Keeping mold away from your shower—my favorite lazy hack

Not sure I’d trust it in a shower that gets hammered daily, though… still feels like the regular sealers have the edge for heavy use.

I’ve had the same experience with eco sealers—tried skipping the sanding step once and regretted it. The finish just didn’t blend right, especially where water hits hardest. For showers, I always do a quick scuff sand with 220 grit, wipe down, then apply two thin coats. It’s a bit more work but way less patchy. Honestly, for heavy-use spots, I still lean toward the old-school stuff too... eco options just don’t seem to hold up as long in my house.

Title: Keeping mold away from your shower—my favorite lazy hack

I get where you’re coming from on the eco sealers, but I’ve actually had better luck than I expected. Tried out the AFM Safecoat Polyureseal on a rental last year (main bath, three teenagers, constant use), and it’s still holding up pretty well. Key for me was making sure everything was bone dry before sealing and taking my time with really thin coats. Didn’t bother with sanding in between and, yeah, it’s not as glassy as the old stuff, but I’ll take the tradeoff for less fumes.

Honestly, I think a lot depends on the ventilation. If you’ve got a fan that actually gets used and you squeegee after showers, even the greener stuff can hang in there longer than you’d think. Not saying it’s totally bulletproof—if you’re dealing with hard water or someone who leaves puddles everywhere, the classic sealers probably win. But I’m getting lazier as I go, and the eco route hasn’t let me down (yet).

Funny thing, I used to be all about the heavy-duty, “never have to touch it again” approach, but now I’d rather do a quick re-coat every couple years than deal with that chemical smell. Guess it comes down to what you’re willing to put up with... and how much you trust the people using the shower not to treat it like a car wash.

Curious if anyone’s tried mixing the two—like, eco sealer on most surfaces, then just hitting the grout lines or corners with the hardcore stuff? Might be a decent compromise if you want to keep things simple but still protected.

Mixing eco and traditional sealers actually works better than you’d think. Did that exact thing in my own place last year—used the heavy-duty stuff just on the grout lines and corners where mold loves to sneak in. Rest got the low-fume sealer. No issues so far, and I don’t miss the chemical headache. Like you said,

“I’d rather do a quick re-coat every couple years than deal with that chemical smell.”

Honestly, I get the appeal of mixing sealers, but I went all-in on the eco stuff last time and haven’t had mold issues—just made sure to scrub down the corners every week. Maybe it’s more about keeping things dry than what you use? My fan’s not even that great, but so far, so good.

I’m with you on the eco route—tried a homemade vinegar spray for a while and it worked surprisingly well. Still, I’ve noticed in some client bathrooms, even with regular cleaning, mold sneaks in if there’s poor airflow. I always suggest adding a little shelf or hook to keep stuff off the floor so water doesn’t pool. Sometimes it’s the little layout tweaks that make the biggest difference.