You step into the shower and there they are again: black spots in the grout, a greyish edge along the sealant and maybe even a patch on the ceiling. You're definitely not alone. According to the GGD (the Dutch public health service), around one in five households in the Netherlands deals with damp or mould at home.
The good news: you can easily remove small patches yourself, and with a few smart habits it comes back far less quickly. In this article you'll read how mould in the bathroom develops, how to remove it in five steps, which approach works on grout, sealant, ceiling and glass, and when it's better to call in help.
Short answer
You can remove small mould patches in the bathroom yourself. Open a window, wet the patches first and remove them with an approved mould remover or with steam and a brush. Then let everything dry thoroughly. If the mould is deep in the silicone sealant, replace the sealant. Prevent new mould with the GGD's 4 R's: remove, reduce moisture, refresh the air and raise the temperature.
In this article
- How does mould develop in the bathroom?
- Removing mould in 5 steps
- Which approach works where?
- Does a steam cleaner kill mould?
- Preventing mould with the 4 R's
- Frequently asked questions
How does mould develop in the bathroom?
Mould in the bathroom is caused by moisture that can't escape quickly enough.
Every shower releases a lot of water vapour. That warm, humid air condenses on cooler surfaces, such as tiles, grout, sealant edges, mirrors and the ceiling. If those spots stay wet for a long time, mould spores, which float around everywhere in the air, get the chance to grow. Soap residue, skin flakes and limescale in rough grout also give them something to cling to.
In autumn and winter you often see it return faster. Windows stay closed more often and cold outer walls attract condensation. A leak or rising damp in the wall can also be the cause. You'll read more about that further on.
Is mould in the bathroom bad for your health?
Yes, mould in the home can cause respiratory complaints.
According to the GGD, mould spores can irritate the airways. Common complaints are coughing, sneezing, a sore throat, a blocked nose and shortness of breath. People with asthma or allergies are extra sensitive. Mould also doesn't go away by itself. So tackle it straight away, even if you only see a few spots.
What do you need to remove mould?
- Household gloves
- A bucket of lukewarm water and a few clean (microfibre) cloths
- An approved mould remover from the supermarket, recognisable by the authorisation number on the label
- A steam cleaner with a grout brush, such as the Achaté Steam Cleaner PRO V2 or the Achaté Handheld Steam Cleaner PRO (not essential, but it saves a lot of scrubbing)
- A brush for tiles, shower tray and glass, for example the Achaté Electric Cleaning Brush
- A squeegee or window vacuum to dry everything off afterwards
Removing mould in the bathroom in 5 steps
With these five steps you'll tackle mould patches on tiles, grout and sealant edges. You start by ventilating, then you wet the patches, remove the mould, check the sealant and let everything dry thoroughly.
1. Open a window and protect yourself
Open a window or turn the extractor fan to its highest setting, and leave it on while you work. Put on gloves. Do you have asthma or sensitive airways? Then ask someone else to do this job. The GGD gives that advice too.
2. Wet the mould patches first
Mould that you wipe away dry easily turns to powder and ends up in the air. So wet the patches first with a damp cloth, a plant mister or a short burst of steam. Then work with a cloth or soft brush, not with a dry scouring pad.
3. Remove the mould with a mould remover or with steam
There are two good methods, and you can also combine them.
With a mould remover. Use an approved mould remover and follow the instructions on the packaging exactly, including the contact time. You can recognise an approved product by the authorisation number on the label.
With steam. Hot steam loosens grime, soap residue and mould from rough grout, so you can wipe it away with the brush without extra cleaning products. Fit the grout brush to your steam cleaner, hold it about 1.5 cm from the grout and work section by section. According to the manual of the Achaté Steam Cleaner PRO V2, steaming for at least 5 seconds at that distance kills 99.9% of most germs, although the effect varies by surface. Wipe the loosened dirt away immediately with a clean cloth.
Still seeing a grey haze deep in the grout after steaming? Then the mould goes deeper. Treat that spot with a mould remover as well, but only once the grout has cooled down and been wiped dry.
