Okay, so I've let my shower go far too long without a proper cleaning, and now I have very thick mildew in the corners around the bottom. It's a ceramic shower (walls and floor).
What's really the best thing for eliminating all this thick mildew forever?
I know bleach is good, but there is literally no ventilation in this bathroom.
Thanks in advance,
Once you remove the mildew by scrubbing and using a bleach solution, you will need to establish some ventilation. You can use a small fan if you can't open a window. I think that even with the best effort, you will have a little mildew to deal with. I use an after shower spray and that helps a lot. About twice a year I still have to spot treat some areas.
Add a fan that vents to the outdoors or install a window. If you already have a bathroom fan, replace it with a stronger one and put a
30 minute auto-shutoff timer on the switch. Dry the shower after use (I use a squeegee and an old towel). If you do these things, I doubt mold or mildew will be a problem.
I suggest you start by applying paper towels well-soaked in vinegar to the mildewed areas, and leave them a couple of hours to kill off a good part of the mildew, and then a scrubby-sponge and a little detergent to remove most of the muck. Then see if a mildew-cleaning bathroom cleaner can handle the remainder. Vinegar may not be the most pleasant smell, but it's nowhere near as bad as full strength bleach fumes.
I did find that ZAP cleaner lived up to its TV promises to whiten particularly nasty mildewed bathtub tile when I moved into my previous apartment, but its are fumes as nearly as bad as bleach, so I wouldn't suggest using it without ventilation.
Most places I ever lived had health codes requiring either a window or a ventilation fan in all bathrooms. You should see about getting a ceiling fan installed.
If there's literally no ventillation you'll have worse problems than surface mildew.
A paste of baking soda and chlorine bleach will remove some tough mildew stains. Let it sit.
If you scrub mildew with a mixture of bleach and water, add a tablespoon of baking soda for each tablespoon of bleach. It's effective for cleaning and killing microbes but easier on the skin and nose.
Water with a little ammonia and a little borax can remove mildew. If it's not rinsed away, the trace of borax that remains will inhibit regrowth.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.