Cleaning a mega-sized shower - again

moneyistooshorttomention

Well - I've duly got it sorted as to how to clean the floor of this massive shower cubicle (courtesy of a previous thread of mine - from which I bought myself the rubber broom recommended by a poster). So that's that aspect dealt with.

Now I'm wondering about the grout and sealant for said shower. There is a vastly reduced amount of grout - courtesy of me having deliberately chosen those absolutely HUGE tiles that are currently fashionable for bathrooms. Hence probably about a quarter of the grout there would once have been (ie with 1970s size small tiles).

1. I'm seeing bits of mould trying to break through on the grout - this being sort of biscuit colour grout that matches in with my biscuity colour mega-size tiles.

2. There is a rather noticeable amount of black mould come up on the white sealant at floor edge of tiles/wall corners.

3. There is even a rather noticeable amount of black mould come up on the transparent type sealant sealing edges at floor level on the outside of the shower cubicle glass. Huh? How?

Any suggestions as to what is best to do to cure one or more of these mould problems please?

I know I've seen the L*keland spray-on mould cleaner recommended a few places - but I'm rather averse to using that for two reasons:

a. Its not natural - so I would prefer not to use it if there is a natural alternative.

b. Its spray-on and I don't want to be breathing in nasty chemicals in the course of spraying it on. Hence, if I have to use a conventional chemical solution to this - then I want it to be one I rub on, rather than spray on (to minimise the chances of me breathing any in whilst applying it).

greenbee

It's one thing to kill the mould (and if you search online, there are lots of natural solutions to this that use e.g. bicarb, vinegar, eucalyptus or tea-tree oil), but harder to get rid of the marks (you may need to remove and redo the sealant.

However, what you really need to establish is why you are getting mould.

Do you have an extractor fan in your bathroom? If so, how powerful is it, does it come on with the lights or independently, and how long does it run for after you have switched it off?

Do you have an opening window? If so, do you regularly air the room?

Do you dry the shower after use? (even using a squeegee on the tiles and glass surround to get the water down the drain will help)

Is there a lot of condensation in the bathroom?

Do you have double glazing?

Is the bathroom heated?

moneyistooshorttomention

- Bathroom is heated.

- I switch the extractor fan on for 5-10 minutes after I've had a shower

- I don't dry the shower off after use - thought hadn't occurred to me to do so. Am now wondering if that would help. If that would help - then I guess that could be another use for my rubber mop (ie running the straight edge down the glass/tiles after each shower).

- I've got doubleglazing.

- I leave the trickle vent in top of bathroom window slid in the open position.

- I was a bit too preoccupied (one way and another) to be "regular" about the airing, etc, to start with. But I've got myself "trained" into it now.

jk0

I have this a lot with my rental properties. Unfortunately grout is very absorbent, and always gets stained. However, I found a solution:

'Epoxy grout.' http://lilleytileandstone.co.uk/catalogue/grouts/kerapoxy?page=1

It is quite difficult to install, but worth it I think. Don't mix up more than 2kg at a time, as it sets in about 20 minutes. These guys also do matching sealants.

Islandmaid

On top of the rubber broom, I use a steam cleaner at least once a week in our wet room, I use the small head with a cloth for the mirrors and vertical tiles, the floor head for the floor tiles (obs) and the detailing nozzle for the chrome, ground and sealant - we have the huge tiles too and haven't had a problem so far

suki1964

We don't get mould but I get brown staining because our water is filtered through peat bogs

I use the good old toothbrush and bleach


Perhaps not even an egg cupful of bleach I just scrub it on with the toothbrush, leave it 30 mins and wash off

About once a month to six weeks

greenbee

Mould is primarily about damp and ventilation, so once you have killed it (and the spores) and removed the staining, you need to make sure you keep the bathroom dry and keep an eye out for it returning.

I have the extractor on while I'm in the shower, and it carried on running for approx 5 minutes after I switch it off. I don't have it on while I'm in the bath as I tend to spend a long time in there and it would annoy me... I

I also squeegee the tiles and screens before getting out of the shower (I have very hard water so this also helps with the limescale issue, although I do have to clean them with vinegar occasionally). Sometimes I'll use a window vac if it happens to be within reach (usually not). Most of the summer most of the windows are open most of the time. In winter I make an effort to try to open some of them for 20 minutes or so each day so there is a change of air.

Have you noticed any condensation in the house elsewhere? And how much is there on the bathroom windows after a shower (and for how long)? Is the house well insulated?

Davesnave

There is a very great difference between the quality of shower fans.The majority of them fitted in UK homes are cheap things that may cost as little as £25 and work via a sort of propellor.

