Gransnet forums

House and home

Cleaning shower

(16 Posts)
Oldwoman70 Mon 03-Jul-17 14:58:46

A dear friend has recently been taken into hospital and it seems she will have to go into a nursing home and her house sold. She admitted to me that she has neglected the cleaning of her bedroom and shower room and asked if I could clean them for her before her daughter arrives at the weekend.

I have sorted the bedroom and scrubbed the loo and basin and the walls and skirting boards of the shower room, however, the shower itself has lots of black mold which I am finding it hard to shift, it's not only in the grouting but in all the little nooks and crannies of the shower door. Anyone know of a fairly easy way of cleaning this.

My friends daughter is a bit of a bully and wouldn't understand how her mother could have let things get so bad.

grannysue05 Mon 03-Jul-17 16:10:41

Hello Olderwoman. What a dear friend you are. Not only have you tidied and cleaned, but you have SCRUBBED walls and skirting etc.
Nobody could do more. The extensive black mould will be impossible to really clean up even using a solution of bleach and water.
Maybe you should step back now, and accept that the bully of a daughter needs to realise her mother needs her help more.
You have done your bit and should be proud of yourself.

Jalima1108 Mon 03-Jul-17 16:28:00

Her daughter should have been doing this.

How kind you are.
I think using Dettol Mould and Mildew remover is sometimes the last resort and does work well but be careful to wear rubber gloves and really old clothes that don't matter. I know that my DB used to take the shower door off to give it all a really good scrub but I have never managed to persuade DH that it could be a good idea. Anyway, unless you have someone to help you, I wouldn't recommend trying it.

Charleygirl Mon 03-Jul-17 16:42:24

I googled it and there are many cheap methods but all need a fair amount of elbow grease. Have a look at Dr. Google first.

Greyduster Mon 03-Jul-17 20:03:09

Someone on here recently recommended HG Mould Spray which has good reviews and is supposed to be highly effective. We just use thick bleach.

grannyqueenie Mon 03-Jul-17 20:48:02

You're a good and kind friend indeed, like others have said you won't get it to look good as new. At least after your efforts It will make it smell fresher which makes all the difference to a potential buyer, a toothbrush is useful for the awkward corners. Realistically anyone buying a property from an older person will most likely want to update it to their own modern taste, so it's not worth putting much more effort into than you already have. I hope your friend's daughter appreciates that her mum has just been too frail to keep up with household chores.

phoenix Mon 03-Jul-17 21:02:52

I have had good results with Dettol Mould Spray, much as it riles me to recommend their products, as their advertisements for wipes seem to be designed to create fear and paranoia about germs!

Spray it on, leave for a while, etc etc, May need 2 goes, but should do the trick without too much scrubbing.

Jalima1108 Mon 03-Jul-17 21:15:30

And, as others have said, don't worry too much. Whoever moves in will probably rip it all out and install a new bathroom.

As long as it looks clean at first glance and smells fresh. Poor lady, it seems sad that she was having to have a shower, wash etc in a mouldy bathroom. Her daughter should have made sure it was clean and hygienic for her mother.

mumofmadboys Tue 04-Jul-17 08:04:58

I use both HG spray and dettol mould spray for nooks and crannies in shower. It works well

merlotgran Tue 04-Jul-17 09:23:34

Talk about above and beyond the call of duty - You deserve a medal.

I don't think you should worry any more about it as you've done what you can and as it's the daughter who will be reaping the benefits if she doesn't like it she can roll her own sleeves up.

Oldwoman70 Tue 04-Jul-17 09:44:12

Thank you for the replies. I only did what my friend would have done if positions had been reversed. Her daughter lives in another part of the country and only visits rarely. I will tackle the shower again using your suggestions, thanks again.

ElaineI Tue 04-Jul-17 11:02:01

I use cillit bang and an old toothbrush. I leave it on for about 20 minutes. Use gloves and open the window though as the fumes can be overpowering.

berdie Tue 04-Jul-17 14:37:28

I find that Bicarbonate of Soda, and an old tooth brush works quite well. As far as the sealant is concerned, you may have to get DH or a friend to remove the old sealant, making sure you fill the bath with cold water, to make the bath sit down on its legs,before re-sealing, if need be.

kellyon Tue 25-Jul-17 11:56:38

Mould can be quite dangerous,it consumes everything around it. I used to hire professionals from reliable mold removal Supercity Property company near me in Auckland. Their specialists helped me to get rid of mould in my house using dedicated chemicals that prevent it from spreading again.

tanith Tue 25-Jul-17 11:58:52

Hardly think they'll be any use to us in the UK [kellyon]

mrsmopp Tue 25-Jul-17 23:16:14

Yes I recommend a mould spray. But do resist the temptation to scrub after you have sprayed. Give it a good squirt then walk away. Seriously. Let it do the work. Rinse it off next day and if there is some mould left just give it another go.