Expert warns of cleaning mistake that invites mould into your bathroom

Apr 25, 2024

A cleaning whizz has alerted homeowners to the risks of using bleach to treat mould in bathrooms - while recommending another ingredient instead.

The advice comes from the TikTok account @DEEPCLEANKING, which has built an army of more than 25,000 followers with its groundbreaking cleaning tips.

In a viral video with more than 212,000 likes and 50,000 saves, the content creator warned fellow cleaners bleaches buries mould deeper into the sealants of your bathroom.

The cleaning enthusiast explained: “If you have mould in your shower or tub, chances are high that you are not going to want to clean yourself in there and you are not going to want to clean those spaces because what is the point?

“I would bleach the mould, it would appear to go away and it would be back in like two days.

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“I removed all the caulking from my shower, in April of last year, because I found out that bleach can actually push the mould further back into the wall.

“And when you’re renting or buying, landlords will often paint the caulking to make it look white, and really the mould is behind it, and it’s always gonna keep coming back," added the content creator.

The cleaning enthusiast pointed out while removing caulking in bathrooms is a lengthy process, it is both cheap and easy if done with the right products.

“I wanted to show the process of removing and recaulking your shower or bath because it is pretty easy (although it takes a long time) and it’s cheap," explained the cleaner.

In her demonstration, the cleaner pours white distilled bleach into a container and proceeds to scrub the affected areas of the shower with a toothbrush.

Though this is a popular approach, experts online also advise applying the white vinegar directly to the sealant or diluting it at a ratio of two parts vinegar and one part water.

If the mould proves stubborn, cleaning experts at Belvoir recommend mixing the vinegar with enough bicarbonate of soda to make a thick paste and applying this to affected areas.

Leaving the product to work on the affected area overnight could advance the results, add the experts.

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