Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[JeannaLW]

The grout around my tub was recently "touched up" by my apartment's maintenance team, and it would appear that it was poorly done. As a result, in spite of twice-weekly cleaning, I now have unsightly black stains embedded deep in the grout, which appears to be pulling away from them. I've soaked them in bleach, tried spray-on mildew remover, and scrubbed with a toothbrush using soft scrub (with bleach). Nothing has even slightly lightened the stain.

In addition, the finish on the bottom of the tub is scratched and looks dirty though it is scrubbed every other day. I tried all of the above solutions on it as well, including a good long soak in bleach water, but I've had no luck here either.

I've done all I can think of to make this space non-condusive to mildew growth; the room is open and aired out all day every day except when in use; I wipe down the surfaces at least twice a week, usually every day; but I've just had no luck with these awful stains. Being an apartment, I'm not permitted to re-grout or do other similar maintenance items. Any ideas?

Thanks!

[mrscleannw]

Hello Jeanna!
We definitely can give you a few suggestions.
I had the same problem with mold in my shower tile grout. I tried several cleaning solutions, but the mold kept coming back. I finally ended up having to have the grout redone, but this is not likely a solution you are interested in as you are renting.

There are several alternative solutions, to try first. Start by cleaning the ceramic tile with a mixture of cleaning solutions: of 1/2 cup of ammonia, 1/2 cup of plain white vinegar, and 1/4 cup of washing soda (a higher ph concentrate of baking soda) or ? cup of regular baking soda, and then mix with1 gallon of warm water. (Note: Do not mix (ever) bleach and ammonia together) Rinse it thoroughly.


If that does not do the trick, try borax. Boric acid (borax) or hydrogen peroxide is very effective at killing molds. It will also inhibit their return.
Try the following mixture:
1 teaspoon to 1/4 cup borax
Up to 2 cups hot tap water
Place the borax in a container and dissolve completely in hot tap water. Saturate a sponge with the mixture and wash the moldy area. If really moldy, use an even higher concentration of borax and/or leave the solution on for a few hours or overnight, then rinse well.
For more uses for borax, check out the following website: http://www.alternet.org/environment/46061
Good luck!