I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Thanks,
Adam

On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 13:58:57 +0100, Adam Funk wrote:

what is a good way to do
that?

Add washing-up-liquid... say 1 or 2 to 10 bleach to water+"lots" of washing-up
liquid.

As the bleach acts, it reacts to salt, which thickens the washing-up liquid --
or something...


Thomas Prufer

Adam Funk wrote:

I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Baking soda? It seems to be latest "New! Improved!" ingredient in
bleach the shops, maybe you could add enough to make a paste?

On 30/06/16 13:58, Adam Funk wrote:
I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Scrap that.

HG Mould Spray - £3.99 free delivery
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HG-18605010.../dp/B000IU40HQ

Works very well!

--
Adrian C

On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:12:32 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

Smells like bleach, but I reckon there's a long-term fungicide in
there as well that's not included on the list of ingredients.

MSDS says bleach plus lye (aka caustic soda) -- it may just work by attacking
the mould more aggressively because of the lye.

Don't know if a fungicide wouldn't have to be included in the list. I would have
thought so because of the importance of knowing that, in case of a large spill
running into a stream/pond/river... anyone know definitively?


Thomas Prufer

On 2016-06-30, Adam Funk wrote:

I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Never mind, I'm going to try hydrogen peroxide & baking soda (seen on
the intertubes).

On 2016-06-30, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:07:21 +0100, Adrian Caspersz
wrote:

On 30/06/16 13:58, Adam Funk wrote:
I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Scrap that.

HG Mould Spray - £3.99 free delivery
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HG-18605010.../dp/B000IU40HQ

Works very well!

+1

On our third one.

Smells like bleach, but I reckon there's a long-term fungicide in
there as well that's not included on the list of ingredients.

I'll get some if the hydrogen peroxide & baking soda trick doesn't
work. I usually use a "daily shower spray" as a preventative measure,
but let it go a bit too long recently.

On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 2:07:24 PM UTC+1, Adrian Caspersz wrote:
On 30/06/16 13:58, Adam Funk wrote:
I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Scrap that.

HG Mould Spray - £3.99 free delivery
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HG-18605010.../dp/B000IU40HQ

Works very well!

--
Adrian C

It's bleach

Jonathan

On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:07:21 +0100, Adrian Caspersz
wrote:

On 30/06/16 13:58, Adam Funk wrote:
I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Scrap that.

HG Mould Spray - £3.99 free delivery
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HG-18605010.../dp/B000IU40HQ

Works very well!
+2 excellent stuff, as is their scale remover

Adam Funk wrote in news:epjf4dxgl5.ln2
@news.ducksburg.com:

On 2016-06-30, Adam Funk wrote:

I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Never mind, I'm going to try hydrogen peroxide & baking soda (seen on
the intertubes).


I have never had to do mine - wht is the underlying difference? I never use
bar soap - only Sanex and gels.

On 30/06/2016 2:06 PM, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 13:58:57 +0100, Adam Funk wrote:

what is a good way to do
that?

Add washing-up-liquid... say 1 or 2 to 10 bleach to water+"lots" of washing-up
liquid.

As the bleach acts, it reacts to salt, which thickens the washing-up liquid --
or something...


Thomas Prufer



However, bleach does not kill mould.

There are natural solutions, should you wish to DIY.

First on the search list...
http://wellnessmama.com/1007/natural...grout-cleaner/


....Ray.

RayL12 wrote:

However, bleach does not kill mould.

Did the O/P actually have mould to kill, or just want it whiter?

On Thursday, 30 June 2016 14:00:05 UTC+1, Adam Funk wrote:

I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Thanks,
Adam

Wrong question, wrong method. Slosh a little thin bleach on & forget it. Do it each night until it all looks like new.


NT

On 2016-06-30, Andy Burns wrote:

RayL12 wrote:

However, bleach does not kill mould.

Did the O/P actually have mould to kill, or just want it whiter?

I want it white & have been assuming that the dark bits are
mould/mildew. I'm open to correction on that.

On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 20:47:33 +0100, RayL12 wrote:

However, bleach does not kill mould.

It most certainly does -- both mold and spores.

There are natural solutions, should you wish to DIY.

Using borax? Eh? A quick google:

"Borax is no longer available to the general UK public and has been classified
by the ECHA as a "Reprotoxic Category 2".



Thomas Prufer

On Fri, 01 Jul 2016 10:56:19 +0100, Adam Funk wrote:

I want it white & have been assuming that the dark bits are
mould/mildew. I'm open to correction on that.

They could possibly be algae... though those tend to green or brown.

Bleach will sort those, too.