The better sort, which shift more air in a given time, have an impeller more like a water wheel or steamboat paddle and cost considerably more.

But no matter what fan you have, getting the humid air to the outside most efficiently is another consideration.

If sited in a wall or window outside the shower, the extractor fan must drag the air across part of the room first. Put it in the ceiling of the shower instead, and it will need to move the air down a tube to the soffit or roof vent.

Assuming the air must pass down a tube, its length and diameter will affect performance; narrower tubes and longer lengths introducing more resistance. Each sharp bend in the tube will lower performance too.

Taking these factors into account with a properly designed system will result in a better removal of humid air in the shower room. However, the amount of condensation will also be governed by other factors, such as the temperature of the water, the air and the surrounding walls.

Those are the choices and variables. It's no surprise that many of us end up with a less than perfect solution.

moneyistooshorttomention

greenbee wrote: »

Have you noticed any condensation in the house elsewhere? And how much is there on the bathroom windows after a shower (and for how long)? Is the house well insulated?

I see very little condensation generally in the house. Just a little bit on my bedroom window after a nights sleep and that's pretty much it. Its quite a dry little house and that was one of the reasons I chose it.

There is noticeable amount of water/condensation on bathroom window initially after a shower - but it dries off with the extractor fan being used.

I must experiment with using the extractor fan whilst having a shower, as well as afterwards. I suspect I might find it too cold to do so - particularly in view of that fan being set in the ceiling right above the shower cubicle. But I'll have an experiment with that and see...

The house is pretty well-insulated - ie to standard level. Its got cavity wall insulation/12" of insulation in the loft/the windows are doubleglazed (cheaper quality than I would have chosen - but I don't suppose that makes any difference to the insulation).

moneyistooshorttomention

Davesnave wrote: »

There is a very great difference between the quality of shower fans.The majority of them fitted in UK homes are cheap things that may cost as little as £25 and work via a sort of propellor.

The better sort, which shift more air in a given time, have an impeller more like a water wheel or steamboat paddle and cost considerably more.

But no matter what fan you have, getting the humid air to the outside most efficiently is another consideration.

If sited in a wall or window outside the shower, the extractor fan must drag the air across part of the room first. Put it in the ceiling of the shower instead, and it will need to move the air down a tube to the soffit or roof vent.

Assuming the air must pass down a tube, its length and diameter will affect performance; narrower tubes and longer lengths introducing more resistance. Each sharp bend in the tube will lower performance too.

Taking these factors into account with a properly designed system will result in a better removal of humid air in the shower room. However, the amount of condensation will also be governed by other factors, such as the temperature of the water, the air and the surrounding walls.

Those are the choices and variables. It's no surprise that many of us end up with a less than perfect solution.

The shower fan is indeed set in the ceiling above the shower cubicle. I am guessing that is the optimum place for it to be sited - from what you say. The shower is right next to the window and so I'm guessing its only a pretty short tube to the outside.

It is only a small bathroom - hence part of the reasoning for having that massive shower cubicle (as its too small for a bath).

I'm not quite au fait with fans - but I suspect its probably the cheaper type fan that you say is pretty much standard. Its quite small and set flush into the ceiling and is certainly very different to the massive Xpelair fan I had put in my last bathroom (ie that stuck out a mile from the bathroom wall/was rather "noisier" and generally felt like it had a lot more "power to its elbow"). I had replaced the pretty typical type bathroom fan a workman had chosen with that massive thing when the "typical" one broke.

I guess this one here isn't doing too bad a job. If this one breaks ever - then I will investigate the options (though it would have to be within the range of aesthetically acceptable ones - courtesy of the amount of money I've spent on trying to get that bathroom to look reasonable).

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I guess this one here isn't doing too bad a job. If this one breaks ever - then I will investigate the options (though it would have to be within the range of aesthetically acceptable ones - courtesy of the amount of money I've spent on trying to get that bathroom to look reasonable).

You'd not see it, as you'd keep the existing arrangement with a loft mounted fan. You might want to change the pipe, as a125mm or 150 mm pipe will do a better job, but that would need new fittings at each end as well. Something innocuous like this perhaps:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Steel-Bathroom-Ceiling-Air-Vent-Round-Metal-Wall-Cover-100-125-150mm/191077965060?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D34278%26meid%3Db3d2aef34d9740f39de0b8593f8303fa%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D301330444060

The problem is that a substantial portion of the efficient DIY ventilation market is to cannabis farms, where aesthetics are pretty low on the agenda. :cool: