Summer is here! This is my first year since graduating from college that I actually have a whole summer to enjoy without having to work. Ahhh....it feels great! After the school year was over I promised myself that this summer would be a productive one. I didn't want it to just go by with nothing to show for it. So needless to say I made myself a list of things that I've always wanted to do but just didn't have the time for or just made excuses for. I've already crossed one project off my list and it feels great! This little endeavor of mine was one that had been getting on my nerves for a while and I knew it was gonna take alot out of me once I set my mind,body and soul to tackling it.
So this little project felt like a war between me and grime,mildew and mold. Yup, I said mold. Just the word itself makes me just feel sick. I'am embarrased to admit that my shower stall suffered from these pesky watchamacallits. It was so embarrassing that if you would have come over and it just so happen that my guest bathroom was broken and you needed to use the bathroom I would have escorted you to the backyard to handle your business. My master bath was locked with a deadbolt. I know I'am painting a very bad picture, but I KNOW my shower stall is not the only one with this impairment!! After doing research, yes I researched! I found out that this pesky problem is very common in households. I set out to once and for all solve this problem and get rid of it the correct way and do everything possible for it not to ever happen again. My knees can't handle that kind of labor anymore. I learned so much I figured I would share with the you all on my blog!
I remember the last time I had cleaned my shower stall I literally almost fainted or was near death from all the chemical fumes that I produced with my concoctions. I used bleach and whatever else I could find under my kitchen sink that said DANGER on it thinking that it would kill whatever took hold of my shower stall. In my effort to becoming more '"Green" I just had to find out a much better way to handle this situation without having to call the ambulance to come get me and my intoxicated family out of the house. If it was up to me I would have just demolished the whole thing and just take showers in my backyard with a good garden hose. Getting rid of it just seemed to be the perfect solution, but unfortunatly Johnny didn't agree. Whatever.
So, I learned that bleach is not the answer to mold and mildew growing in wet environments such as the shower stall. Apparantly, all that bleach does is change the color of the mold but does not actually kill it. After time it just comes back to it's regular color. I found out that vinegar is the solution. Who knew!! If you did, just spare me. Indulge me for a little bit here.
If the areas that are affected are in the caulking which is where mine was your best bet is to decaulk and then recaulk. This was a process that took several days. I got this nifty little tool from Lowe's that took the blasted caulk off very easily and had to wait a couple of days for it to completely air dry. After that I recaulked and let sit a couple more days to set and dry. I am happy to say that my shower is shiny, happy, and looks like new! Okay, so I'am glad I didn't tear it down.
The most important part of this whole lesson is the secret to avoiding that yucky stuff to ever grow back. My favorite part!! This is what we are doing in our house to keep a happy, shiny, and clean shower stall.
Lesson #1- Mildew and Mold grow in areas that are humid, wet and closed in. The number one trick is to let some air in!! Leave the door open after taking a shower! If I only knew back then what I know now! If you have a window that opens even better! Or just open the blinds to let some sun in to help in the drying process.
Lesson#2- Turn on the bathroom fan when taking a shower. This helps with air circulation.
Lesson#3- While in the shower, after you have washed your hair and body. Take a brush (mine is hanging in the shower stall) pour just a little bit of body wash on it and scrub the corners and sides of your stall and door. This only takes under a minute to do. I timed it, to convince Johnny to do while he is in there. It also helped that I threatened that he would be the one on his knees to clean the stall once I saw one ounce of mold in the stall. He quickly agreed and signed on the dotted line.
Lesson#4- This was not in my research but figured it wouldn't hurt. I bought one of those nifty sprayer machines by Scubber Bubbles that sprays the shower down with cleaning agent after taking a shower. It's supposed to help in the anti-mold dept. Who knows if it's true. But once I run out of that expensive solution that goes in the bottle, guess what I'am going to refill it with? Yup!! Vinegar! The natural Mold killer!! Praise God for vinegar! We spray down only after the last shower of the day.
