I hear you on the glass doors—no matter how careful you are, they always seem to catch every stray drop and smudge. Squeegeeing is a solid habit, though. I’ve seen a lot of folks skip it and end up with hard water stains that are way tougher to deal with than a little daily maintenance.
One thing I’m curious about: have you checked if your bathroom fan is actually venting outside? I’ve run into a surprising number of homes where the fan just dumps moist air into the attic or, worse, nowhere at all. That can make a huge difference in how much moisture lingers after a shower. If the fan’s not up to par, even the best cleaning routine can only do so much.
Also, for anyone dealing with persistent mold, sometimes it’s worth looking at the caulking and grout. If they’re starting to break down, moisture can sneak behind the tiles and cause issues you can’t see until it’s a bigger problem. Ever had to re-caulk or re-grout because of mold, or has the squeegee routine kept things under control?
have you checked if your bathroom fan is actually venting outside? I’ve run into a surprising number of homes where the fan just dumps moist air into the attic or, worse, nowhere at all.
This is exactly what happened in our place. We thought the fan was working fine, but turns out it was just blowing steam straight into the attic... Not great. Ended up running a new vent line through the roof—bit of a pain, but the difference was huge. Shower dries out so much faster now.
About the caulking and grout—yeah, we had to re-caulk last year. The old stuff looked okay on the surface, but there was black mold hiding underneath. Here’s what worked for us:
1. Cut out all the old caulk with a utility knife.
2. Scrubbed the joint with bleach solution and let it dry overnight.
3. Applied new 100% silicone caulk (the kind labeled for bathrooms).
4. Smoothed it out with a wet finger and let it cure for a full day before using the shower.
Since then, with daily squeegeeing and the vent fixed, no more mold. Honestly, if you see even a little black or cracking in the caulk, it’s worth just redoing it before it gets gross.
That attic venting thing is way more common than people realize. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened up a ceiling and found the fan just dumping all that damp air into the insulation or, worse, just rattling around in the joist space. It’s like an open invitation for mold and rot. Glad you got yours sorted out—makes a world of difference, doesn’t it?
On the caulk front, I’m with you—if it even looks a little sketchy, it’s time to rip it out. I’ve seen folks try to just bleach the surface and call it good, but that stuff always creeps back from underneath. One trick I picked up: after cleaning out the old caulk and letting everything dry, I’ll run a hair dryer over the joint for a few minutes before putting in new silicone. Might be overkill, but it helps make sure there’s zero moisture left hiding in there.
Funny thing is, I used to be pretty lazy about squeegeeing after showers myself. Thought it was a waste of time. But after seeing how much less gunk builds up when you actually do it? Now I’m that annoying guy reminding everyone to give the glass a quick swipe before they hop out.
One other hack for anyone who hates scrubbing grout: switching to larger format tiles with thinner grout lines next time you remodel saves so much hassle down the line. Less grout = less chance for mold to get cozy.
Anyway, sounds like you’re on top of it now. Once you get those basics sorted—good venting, fresh caulk, and keeping things dry—it’s honestly not that hard to keep mold at bay. Just gotta stay ahead of it before things get gross... which is way easier said than done if you’ve got teenagers who think towels are optional.
That hair dryer trick is gold—never thought to do that, but it makes total sense. Moisture hiding in those joints is sneaky, and silicone just won’t stick right if there’s even a hint left. I’ll sometimes leave a fan running for a couple hours after pulling out old caulk, but your way’s probably faster and more thorough.
Couldn’t agree more about the vent fans. I’ve lost count of how many “vented” bathrooms I’ve opened up, only to find the duct just pointed at the attic insulation, or worse, nowhere at all. Folks think they’re doing the right thing by running the fan, but if it’s not actually venting outside, you might as well be blowing into a shoebox. I usually tell people: if you can’t see daylight at the end of the vent pipe (or feel air moving outside), it’s time to check what’s going on up there.
On grout—yeah, larger tiles are a game-changer. I did a job last year where we swapped out old 4x4s for big 12x24s, and the difference in maintenance is night and day. Less scrubbing, less sealing, less everything. Only thing I’d add is to watch out for those “no grout” installs some folks try to push—grout isn’t just about looks, it keeps water from sneaking between tiles and causing trouble underneath.
I’m curious—has anyone tried one of those new antimicrobial grouts or caulks? I’ve had mixed results. Some seem to hold up better against mold, others not so much. Wondering if it’s worth the extra cost or just marketing hype.
And yeah, keeping things dry is half the battle... but convincing teenagers to actually squeegee or hang up towels? That’s a whole other project. If anyone’s cracked that code, I’m all ears.
I hear you on the antimicrobial caulks and grouts. I’ve tried a couple brands—some seem to work for a year or two, but eventually, if folks aren’t keeping things dry, mold finds a way. Honestly, nothing beats just wiping down after showers... but getting my own kids to do it is like herding cats. Have you ever had luck with those automatic shower cleaners? I’ve been tempted to try one in my rental units but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.