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Black Mold In The Shower? Here’s How To Remove It!

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Showers are notorious for their gunk and funk. Sure, there are some super sparkly perfect showers in this world but they are few and far between. Life happens and cleaning the shower ends up fairly low on most people’s list.

Enter black mold in the shower. Uggg.

Don’t worry. It happens to pretty much all of us. Even me. Yes, you read that right. I fight the shower mold fight weekly. Whoever thought that natural stone tiles in the shower was a good idea thought wrong.

Trust me when I saw that I have tried EVERYTHING in the battle against black mold in the shower. I’m a pretty savvy DIY cleaning guru as well as a certified mold inspector. You’d think I would have this down to a science. Ha. Yeah – nope. Every shower is different which is why there is no one size fits all approach to how to get rid of mold in the shower.

But never fear – I will give you a handful of shower mold removal options that WILL work. You just have to play around and find the one that works in your shower.

Someone demonstrating how to easily remove black mold from your shower

Why Do I Have Mold In My Shower?

It’s very common for mold to be found in the shower. There is lots of water and humidity in the bathroom which mold just adores.

Frequently running water in the shower creates wet surfaces and puddles of water. If you don’t dry this moisture out quickly it can easily lead to mold growth.

On top of this, when the water in the bathroom does dry out it evaporates into the air and increases the humidity. Steam from the shower or a hot bath also makes the bathroom more humid. Since bathrooms are often not well ventilated the humidity tends to hang around and wet surfaces take a long time to dry out. Enter mold.

Another reason mold grows in the shower is because grime from body oils and soap scum which is washed off and onto the shower or tub create a food source for mold to feed on. 

Basically, if mold were to have a choice vacation destination it would be the shower. Soooo inviting.

Where Does Mold Grow In My Shower?

  • Mold can grow in the grout. That is one of its favorite places.
  • It can grow inside the window frame if your window is IN the shower like mine is.
  • It can grow around the drain and on the drain plug.
  • Mold can grow on the shower caulking.
  • It can grow in the door tracks if you have doors. 
  • Mold can grow under shampoo bottles, bars of soap, shaving cream bottles, etc…
  • While not technically a part of the shower, mold can grow on a shower curtain.

Mold can also grow behind shower tiles and on the wall but this is due to a leak behind the shower and not from water in the shower typically. The exception is if your grout is old and cracking. Then water can seep behind the shower tiles allowing mold to grow.

Is Shower Mold Toxic?

Due to the way bathrooms and showers are constructed today, the black mold you see in your shower is less likely to be the really hazardous type of mold. This is because your shower areas and surfaces don’t have cellulose (found in things like wood, fiberboard, lint, paper, and dust) which is required for most of the really hazardous types of mold to grow.

That is not to say that one of the more toxic molds can’t ever grow in your shower. They can. If you have a bigger issue in your bathroom or home and THOSE spores have infiltrated your shower then your shower can become a breeding ground for some really bad mold. But regular ol’ mold in the shower… usually more allergenic than anything.

Can You Get Sick From Mold In The Shower?

You can get sick from any mold thanks to your genetic makeup, your current health, and many additional factors. Don’t assume that since mold in the shower isn’t usually super toxic that you can’t have health issues from it. Try to prevent shower mold and of course remove it once you see it growing.

Is Shower Mold Always Black Mold?

Nope. There are many colors of mold and shower mold can be pink, green, brown, or even grey.

7 Ways To Prevent Shower Mold

  1. Practice good ventilation. Open the bathroom window when showering. Turn on the exhaust fan when showering and leave it on for 30 minutes afterwards. Keep the bathroom door open when showering if possible.
  2. Shower drains contain biofilm and cellulose materials such as soap scum, body hairs, and oils and lots of moisture so they can be a breeding ground for black mold. It is important to keep drains open and clear of cellulose materials. Remove any hair after showering and pour a little vinegar down the drain weekly to keep the drain clean and prevent mold spores from developing.
  3. After showering wipe down the entire shower including all your shampoo and soap bottle.
  4. Once a week spray the shower with EC3 Mold Solution Spray or Remedy Mold Treatment Spray to kill any new mold spores that may be trying to root.
  5. Clean your shower from top to bottom every 14 days at a minimum. Weekly is better but no one has time for that! So shoot for every two weeks.
  6. If possible, DO NOT USE one of those suction cup non-slip mats in the shower. Those are a mold magnet.
  7. Treat your shower with Superstratum Mold and Mildew Protectant every 6 months to prevent mold growth. You can read how and why Superstratum works here.

