Higgs Boson wrote:
I am having a very long and annoying time removing the old caulk from
my tub where it meets the tile wall. Somebody did a terrible job
recaulking, a while back. I tried repeatedly to deal with the mold
exteriorly with various mildewcides. Nothing worked, so I have now
grasped the nettle, and day by day, am chipping away at this train
wreck with various tools, mainly a razor blade in a straight holder.
Ghastly business!

QUESTION: Since I don't ever want to go through this again, I want to
clean/disinfect/whatever the area with the strongest and best
mildewcide on the market before I recaulk.

Everybody has their own favorites. Is there a concensus?

TIA

I got a tip from a pro when I messed up caulking my tub enclosure. He
told me to wipe the area with full strength bleach, let dry, before
caulking. I did that and all was fine. I made sure there was no soap
scum and I usually give a wipe with denatured alcohol before the bleach.

I have seen bad caulk jobs that turned gray from mildew behind the
caulk, and those rough, gloppy caulk jobs that trap debris and water. I
don't think it is as much the type of caulk as it is the preparation and
form....shape the new caulk like a cove molding so it doesn't hold
water. Scrubbing Bubbles is great for normal cleaning to get rid of
soap scum.