Thomas Prufer

On 01/07/16 13:28, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 20:47:33 +0100, RayL12 wrote:

However, bleach does not kill mould.

It most certainly does -- both mold and spores.

There are natural solutions, should you wish to DIY.

Using borax? Eh? A quick google:

"Borax is no longer available to the general UK public and has been classified
by the ECHA as a "Reprotoxic Category 2".

As on cue, BigClive is currently advocating washing ya feet in it. Oh
hang on, that's Boric acid ...

How to fix your feet. (Plus bonus purple flames.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPLwczrGikM


--
Adrian C

On Thursday, 30 June 2016 14:00:05 UTC+1, Adam Funk wrote:
I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

A dose of thin bleach shoud do the job. if your house is damp you need better ventilation and a more frequent application. If it is very damp, move.

On 30/06/2016 14:07, Adrian Caspersz wrote:
On 30/06/16 13:58, Adam Funk wrote:
I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Scrap that.

HG Mould Spray - £3.99 free delivery
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HG-18605010.../dp/B000IU40HQ

Works very well!


Emboldened by this endorsement, and the others here, I bought some of
this in an attempt to remove some mould from the silicone sealant around
our shower tray.

**** me sideways, it works!

Cheers
--
Syd

On 30 Jun 2016, Jonathan grunted:

On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 2:07:24 PM UTC+1, Adrian Caspersz wrote:
On 30/06/16 13:58, Adam Funk wrote:
I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

Scrap that.

HG Mould Spray - £3.99 free delivery
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HG-18605010.../dp/B000IU40HQ

Works very well!

It's bleach

No, it's definitely more than just that. Believe me, I've tried
*everything* over the years and the HG stuff absolutely knocks spots off
everything else (no pun intended).

It's absolutely brilliant; but what I *would* say is that for really bad
attacks I've kept going with daily applications for ages (couple of weeks?)
to get good results; however that's for silicone which a few years ago I'd
have written off and replaced (which as any fule no, is a job from hell to
be avoided at all costs)

--
David

On 2016-07-01, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 20:47:33 +0100, RayL12 wrote:

However, bleach does not kill mould.

It most certainly does -- both mold and spores.

There are natural solutions, should you wish to DIY.

Using borax? Eh? A quick google:

"Borax is no longer available to the general UK public and has been classified
by the ECHA as a "Reprotoxic Category 2".

I have most of a kilo of borax that I bought at a hardware store a few
years ago. I'll tell people not to lick the tiles.

On 11 Jul 2016 15:06:13 GMT, Huge wrote:

So much so that I bought 100gm on eBay last week.

Yes, of course. It used to be used on baby bums, ISTR, and boric acid solution
was an eyewash, etc. I don't know when it became toxic, or what one would need
to do for it to be dangerous.

But the USAnians can buy a two-plus kilo box for four US dollars, anywhere
laundry detergents are sold -- it's an "all natural laundry booster". Much
easier to pick up a box there; no ebay required, no postman etc.

And borax is about as natural as bleach, which decomposes to oxygen and table
salt, ISTR.


Thomas Prufer

On Monday, 11 July 2016 18:10:02 UTC+1, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On 11 Jul 2016 15:06:13 GMT, Huge wrote:

So much so that I bought 100gm on eBay last week.

Yes, of course. It used to be used on baby bums, ISTR, and boric acid solution
was an eyewash, etc. I don't know when it became toxic, or what one would need
to do for it to be dangerous.

But the USAnians can buy a two-plus kilo box for four US dollars, anywhere
laundry detergents are sold -- it's an "all natural laundry booster". Much
easier to pick up a box there; no ebay required, no postman etc.

And borax is about as natural as bleach, which decomposes to oxygen and table
salt, ISTR.


Thomas Prufer

borax is less toxic than table salt.


NT

On Mon, 11 Jul 2016 12:34:49 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

borax is less toxic than table salt.

No:

http://www.intralabs.co.uk/user/Borax%20MSDS%20Intralabs.pdf

says:

"RISK PHRASES
R60 May impair fertility.
R61 May cause harm to the unborn child."


Thomas Prufer

On 11/07/16 21:08, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jul 2016 12:34:49 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

borax is less toxic than table salt.

No:

http://www.intralabs.co.uk/user/Borax%20MSDS%20Intralabs.pdf

says:

"RISK PHRASES
R60 May impair fertility.
R61 May cause harm to the unborn child."

Found naturally in Death Valley, California, where I was earlier this
year standing on the salt flats, so white.

Given the fuss they make on labeling cables with 'Handling the cord on
this product will expose you to lead, a chemical known to the State of
California to cause [cancer, and] birth defects or other reproductive
harm' I then might be surprised they let people visit.

