Seven years ago I stripped out the old caulk around the base of the tub
surround. The last caulking was at installation seven years prior but this
last seven it has grown faster and further. So, is there an anti-fungal
caulk? I looked in the box stores and asked the help but no go in both.
Any ideas? Chuck
PS Yes, we have a fan and use it.

On Nov 22, 10:10*pm, "C & E" wrote:
Seven years ago I stripped out the old caulk around the base of the tub
surround. *The last caulking was at installation seven years prior but this
last seven it has grown faster and further. *So, is there an anti-fungal
caulk? *I looked in the box stores and asked the help but no go in both..
Any ideas? *Chuck
PS Yes, we have a fan and use it.

You need a really clean surface for caulk to seal and to have no mold.
After all caulk is removed I would kill any mold with laundry bleach,
treat the area with some sort of acid, maybe Lime Away or Muriatic
acid [ which will cause problems you have to be carefull of] to
remove all residue that will keep new caulk from bonding to the
ceramic rather than to lime and soap scum. then scrub the area real
clean with a regular soap. I bet water leaks behind and caulk didnt
bond to contaminents. Try laundry bleach now to see if it clears
anything up, and your bath area is to humid, it isnt the caulk, its
the wall.

C & E wrote:
Seven years ago I stripped out the old caulk around the base of the tub
surround. The last caulking was at installation seven years prior but
this last seven it has grown faster and further. So, is there an
anti-fungal caulk? I looked in the box stores and asked the help but no
go in both. Any ideas? Chuck
PS Yes, we have a fan and use it.

It is amazing how much soap scum can cling to tile and not be obvious.
Cut/scrape out the old caulk. Use razor scraper to scrape crud from
tile. Use CLR and non-abrasive plastic scrubber to clean tile. Wipe
area to be caulked with full-strength bleach, let dry. Shape the new
caulk like a cove molding...little round "ropes" of caulk trap water and
crud that grows mold.

I keep the shower curtain "stacked" in the middle of the rod so's air
circulates to both sides of shower...seems to help. Still get a little
mildew down in back corners, but not much. Have timer on the exhaust
fan and generally run it about 1/2 hr. after shower.

wrote in message
m...
C & E wrote:
Seven years ago I stripped out the old caulk around the base of the tub
surround. The last caulking was at installation seven years prior but
this last seven it has grown faster and further. So, is there an
anti-fungal caulk? I looked in the box stores and asked the help but
no go in both. Any ideas? Chuck
PS Yes, we have a fan and use it.
.................................................. ......
It is amazing how much soap scum can cling to tile and not be obvious.
Cut/scrape out the old caulk. Use razor scraper to scrape crud from
tile. Use CLR and non-abrasive plastic scrubber to clean tile. Wipe
area to be caulked with full-strength bleach, let dry. Shape the new
caulk like a cove molding...little round "ropes" of caulk trap water and
crud that grows mold.

I keep the shower curtain "stacked" in the middle of the rod so's air
circulates to both sides of shower...seems to help. Still get a little
mildew down in back corners, but not much. Have timer on the exhaust
fan and generally run it about 1/2 hr. after shower.

OK, gotta stack the curtain. We spread it to prevent mild on the curtain
but those liners are only a sacraficial $1. All else is spot on. Thanks,
Chuck

"Jeff The Drunk" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:10:35 -0500, "C & E"
wrote:

Seven years ago I stripped out the old caulk around the base of the tub
surround. The last caulking was at installation seven years prior but
this
last seven it has grown faster and further. So, is there an anti-fungal
caulk? I looked in the box stores and asked the help but no go in both.
Any ideas? Chuck
PS Yes, we have a fan and use it.

DAP Silicone Ultra All-Purpose 100% Silicone Sealant w/Microban.

http://www.dap.com/docs/energystar/silicone_ultra.aspx

Or other brands with anti-microbial properties. However the best
defense is keeping it clean and applying it so it doesn't retain
water. A shot with something like Clorox Cleanup a couple times a week
doesn't take long and insures that mold or other microbes won't get
a foothold in the first place.

Thanks. This is new since the last time I caulked, I believe. I can't get
the rest of the family to wipe down the walls after shower and spray the
after-bath cleaning/ anti-fungal products.

C & E wrote:

wrote in message
m...
C & E wrote:
Seven years ago I stripped out the old caulk around the base of the
tub surround. The last caulking was at installation seven years
prior but this last seven it has grown faster and further. So, is
there an anti-fungal caulk? I looked in the box stores and asked
the help but no go in both. Any ideas? Chuck
PS Yes, we have a fan and use it.
.................................................. .....
It is amazing how much soap scum can cling to tile and not be
obvious. Cut/scrape out the old caulk. Use razor scraper to scrape
crud from tile. Use CLR and non-abrasive plastic scrubber to clean
tile. Wipe area to be caulked with full-strength bleach, let dry.
Shape the new caulk like a cove molding...little round "ropes" of
caulk trap water and crud that grows mold.

I keep the shower curtain "stacked" in the middle of the rod so's
air circulates to both sides of shower...seems to help. Still get a
little mildew down in back corners, but not much. Have timer on the
exhaust fan and generally run it about 1/2 hr. after shower.

OK, gotta stack the curtain. We spread it to prevent mild on the
curtain but those liners are only a sacraficial $1. All else is spot
on. Thanks, Chuck

I have a clear, heavy vinyl shower curtain....it gets nasty, but I take
it down and put it in the washer with a couple of towels. Gets a little
stuck-together but not to an irritating extent ) When they are shot,
I wash them and save for drop cloths. Present curtain has been washed
at least 4 or 5 times.

In article ,
wrote:
C & E wrote:
Seven years ago I stripped out the old caulk around the base of the tub
surround. The last caulking was at installation seven years prior but
this last seven it has grown faster and further. So, is there an
anti-fungal caulk? I looked in the box stores and asked the help but no
go in both. Any ideas? Chuck
PS Yes, we have a fan and use it.

It is amazing how much soap scum can cling to tile and not be obvious.
Cut/scrape out the old caulk. Use razor scraper to scrape crud from
tile. Use CLR and non-abrasive plastic scrubber to clean tile. Wipe
area to be caulked with full-strength bleach, let dry. Shape the new
caulk like a cove molding...little round "ropes" of caulk trap water and
crud that grows mold.

I keep the shower curtain "stacked" in the middle of the rod so's air
circulates to both sides of shower...seems to help. Still get a little
mildew down in back corners, but not much. Have timer on the exhaust
fan and generally run it about 1/2 hr. after shower.

For several years now I've used a 2nd (spring-loaded) curtain rod to
hold the curtain out in the middle of the tub (when not in use). The
curtain gets to be spread out, not make contact with anything but the
2nd rod, and allows for ventilation under and around the curtain. The
curtain doesn't build up a crust of bacteria nearly as fast but still
needs to be washed every year or so. The tiny bathrrom also gets a
couple extra square feet of usable floorsapce since once can stand next
to the tub without rubbing against the shower curtain.

m

There is an antifungal paint additve from Linsser.

But I don't think Silicone gets mold the way latex does.

Pour liquid bleach on the mold then cover with a damp cloth to make
the fumes go deep.



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Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist
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There is an antifungal paint additve from Linsser.
But I don't think Silicone gets mold the way latex does.

If its TRUE silicone, the paint won't adhere to it