How To Get Rid Of Mold In The Shower

Before we get to the various ways to clean a moldy shower, I want to provide you with links to posts that I have written about some of the specific mold removal products. This will give you a better idea about why I am recommending them.

How to remove mold with:

I think it is also important for you to know why I do NOT recommend cleaning mold with bleach. You need to read that post but in short, it causes MORE mold growth and doesn’t actually kill mold.

Ready? Let’s go area by area.

How to remove mold from shower caulking

The ideal thing you can do to remove black mold in shower caulking is to remove the caulking altogether and apply new high-quality mold resistant caulking like this one. This is important because a good mold resistant caulk will help prevent water damage and mold from happening behind your tile and shower walls.

This is actually easier than it sounds. Even I can handle doing this. While it doesn’t take long to actually remove and replace the shower caulk, it does require you to let it dry properly before using your shower again.

Don’t want to remove and replace the shower caulk? You can try this mold removal method but it is time consuming and usually doesn’t get more than 50-60% of the mold.

Yield: Enough for one shower

How To Remove Mold From Shower Caulking

Cleaning moldy shower caulking

Do you have moldy shower caulking? While replacing caulking with a mold resistant caulk is better, this is the best method to remove mold from shower caulking.

Prep Time 1 minute
Active Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 31 minutes
Difficulty Medium
Estimated Cost $5.00

Materials

  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Baking soda

Tools

  • A small bowl
  • A disposable paint brush
  • Plastic wrap

Instructions

  1. Put some baking soda in your bowl and slowly add small amounts of vinegar until you have a paste-like substance.
  2. Grab the paint brush and use it to apply the paste to the mold.
  3. Use the plastic wrap to cover the paste on the mold as best you can. This can be tricky. Feel free to tape it.
  4. Leave it to sit for at least 2 hours.
  5. Remove the plastic covering and clean off the paste which most likely will have dried out.
  6. Repeat this process until you are no longer seeing a reduction in the amount of mold on the shower caulking.
  7. Spray the caulk with EC3 mold solution spray and allow to air dry. This helps kill any surface mold spores and mycotoxins on the caulk.

How to remove mold from shower grout

Now, you might be wondering how to clean mold in shower grout naturally. Valid question seeing that everyone recommends bleach. This is where there is no one size fits all shower mold cleaner so let me share my three methods.

For each of these methods you will need this electric scrub brush. Trust me. It cuts your cleaning time down by hours. You are welcome to put some elbow grease in there and use a scrub brush like this but be sure you have a lot of free time.

Make sure you are wearing gloves when you remove mold from shower grout.

Yield: Enough for one shower

Moldy Grout Cleaner #1 – My Top Pick

Showing how to remove mold from shower grout

While there are several ways to clean moldy grout, this is by far the best as well as my favorite.

Prep Time 2 minutes
Active Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Estimated Cost $5.00

Materials

Instructions

  1. Spray the moldy grout with straight vinegar. Do not dilute!
  2. Allow it to set for 10 minutes then grab that electric scrubber and have at it. The scrubber should get at least 75% of the mold off within just a few minutes.
  3. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water.
  4. Dip the scrubber in the paste and then scrub the heck out of the areas with hard to remove mold.
  5. Keep dipping and scrubbing with the electric scrubber until the mold is removed. (This usually takes me no more than 5 minutes for a one foot square area).
  6. Rinse with water and repeat the process if any mold is remaining.
  7. Once all the mold has been removed, dry the area and spray it generously with EC3 Mold Solution Spray.
  8. Allow it to air dry.
  9. Boom! No more mold on your shower grout.
Yield: Enough for one shower

Moldy Grout Cleaner #2

Showing how to remove mold from shower grout

Grab your borax OR baking soda and let’s go to work!

Borax and baking soda won’t harm or discolor shower tiles or other shower material and they don’t have any toxins to worry about. They will clean the affected area very well but won’t kill the mold spores. So we need an extra step at the end.

Prep Time 2 minutes
Active Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5.00

Materials

Instructions

  1. Stir 1/2 cup of borax OR baking soda and several teaspoons of water to make a paste you can spread directly over the mold.
  2. Apply the paste to the moldy grout and let it sit for 30 minutes.
  3. Using your electric scrubber, start scrubbing away at the moldy grout. It should take mere minutes for the mold to come off the grout.
  4. Rinse with water and repeat the process if any mold is remaining.
  5. Once all the mold has been removed, dry the area and spray it generously with EC3 Mold Solution Spray.
  6. Allow it to air dry.

