
    Did this help you?
  35. 35
    Wiping down tiles with a rag after every use
    Did this help you?
  36. 36
    Scraping off old grout and caulk and recaulking with silicone
    Did this help you?
  37. 37
    bleaching
    Did this help you?
  38. 38
    using a grout pen
    Did this help you?
  39. 39
    removing and replacing old grout
    Did this help you?
  40. 40
    using Tilex instant Mold and Mildew removal spray and hot water rinse
    Did this help you?
  41. 41
    Replacing old caulk with high-quality anti-mold silicone
    Did this help you?
  42. 42
    Ensuring the caulk is applied smoothly without water-trapping divots
    Did this help you?
  43. 43
    Running the exhaust fan longer or adding a dehumidifier
    Did this help you?
  44. 44
    Wiping down the shower after every use
    Did this help you?
  45. 45
    Treating the spots with gel bleach
    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/CleaningTips13 people · September 2026 – October 2026

“A couple of months after it was built, we got mold spots all over the caulking. The contractor came back and recaulked it. We’re now having the same issue.”source ↗

“I’ve done bleach and Dawn dish soap remedies (separately). It addresses about 80% of it, some of it doesn’t come off.”source ↗

vajayjayjay · r/CleaningTips · 63 upvotes

“Recently, I discovered black mold growth on one of the bathroom floors. Could you please provide guidance on effective cleaning methods for this issue?”source ↗

Various_Will8847 · r/CleaningTips · 39 upvotes

“this black (mold??) is between the shower doors and between the tiles on the walls. Any advice on getting rid of this? I tried cleaning vinegar and baking soda but it won't come off 😭”source ↗

Sleepless-Lighthouse · r/CleaningTips · 13 upvotes

“I think there is mold growing underneath the bottom row of tiles. Any advice would be appreciated!!”source ↗

NYMaine1234 · r/CleaningTips · 11 upvotes

“pls reply with any materials i will need to look at this myself like do i need a mask and goggles to check ts out up close????”source ↗

Life-Point-4130 · r/CleaningTips · 6 upvotes

“I’ve tried bleach and several ready-to-use mold/mildew removers (i tried scrubbing, letting it stay overnight and then scrub), but nothing seems to work.”source ↗

“How can I get rid of these stubborn mold stains on grout / hard water sediments on tile floor?”source ↗

“In some places, the grout turns yellow, how can I make it white ?”source ↗

Affectionate_Bat_744 · r/CleaningTips · 5 upvotes

“I'm moving out and trying to clean before inspection and I can't get this black stuff out.”source ↗

Vast_Function_3475 · r/CleaningTips · 3 upvotes

“So my shower is tiled, and the goute between is turning black. How can I clean this up? I've tried spraying it with cleaners, scrubbing at it, with a brush, and even pouring bleach on it.”source ↗

CodyFurlong · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

“Yikes, I really hope it doesn't come to breaking down the wall! 🙈 I'll definitely inspect everything I can first, thanks for the heads up!”source ↗

eriksenn_ · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Oh no, that sounds like a total nightmare 😭 I'm looking into getting a dehumidifier today to slow it down while I figure out what to replace. Thanks for the honest advice! 🙏”source ↗

eriksenn_ · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Everyone says peroxide, but I'm honestly at the point where I'm scraping up grout scrubbing so much. Hopefully you find a way. I fear I'll have to regrout which seems like a daunting, labor intensive task”source ↗

HambugerLips · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“When I read up on this in the past you'll need to scrape the old caulk and re caulk it. But I'm following for advise as well !”source ↗

Otherwise_Season3605 · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Water is getting under the tiles which means this wasnt sealed properly.”source ↗

Thalamic_Cub · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“i just moved into an apartment with this issue and would love to know the answer. baking soda proved unsuccessful for me in addition to the things you tried.”source ↗

stxrryfox · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes
r/HomeMaintenance3 people · September 2026 – October 2026

“Mold or mildew has been appearing the last couple years along the caulk at the bottom of the shower.”source ↗

millerhb1015 · r/HomeMaintenance · 9 upvotes

“The mold on the bathroom grout is plenty and completely black.”source ↗

“I don’t think normal cleaning products will work but my landlord said that is what he purchased to fixed more than a week ago with no fix.”source ↗

“Should I try to regrout it? Is that a thing?”source ↗

PracticalStable4755 · r/HomeMaintenance · 3 upvotes

“How can I make the grout look new again? Bleaching is not helping. Would a grout pen be enough or does the old grout need to be completly removed and replaced ?”source ↗

Kundzia2277 · r/HomeMaintenance · 2 upvotes
r/HomeImprovement2 people · September 2026

“We all of a sudden have been getting some black mold in various grout spots on the shower floor.”source ↗

“I cleaned it with Laticrete Stonetech Tile and Grout Cleaner which helped for a few weeks but now new areas are popping up.”source ↗

No_Maintenance_120 · r/HomeImprovement · 4 upvotes

“We have a small bathroom with no window and poor ventilation, which has caused quite a lot of mold on the walls, ceiling, and grout.”source ↗

“Is this something we can DIY? What’s the correct order of steps, and what products would you recommend, especially ones available in Israel?”source ↗

“Also, should we clean the grout or replace it?”source ↗

funnycallsw · r/HomeImprovement · 3 upvotes

“tried bleach but it came right back. the tile and grout cleaner worked but new places are popping up. I am afraid to reseal it even though I think its the issue becuase I dont want to trap mold under it.”source ↗

No_Maintenance_120 · r/HomeImprovement · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised