Removing black mould from bathroom / shower corners and silicone

Its the scourge of existence. The black mould that generally occurs in damp parts of houses in the UK. It not only looks bad but it smells nasty and the spores you inhale aren't good for you. There are plenty of online guides which recommend the following:

1. Don't dry your clothes inside

2. Install a humidity controlled extractor fan

3. Open the window a tiny crack before and after you've had a shower

4. Use a fungicide or other brand name mildew remover

Well, a lot of people can't do these things. For instance, the weather is always a bit crap in the UK so no working person can ever dry their clothes outside!

There are a few easy ways to remove this black mould.

1. To prevent mould taking hold: Take one of your empty old spray bottles of Flash/CIF or other spray cleaners and fill it with one part bleach and 4 parts water (try Domestos but any will do generally it has to say the words "bleach" to contain Sodium Hypoclorite - the magic ingredient). Spray this on the mixture in the damp parts of your shower and leave for 10 mins then rinse off. Basically, spray it on when you finish showering and then rinse off after you towel dry your hair etc.

2. If you've already got mould what can you do? Well, put some gloves on, take some bleach in a little tray/takeaway carton and an old toothbrush. Apply the bleach liberally where ever you have mould growth. Then go and make a cup of tea. Come back in 20 mins. Take the tooth brush and scrub along the mould infested areas. You'll find it just comes away easily. Do this a few times for heavy mould areas.

3. If the mould is really bad (i.e you haven't managed to clean it away for a while!) then it may have made its way behind the silicone in the corners of the shower/bathtub. In this case you have have to apply the bleach method above then, if it has gone through into the silicone you'll have to remove and re-lay the silicone. Its not too hard. Remember to get silicone that is fungal resistant.

4. If the black mould has appeared on walls and windows it means you need to spray the bleach mixture (1 part bleach 4 parts water) on the wall. leave for 20 mins then scrub away. Once removed you will probably need to re-paint the affected areas with mould resistant paint. Or buy some mould resistant additive to add to normal bathroom paint (you can find good American ones on Ebay).

All these sprays sold by most retailers are just selling the same ingredients in different forms. The advertising is the only difference - that - and the higher price! Normal bleach just costs too little to make a large profit any more. As far as I'm concerned, good bleach and a chemical to remove limescale (Viakal normally works but there are a few others) is all you need. The rest of the market just enhance the "Citrus" or "lavender" smells but don't make a better cleaning product - which after all, is the main reason you need it!