Please note: never mix bleach or chlorine with acidic products such as limescale remover, vinegar or toilet cleaner. This creates a cloud of chlorine gas that irritates your eyes and airways. Bleach combined with limescale remover is one of the most frequently reported household-product accidents at the Dutch National Poisons Information Centre (NVIC). And never put cleaning products in the water tank of your steam cleaner. Only clean water goes in there.
4. Check the sealant: clean or replace?
Silicone sealant is soft and slightly porous. Surface grime often comes off, but black dots that are inside the sealant won't disappear, no matter how often you scrub. If the mould is deep in sealant, wood or plaster, the GGD advises replacing the material. That's less work than it sounds:
- Cut away the old sealant with a sealant remover or a sharp blade.
- Clean the joint, degrease it and let it dry completely.
- Apply new sanitary sealant into the joint and smooth it out.
- Let the sealant cure for the time stated on the tube, and only shower again after that.
Renting your home? Then contact your landlord.
5. Rinse, squeegee and let it dry
Wipe everything down with clean water and dry the tiles and glass with a squeegee or window vacuum. Then let the bathroom air out properly until everything is dry, including the wall or ceiling. Wash your cloths afterwards. The microfibre pads of the Steam Cleaner PRO V2 are machine washable, without bleach or fabric softener.
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Which approach works where in the bathroom?
Not every spot in the bathroom calls for the same approach. The table shows what works for each spot and what to watch out for.
Removing mould by spot in the bathroom
| Spot | How to tackle it | Handy tool | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tile grout | Steam with a grout brush, or an approved mould remover | Steam Cleaner PRO V2 or Handheld Steam Cleaner PRO with grout brush | If a grey haze remains, the mould goes deeper |
| Silicone sealant | Light grime: mould remover. Black inside the sealant: replace | Sealant remover and new sanitary sealant | Scrubbing and steaming won't remove ingrown mould |
| Ceiling and wall (paint or plaster) | Approved mould remover, then let it dry thoroughly | A cloth or sponge, not too wet | No steam on plaster or paint. If it comes back, look for the cause |
| Shower wall and glass | Brush away soap residue and limescale, then squeegee dry | Electric Cleaning Brush and Window Vacuum | Squeegeeing after every shower prevents new build-up |
| Shower tray and drain | Scrub and follow up with steam | Cleaning brush with pointed brush head, steam jet nozzle | Don't use a brass brush on enamel or acrylic |
| Shower curtain and bath mat | In the washing machine, following the care label | – | Spread them out to dry after showering |
Does vinegar or chlorine help against mould?
Vinegar is great against limescale, but it's not an approved mould remover. Chlorine works fast, but calls for caution.
Vinegar dissolves limescale and soap scum, which removes part of the breeding ground for mould. For the mould itself, the GGD recommends an approved product with an authorisation number. Don't use vinegar on natural stone, because the acid damages the stone.
Mould cleaners containing chlorine quickly turn black spots white. If you choose one, pick a product with an authorisation number, ventilate well and never mix it with other products.
Does a steam cleaner kill mould?
A steam cleaner is great against mould on hard, smooth surfaces such as tiles and grout, but it won't remove mould that is deep in sealant, plaster or wood.
Steam comes out of the nozzle at around 100 °C, loosens grime and works without cleaning products. Keep the nozzle close to the surface, because steam cools down quickly in the air. For ingrown mould and spots that keep coming back, the approach stays the same: replace the material and tackle the cause.
Which steam cleaner suits your bathroom?
- The Achaté Steam Cleaner PRO V2 is a floor and handheld steam cleaner in one. With 3.5 bar steam pressure and an 800 ml water tank, you can do the walls, grout and bathroom floor in one go. Two grout brushes come in the box as standard.
- The Achaté Handheld Steam Cleaner PRO is compact and ready to use in about 3 to 5 minutes. Handy for a quick round of grout, taps and the shower door.
All Achaté steam cleaners run on tap water. Test on an inconspicuous spot if you're unsure about a material, and don't use steam on untreated wood, unglazed tiles or other heat-sensitive materials.
Preventing mould in the bathroom: the 4 R's
Removing mould is step one, making sure it stays away is step two. The GGD sums this up in four steps, which we've called the 4 R's. Here's how to apply them in your bathroom.
Remove
Remove mould spots straight away, even if there are only a few. The smaller the patch, the faster you're done.