Seems like a lot, but at the end of the day, I'll do anything at this point to not ever have to do what I did or put up with whatever decided to grow in my shower stall. It's supposed to be a sanctuary for relaxation for goodness sake! Not a breeding ground for spores! Just gives me the shivers just thinking about it. I couldn't go without taking pics of this little adventure. Enjoy!
I'll be posting about some more summer projects later! Until then, we are off to Cancun this week! Just me and my hubby! I will be inspecting the shower/tub at the resort and hope it meets my expectations cause we'll be spending some time enjoying it after our long days on the beach!
I remember the last time I had cleaned my shower stall I literally almost fainted or was near death from all the chemical fumes that I produced with my concoctions. I used bleach and whatever else I could find under my kitchen sink that said DANGER on it thinking that it would kill whatever took hold of my shower stall. In my effort to becoming more '"Green" I just had to find out a much better way to handle this situation without having to call the ambulance to come get me and my intoxicated family out of the house. If it was up to me I would have just demolished the whole thing and just take showers in my backyard with a good garden hose. Getting rid of it just seemed to be the perfect solution, but unfortunatly Johnny didn't agree. Whatever.
So, I learned that bleach is not the answer to mold and mildew growing in wet environments such as the shower stall. Apparantly, all that bleach does is change the color of the mold but does not actually kill it. After time it just comes back to it's regular color. I found out that vinegar is the solution. Who knew!! If you did, just spare me. Indulge me for a little bit here.
If the areas that are affected are in the caulking which is where mine was your best bet is to decaulk and then recaulk. This was a process that took several days. I got this nifty little tool from Lowe's that took the blasted caulk off very easily and had to wait a couple of days for it to completely air dry. After that I recaulked and let sit a couple more days to set and dry. I am happy to say that my shower is shiny, happy, and looks like new! Okay, so I'am glad I didn't tear it down.
The most important part of this whole lesson is the secret to avoiding that yucky stuff to ever grow back. My favorite part!! This is what we are doing in our house to keep a happy, shiny, and clean shower stall.
Lesson #1- Mildew and Mold grow in areas that are humid, wet and closed in. The number one trick is to let some air in!! Leave the door open after taking a shower! If I only knew back then what I know now! If you have a window that opens even better! Or just open the blinds to let some sun in to help in the drying process.
Lesson#2- Turn on the bathroom fan when taking a shower. This helps with air circulation.
Lesson#3- While in the shower, after you have washed your hair and body. Take a brush (mine is hanging in the shower stall) pour just a little bit of body wash on it and scrub the corners and sides of your stall and door. This only takes under a minute to do. I timed it, to convince Johnny to do while he is in there. It also helped that I threatened that he would be the one on his knees to clean the stall once I saw one ounce of mold in the stall. He quickly agreed and signed on the dotted line.
Lesson#4- This was not in my research but figured it wouldn't hurt. I bought one of those nifty sprayer machines by Scubber Bubbles that sprays the shower down with cleaning agent after taking a shower. It's supposed to help in the anti-mold dept. Who knows if it's true. But once I run out of that expensive solution that goes in the bottle, guess what I'am going to refill it with? Yup!! Vinegar! The natural Mold killer!! Praise God for vinegar! We spray down only after the last shower of the day.
Seems like a lot, but at the end of the day, I'll do anything at this point to not ever have to do what I did or put up with whatever decided to grow in my shower stall. It's supposed to be a sanctuary for relaxation for goodness sake! Not a breeding ground for spores! Just gives me the shivers just thinking about it. I couldn't go without taking pics of this little adventure. Enjoy!
I'll be posting about some more summer projects later! Until then, we are off to Cancun this week! Just me and my hubby! I will be inspecting the shower/tub at the resort and hope it meets my expectations cause we'll be spending some time enjoying it after our long days on the beach!
All the products I was armed with
I was prepared for battle!
Ati thought this was a some kind of dress up game.
While I cleaned the stall she wanted to help with the sink
Yes, there are more cleaning products than actual body and hair products. But at least I'am protected!
The finished product! Ahhhh, no more off limits!
You go girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love how you researched it! Silly girl! Give Ati kisses!!
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