Yield: Enough for one shower

Moldy Grout Cleaner #3

Showing how to remove mold from shower grout

This is a pretty “fun” way to clean moldy grout. It’s something kids usually like to watch.

Prep Time 2 minutes
Active Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5.00

Materials

Instructions

  1. Apply a thick layer baking soda paste (not borax paste) to the moldy area (as described in Method 2 above).
  2. Pour hydrogen peroxide over the paste so that it begins to fizz – this will help loosen old, stubborn mold or mold in showers with deep grout lines.
  3. Scrub with your electric scrubber for a solid 5 minutes.
  4. Rinse with water and repeat the process if any mold is remaining.
  5. Once all the mold has been removed, dry the area and spray it generously with EC3 Mold Solution Spray.
  6. Allow it to air dry.


How to remove mold from the shower drain

This is by far the easiest mold removal task in the shower.

  • Remove the shower drain cover if there is one. If not, skip to step two.
  • Spray the drain cover and/or the drain rim, inside, and stopper with peroxide.
  • Allow it to sit for a few minutes.
  • Using a toothbrush or the like, scrub all the mold you can see off the drain and components.
  • Rinse well, dry, and replace the drain cover.
  • Spray the drain generously with EC3 Mold Solution Spray or Remedy Mold Treatment Spray.
  • Allow it to air dry.

And there you have it! Everything you need to know about black mold in the shower! Be sure to check out my post on how to prevent bathroom mold. It’s important to take all the steps necessary to keep mold and mildew from sneaking up on you in the bathroom.

In this post I refer to EC3 products. They are one of the only three mold and mycotoxin removal products that I personally use and recommend. Please read my article outlining what makes EC3 superior when it comes to killing mold and mycotoxins. It has been independently lab tested and proven to be 99% effective when used properly. I encourage you to purchase EC3 products directly through Micro Balance. If you prefer to shop on Amazon, Micro Balance has a presence there as well.

Moldy shower grout, caulking, and tile with the words "how to get rid of shower mold" written on the top portion of the image

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37 Comments

  1. This worked well for me, thanks.

  2. Is there a more budget friendly device I can use other than the electronic scrub brush?

    1. You can certainly use a regular scrub brush but it will require some additional elbow grease. It works just fine however….just takes a little longer.

    2. Not sure if you are still looking, but I just found a handheld electric scrub brush at Target. It is made by Rubbermaid and looks like a giant toothbrush! It doesn’t have an extension handle and the brush head isn’t that big but it might work for what you need. It cost $20.

  3. What’s the best way to disinfect the spin brush after cleaning the mold, so it can be used on other surfaces around the house?

    1. Hi Bobbi! I soak my brush in EC3 solution, hose it off outside, and then allow it to dry in the sun. Alternatively, you could soak it in undiluted vinegar. So long as you clean it immediately after use, you can use it elsewhere.

  4. Are these methods all okay for natural stone tile?

  5. Your ec3 took far to long to load. I’m otta here

    1. You mean the link to the company website that sells it?

  6. Hi Jennifer,

    The link for mold resistant caulking doesn’t work. Can you tell me the name of the product, please?
    Thank you for the great information. I ordered the scrub brush and plan on tackling the mold in our shower as soon as I get everything.

    Thanks again,

  7. Leena Paul says:

    Protect the area through closing all rooms for avoiding cross-contamination this could be done through using duct tape and plastic sheets. Make sure that you provide moisture to the affected surface, this will help in halting the mold spores from travelling via air. Once you remove them store them inside a plastic bag and dispose them off. Afterwards run a vacuum and clean the area with a scrub dipped in solution of ammonia and water.

  8. Using the first method to remove mold from shower grout, will the vinegar discolor the grout? I have a cinnamon-ish color grout in my shower. Also, should/can i use cleaning vinegar or should I use regular white vinegar

    1. Hi Will! I personally use cleaning vinegar but either is fine. It will not discolor the grout although it will be a slightly different color since it will be clean. 😉

  9. John Meggers says:

    “…its favorite places” has no apostrophe because it is possessive, and not a contraction of “it is”.

    1. Ha! Thank you! Want to be my editor? 😉 I wear all the hats and absolutely miss some things.

  10. Hi Jennifer, thanks so much for the excellent article and all the info. The link for the electric scrubber seems to be broken. Can you please advise which scrubber(s) you recommend?

    Thanks!
    Tom

  11. Be very aware that vinegar can and does ( in my case) dissolve shower grouting. I used to spray it neat onto the floor shower tiles, and the grout started to dissovle. I googled this, and yes, it does dissolve grout, so be careful, or you will have to regrout after a few months.

