How to Clean Shower Grout Mold Using Only Vinegar

Important Points
White vinegar is good for getting rid of light mold in shower grout because the acetic acid in it breaks up mold cells and helps get rid of dirt.
Spray vinegar on the grout, let it sit, scrub it with a stiff brush, and if there are still tough spots, add baking soda.

If mold keeps coming back, it’s usually because the air isn’t circulating well. The best way to stop it is to fix the problem.
White vinegar is a common household item that can be used to clean a lot of things, like moldy grout in your shower. Kamila Soltynska, the founder of Best Home Services, says that its antifungal and antibacterial properties make it a cheap way to get rid of mold.

Here is a step-by-step guide for getting rid of moldy shower grout with vinegar, including why it works so well.

Cleaning Mold from Shower Grout with Vinegar
Open the windows. Even though vinegar fumes aren’t very strong, it’s important to open the windows in your bathroom so that air can flow freely. Soltynska says, “When you disturb mold, the spores will spread through the air, so it’s very important to make sure you don’t breathe them in.”
Take care of yourself. Put on gloves and a mask to keep the vinegar and mold spores from getting on your skin.
Put the vinegar solution on. Put white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the grout all over. Let it sit for 10 to 30 minutes. This will break up the mold.
Clean the grout. Scott Schrader, who works at CottageCare as a cleaning expert, says that you should scrub the vinegar into the grout lines with a stiff nylon grout brush or an old toothbrush. The vinegar’s acidity will break up the mold.
Add baking soda. Schrader says that if you’re dealing with tough mold, you should sprinkle baking soda on the grout and then spray it with vinegar to make a fizzy mix.
Wash everything off. Use some clean water to rinse the surface and the grout, and then wipe everything down with a clean cloth.
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What does vinegar do to get rid of mold?
Vinegar is a good and safe way to get rid of light mold in shower grout.

Schrader says, “The vinegar’s acidity breaks up some of the mold structure, and the vinegar film breaks up any films that let it stick to the grout surface.”

Soltynska agrees and says that the acetic acid in vinegar can stop the growth of different types of mold by lowering pH, which breaks down mold cell walls and enzymes.

Soltynska says that vinegar can get rid of some molds and clean the surface, but it won’t get rid of any mold that is deeply rooted and keeps coming back. Soltynska says that if this keeps happening, you should look into what is causing it, like bad heating or ventilation.

How to Keep Mold Out of Shower Grout
Soltynska shares her best tips for keeping mold out of your shower’s grout so you don’t have to deal with it later.

After each use, use a squeegee to wipe down the walls of your shower.
If your grout is broken or porous, you need to re-grout it.
Make sure to always open the windows in your bathroom.
Look at the windows to make sure they aren’t leaking.
Make sure the bathroom is warm in the winter.
Make sure the extractor fan is working right.