Kitchen item banishes mould from silicone sealant and makes it 'impossible to grow back'

Sep 01, 2023

Cleaning mould from the silicone sealant in your bathroom can feel impossible at times - but cleaning experts have said there's a 29p kitchen staple that removes it in no time

We all know how important it is to keep on top of cleaning our bathroom. With the amount of warm and damp air that circulates around the room whenever we have a shower, it's the place most prone to growing mould. And while cleaning down your shower glass and making sure you keep a window open is easy, some parts can be harder to keep shiny.

The silicone sealant around your shower and sink is designed to keep water off but after a while, water can build up on the surface of the sealant and mould can begin to grow. If left for too long, this mould can feel as though it's impossible to remove from the silicone surface - but there's an easy solution for getting rid of it.

According to cleaning experts at Fantastic Services, reaching for bleach and other chemicals isn't always "the best option" for dealing with mould in your sealant, and you should instead try a more natural cleaning product - baking soda. You can pick up baking soda - also known as bicarbonate of soda - for as little as 65p from Tesco, and the common cooking item is often praised by cleaning fans for being able to tackle a variety of jobs around the home.

Speaking to The Express, the experts said baking soda "works great" as a mould remover, and in order to use it, you should mix it with a bit of water to form a thick paste. Then, simply spread the paste onto the mouldy area and let it sit for a while, before using an old toothbrush to scrub the mould away. Finish off by rinsing the area with fresh water.

And if you want to make sure your sealant has the best chance of staying mould free, then you should consider using another popular kitchen item - vinegar. White vinegar is used in cooking but is also a beloved cleaning product that can be used as a "brilliant mould deterrent", according to plumbing experts at PlumbNation.

They said: "Its acidity makes it impossible for mould to grow, and vinegar can clean up to 82 per cent of mould species." All you need to do to make use of the vinegar is to spray it onto the affected area and white the surface with warm water after an hour. Then, just dry the surface with a towel to prevent any mould re-growth.

It is worth households keeping a bottle of vinegar handy in the bathroom and spraying it onto mould-prone surfaces every few days. You can buy it from Tesco for just 29p.

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