    1. I do know this can happen and it is dependent upon the additives in the grout. I have personally not had an issue but this is a good reminder.

  12. Hi Jennifer! How do you tackle mold in the grout on the sides of the shower since the paste wouldn’t stay in place? That seems to be my hardest spot to tackle.

    1. Hi Heather! Yeah, that area is fun. Ha! So my trick is to use a paint trim guard like this: https://amzn.to/3KTuZt1. I hold that just under the area I am cleaning, apply the paste, then scrub the heck out of it. Take a little time but works great!

  13. Mirilla Ekland says:

    Your guidance is most appreciated, Jennifer. I am renovating and muse of having the bathroom floor heated in addition to the room’s wall unit. Can you think the tiles, heated from underneath, would then remain mold-free?

    Thank you much.

    1. Hi Mirilla! In theory the heat would assist in drying out moisture quickly thus preventing the growth of mold on the tiles. However, there could still be a risk if the tiles are laid directly on a wood subfloor as opposed to a concrete subfloor.

  14. How would you recommend cleaning the channels of a framed (chrome) corner shower unit?m. The kind with the drain holes that get black gunk after a while.

    1. If it were me, I would order the 12% hydrogen peroxide. Test a very small amount first before going full tilt. If everything is ok, then I would go ahead and pour it on, let it set for about 10 minutes, and then do as much as you can to remove the gunk that has been loosened. Those are very difficult to clean.

  15. John -Resilient Sewer & Drain Cleaning says:

    Jennifer:

    I came here for mold advice in shower grout and as I read, I found a incorrect piece of advice in which you advocated to do:
    “Remove any hair after showering and pour a little vinegar down the drain weekly to keep the drain clean and prevent mold spores from developing.”

    I have been a professional sewer and drain cleaner for over 20 years and I disagree with pouring vinegar down the drain weekly to prevent mold spores from forming. Vinegar is acidic and other caustic drain products can be strong acid, alkali or base. I use vinegar for mold in my house and especially spraying it into wood because it penetrates deep to kill off mold rather than bleach which doesn’t penetrate nearly as good.

    But, in a drain and pipes, vinegar can kill off all bacteria some of which are beneficial in providing enzymes to convert the sludge build up into water and carbon dioxide. Think of the pipes as your digestive system….it needs good bacteria to operate efficiently. When one takes an antibiotic, it kills off all bacteria in the digestive tract. Then often times, a person has to eat yogurt or take acidophilus to replenish the good flora that was lost to the antibiotic. The same is true for a drainage systems….they need good bacteria.

    That’s why I instruct my customers to NOT use vinegar and baking soda and/or other caustic drain openers to unclog a drain. They may work once, they may work twice, but eventually they won’t work anymore because the entire inside of the pipe in lined with that stuff which creates sludge…aka “bad bacteria”.

    Sludge can be soft or hard in nature and by that time, the clog needs further action with a cable and blades or water jetting to get it clear. Many times, the sludge becomes a grease clog and people start plunging the sink with a tool meant for the toilet. That just stirs everything up more and creates a bigger clog.

    But, as a maintenance effort, enzyme products are the most beneficial. They introduce the good bacteria into the pipes which allows the beneficial enzymes to thrive and consume the sludge. Less sludge means pieces of hair won’t always stick to the sides of the pipe beyond the p-trap and they flow down the line into the 4″ and 6″ pipes and into the city sewer. Though, some hair will always stick in a drain no matter.
    So, once a clog is present, enzymes won’t do much good in the short term, but as a maintenance objective they are the best you can do for your pipes long term!

    1. Thanks for this John! Do you have a specific product you like and know works well in most plumbing situations?

  16. What would be the remedy for cracking grout with mold growth?

  17. Adrienne Crawford says:

    Dealing with shower mold can be a common challenge, and this article provides helpful tips and strategies for addressing and preventing mold growth in the shower area. The author’s explanations of the causes of shower mold, cleaning techniques, and preventive measures offer valuable insights for homeowners. Thank you for sharing this informative resource!

  18. What is safe to use for a shower with marble in it? Is the EC3 safe on marble?

  19. I really want to try this method linked below because it looks so easy… but you have me questioning it!! Everyone’s comments seem to say it works really well… are they wrong? I have small stone tiles in my shower.

    https://youtu.be/U754kIgjhus?si=H_GEA3zXKGTTDp9D

    1. So yes, this LOOKS like it works because it is a bleach based cleaner which is turning the mold white. But it is not actually removing the mold. There is a huge risk to using bleach on mold. If it is too good to be true, it usually is.