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How To Clean Mold in Shower Grout Naturally

This post will show you how to clean mold in shower grout naturally with vinegar and baking soda.

No need to use commercial cleaning agents made with harsh chemicals on your moldy shower. Sometimes the best way to clean something is also the easiest way!

how to clean mold in shower grout naturally with baking soda and vinegar

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What you need to clean mold in shower grout naturally:

  • Vinegar – White distilled vinegar is an effective and completely natural way to kill mold. Vinegar can actually kill over 80% of mold species! Hydrogen peroxide is a good substitute that is almost as effective as vinegar, but not chemical free.
  • Baking soda – Baking soda is a powerful cleaning agent that absorbs excess moisture as well, making it a good choice for cleaning moldy surfaces. When you use baking soda and vinegar together they will react by foaming and bubbling. The bubbling actually helps loosen the mold spores.
  • Spray Bottle – to apply the vinegar to your shower wall. Any kind of spray bottle will work.
  • Old Toothbrush – don’t throw your old toothbrushes away when you replace them! The bristles on a toothbrush are the perfect size and shape to clean grout lines.
  • Stiff Bristle Scrub Brush – for larger areas of grout, you might want to use a larger scrub brush to save time.
  • Soft Rag – some kind of cloth to wipe down the shower walls after you’ve finished scrubbing them.
mold in shower tile grout being sprayed with vinegar in a spray bottle

How To Clean Mold in Shower Grout Naturally:

Spray – The first step is to spray the moldy area with white vinegar. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.

Combine – In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of water into a thick paste.

Apply – Use an old toothbrush to apply the paste to the areas of moldy grout.

mold in shower tile grout

Scrub – Scrub the grout lines, applying more of the grout cleaner paste as needed.

Let Set – Allow the paste to set for at least 30 minutes. And scrub again.

Rinse – Rinse the area and wipe it down with a clean rag.

Note that this method is great for managing small amounts of mold. If there is widespread mold throughout your home, you should definitely contact a professional who can help get to the root of the issue and find out exactly how bad the mold situation is.

abut this method for cleaning mold in your shower grout:

its easy

All you really need are two products that you already have in your home: vinegar and baking soda. Spray the area with vinegar to soak, followed by a baking soda and water paste. Rinse and dry the area. Couldn’t get much easier than that!

mold in shower tile grout

all natural cleaning solution

The last thing you want to do is clean off a toxic substance with an even more toxic cleaner! Store-bought shower cleaners usually contain chemicals that can potentially burn your skin and eyes and irritate your lungs. Definitely not the kind of thing you want to have within reach of your kids either!

And why would you want to waste your money on commercial shower and grout cleaner when you can clean mold in the shower with just two natural ingredients!

Because vinegar and baking soda are both edible, you know they’re completely safe to use on any surface.

Vinegar is also a great substitute for Windex. Check out my homemade non toxic glass cleaner.

effective way to clean mold

Undiluted white vinegar has been shown to effectively kill over 80% of mold species. Following it with a baking soda paste, gives you a strong combination of antibacterial and cleaning power.

Being exposed on a regular basis to toxic black mold can have serious health risks and lead to permanent reparatory problems and even organ failure.

How To Clean Mold in Shower Grout Naturally FAQ:

can you use vinegar on shower grout?

Vinegar is a powerful multi-purpose cleaner that is great for cleaning both tiles and grout in the shower. Vinegar leaves tile looking shiny and breaks down soap scum while also killing any mold that might be growing in the grout lines.

mold in shower tile grout eing cleaned with a toothbrush and a baking soda cleaning paste

do baking soda and vinegar cancel each other out?

This is a valid question since baking soda is alkaline and vinegar is acidic. The answer is, it really depends on the ratio. Using more vinegar than baking soda you are going to end up with a solution that is still pretty acidic.

In this tutorial, I suggest spraying vinegar on the affected area and letting it soak before cleaning it with baking soda. This way the vinegar can do it’s job without it’s acidity and cleaning power being lessened by the alkaline quality of the baking soda.

Baking soda does add a cleaning element that you wouldn’t get when using straight vinegar. It’s mildly abrasive and helps keep the vinegar in place on the wall while it sets and soaks. Baking soda acts as a deodorizer.

The foaming that happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar is also a benefit since it agitates the surface of the mold, loosening and pulling it out of the pores of the grout.

Read more about mixing vinegar and baking soda here.

is vinegar better than bleach for cleaning mold on tile grout?

Studies show that vinegar is actually more effective at cleaning mold than bleach. Chlorine bleach can kill the outer most layer of mold, but most of the time some mold spores will be left behind to grow and spread again.

Don’t ever mix bleach and vinegar. The combination creates a chemical reaction that releases chlorine gas. These toxic fumes are poisonous when inhaled and can have horrible side effects!

how do you get rid of bathroom mold without bleach?

Spray the grout lines of your shower with straight white vinegar and let sit for a half hour.

Mix a 1:2 ratio of baking soda and water in a small bowl. Apply the paste to the moldy grout lines with an old toothbrush. Scrub well and let sit for a half hour. Scrub again and rinse the paste away with water.

I do use bleach to clean my white kitchen sink since it’s the best way to get out every single stain.

a nice clean shower wall. Subway tile

how to prevent mold in shower grout

The most important step to cleaning mold growth in shower grout is to figure out why mold is growing in the first place and to take some preventative measures:

  • Mold grows best on bathroom surfaces when it’s damp and dark. Make sure there is plenty of airflow in your bathroom. Running an exhaust fan or opening windows after showering will help dry the walls and floor quicker, making it less likely for mold to be able to start growing.
  • Wipe down wet surfaces with a dry towel after showering.
  • Applying grout sealer in the shower and on tile floors helps to keep water from soaking into the pores in the grout and also makes cleaning much easier.

More Cleaning Tips and tricks On The Blog:

If you liked this natural cleaning method, I think you’ll find these tips and DIY cleaning products helpful too!

I hope you love this post on cleaning grout! If you try it, I’d love for you to come back and leave a comment so that I know it worked for you too!

Pin these steps to try later. Tag @athomeontheprairie on Instagram to share what you’ve made with us!

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