Reduce moisture
Shower for a maximum of 5 minutes and keep the bathroom door closed. After showering, dry the tiles, grout and walls with a squeegee or towel. Dry towels outside or in the dryer.
Refresh the air
Set the extractor fan to its highest setting while showering and let it run for about half an hour afterwards. Do you have ventilation grilles? Keep them open day and night and vacuum them clean now and then. Never switch the ventilation system off completely.
Raise the temperature
Keep your home at 18 °C during the day and no lower than 15 °C at night. Warm walls attract less condensation. Do you have underfloor heating or a newer ventilation system? Then a temperature that's as constant as possible is often better. If in doubt, ask your installer or landlord for advice.
Extra tip: measure the humidity with a hygrometer. One costs around 10 to 20 euros. A good indoor humidity level is between 40 and 60 percent. Right after showering, it's always higher in the bathroom. What matters is that it drops quickly again afterwards.
The minute after your shower
We get it: after a shower you've got better things to do than clean the bathroom. That's why we keep it simple: squeegee the shower wall dry in a few strokes and leave the extractor fan running. With the Achaté Window Vacuum that's extra quick. It has a 28 cm working width, sucks up the water instantly and lasts about 40 minutes on a single charge. That way, very little moisture is left behind for mould to grow on.
When should you call in help?
Does the mould keep coming back, or is it more than a few spots? Then there may be a structural problem, such as a leak, rising damp or ventilation that isn't working properly. In that case, ask a professional for advice or, if you rent, your landlord. Can't work it out together? Then the GGD can help think it through.
Conclusion: how to keep your bathroom mould-free
You tackle mould in the bathroom in two rounds. First you remove it: ventilate, wet the patches, remove them with an approved mould remover or with steam, replace the sealant if needed and let everything dry thoroughly. Then you use the 4 R's to make sure it doesn't come back. That way you spend less time scrubbing and have more time left for the fun stuff.
Want to do it without bottles and without scrubbing? Then check out the Achaté steam cleaners or the Electric Cleaning Brush. Also read how to clean grout easily, how to clean tiles with a steam cleaner and how to remove mould from your mattress.
Frequently asked questions about mould in the bathroom
How do you get black mould out of grout?
You get black mould out of grout by wetting the grout first and then steaming it with a grout brush or treating it with an approved mould remover. Wipe away the loosened dirt and let the grout dry thoroughly. If a grey haze remains, the mould goes deeper and you treat the spot once more with a mould remover.
Should you replace mouldy silicone sealant?
Yes, if the black dots are inside the sealant. You won't get those out by scrubbing or steaming. You can first try to remove surface grime with an approved mould remover.
Is mould in the bathroom harmful?
Mould can cause respiratory complaints, such as coughing, sneezing, a sore throat, a blocked nose and shortness of breath. People with asthma or allergies are extra sensitive. So remove mould straight away and make sure there's less moisture in the bathroom.
Does a steam cleaner kill mould?
A steam cleaner tackles mould on hard, smooth surfaces such as tiles and grout well. Steam at around 100 °C loosens grime and works without cleaning products. Mould that is deep in sealant, plaster or wood won't disappear with it. Replacing is the best solution there.
Can you mix chlorine and vinegar?
No. If you mix bleach or chlorine with something acidic, such as vinegar, limescale remover or toilet cleaner, it creates a cloud of chlorine gas that irritates your eyes and airways. Always use cleaning products separately and rinse thoroughly in between.
Why does mould keep coming back in my bathroom?
Mould usually comes back because too much moisture lingers: long showers, too little ventilation or a cold bathroom. Tackle those causes with the 4 R's. If it still keeps coming back after that, there may be a structural problem and you should ask a professional or your landlord for advice.
How do you prevent mould on the bathroom ceiling?
You prevent mould on the ceiling by ventilating well during and after showering, keeping the bathroom warm and wiping away condensation. Warm, humid air rises and condenses on the cooler ceiling, which is why you often see spots appear there first.
What humidity level is good in the bathroom?
A good indoor humidity level is between 40 and 60 percent. Right after showering, it's always higher in the bathroom. What matters is that the humidity drops quickly again afterwards, for example by leaving the extractor fan running for another half hour.
