Cleaning a Bath Tub to avoid Concerns

Cleaning the Bath Tub to avoid Concerns

November 29th, 2009

One of the things I am frequently instructing home owners to do is to clean the caulk in their showers where the tub meets the tile. Most homes seem to have the Black Mildew building up in this location, and this is a problem for two reasons. Primarily, it’s just gross. That’s a life form growing there… Need I say more? And secondly, it creates a Concern in buyers’ minds because from far away, you do not know if the Black is mildew, or a gap in the caulking. Ask yourself, “Who wants to buy a home with a bath that has cracks in the caulking in the tub/shower?”

I wouldn’t want to buy a home if I thought there were gaps in the caulking where water was regularly. It makes me wonder what surprises are hiding behind the tile? And where else could this water have run off to? What other damage/mold is hiding, etc.?

These are all BAD questions to be raised in a buyer’s mind. And cleaning the bath is a simple process, costing primarily your time and effort. The Stage Coach was planning on doing his own video of this project, but he found one already done.

If you really want this job to be easy, there is no substitute for regular cleaning of the Bath/shower. But you could also consider having a squeegee handy to do the walls after a shower or bath, much for the same reasons J.J. uses a towel to wipe the bath down after cleaning.

This video attempts to “Greek” the products being shown, as to not show favor to a particular product. The Stage Coach is not so considerate! Tilex is a great product to use on Mildew, as is Lysol Gel with Bleach. Simple Green, as used in the video as a bath cleaner, is probably not the best product, but would work. We’re personally fans of the Scrubbing Bubbles Guys – though Dow Chemical does not have the best Environmental track record. Try to remember, Simple Green’s claim is that it is Non-toxic, and that only means it won’t kill you if you drink it. That does not mean it’ s Eco-friendly or does not contain harmful chemicals. For an eco-friendly alternative on the caulk, you can use vinegar, or as The Stage Coach has previously used, a Shark Hand Steamer and toothbrush with no chemicals what-so-ever.