--
Adrian C

On Monday, 11 July 2016 21:08:12 UTC+1, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jul 2016 12:34:49 -0700 (PDT), tabbypurr wrote:

borax is less toxic than table salt.

No:

http://www.intralabs.co.uk/user/Borax%20MSDS%20Intralabs.pdf

says:

"RISK PHRASES
R60 May impair fertility.
R61 May cause harm to the unborn child."


Thomas Prufer

I see we have a moron. When you know the LD50s for borax & NaCl, and know what the deal is behind the fertility nonsense, get back to us.


NT

On Mon, 11 Jul 2016 15:31:29 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I see we have a moron. When you know the LD50s for borax & NaCl, and know what the deal is behind the fertility nonsense, get back to us.

https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/s...erm+@DOCNO+328

Borax:
"/OTHER TOXICITY INFORMATION/ Fatal doses for humans are variously estimated to
be 5 to 6 g for children and 10 to 25 g for adults."

http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/si...rm+@DOCNO+6368
Sodium chloride:
"The estimated fatal dose of sodium chloride is approximately 0.75 to 3.00
g/kg."


Furthermore, LD50 is not perhaps the best measure of toxicity in this case.


Now **** off.


Thomas Prufer

On Tuesday, 12 July 2016 08:15:54 UTC+1, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jul 2016 15:31:29 -0700 (PDT), tabbypurr wrote:

I see we have a moron. When you know the LD50s for borax & NaCl, and know what the deal is behind the fertility nonsense, get back to us.

https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/s...erm+@DOCNO+328

Borax:
"/OTHER TOXICITY INFORMATION/ Fatal doses for humans are variously estimated to
be 5 to 6 g for children and 10 to 25 g for adults."

http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/si...rm+@DOCNO+6368
Sodium chloride:
"The estimated fatal dose of sodium chloride is approximately 0.75 to 3.00
g/kg."


Furthermore, LD50 is not perhaps the best measure of toxicity in this case.


Now **** off.


Thomas Prufer

Variously estimated versus LD50, which is actual real data. Need I say more.


NT

On Mon, 11 Jul 2016 21:42:46 +0100, Adrian Caspersz wrote:

Found naturally in Death Valley, California, where I was earlier this
year standing on the salt flats, so white.

Yeah -- though being found naturally doesn't make it safe. "Natural" being
equated with "safe" is just wrong...

Nonetheless, I'd visit Death Valley, and also use borax.

But the original point was that supposedly bleach doesn't kill mold -- it does,
spores, too.

And that one should use a "natural" cleaner instead. One consisted of borax,
baking soda and vinegar: The mix of baking soda and vinegar will foam
impressively, and not do much else. And borax: good fungicide for the long term,
but water-soluble and washed off tiles and grout too easily.

So, unsuitable, hard to get, expensive, when compared to bleach.

The other "natural" alternative offered is hydrogen peroxide, which is also not
nearly as readily available as bleach, particularly in anything above 3%.

I don't know why borax is now classed as reprotoxic -- but I do know that
hydrogen peroxide is a lot less available than it was previously...


Thomas Prufer

On 2016-07-12, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Mon, 11 Jul 2016 21:42:46 +0100, Adrian Caspersz wrote:

Found naturally in Death Valley, California, where I was earlier this
year standing on the salt flats, so white.

Yeah -- though being found naturally doesn't make it safe. "Natural" being
equated with "safe" is just wrong...

asbestos, hemlock, ...

Nonetheless, I'd visit Death Valley, and also use borax.

But the original point was that supposedly bleach doesn't kill mold -- it does,
spores, too.

And that one should use a "natural" cleaner instead. One consisted of borax,
baking soda and vinegar: The mix of baking soda and vinegar will foam
impressively, and not do much else. And borax: good fungicide for the long term,
but water-soluble and washed off tiles and grout too easily.

So, unsuitable, hard to get, expensive, when compared to bleach.

The other "natural" alternative offered is hydrogen peroxide, which is also not
nearly as readily available as bleach, particularly in anything above 3%.

I don't know why borax is now classed as reprotoxic -- but I do know that
hydrogen peroxide is a lot less available than it was previously...

For some reason hydrogen peroxide is now only available (at least in
pharmacies) as 6%.

On Tuesday, 12 July 2016 10:42:23 UTC+1, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jul 2016 21:42:46 +0100, Adrian Caspersz wrote:

But the original point was that supposedly bleach doesn't kill mold -- it does,
spores, too.

And that one should use a "natural" cleaner instead. One consisted of borax,
baking soda and vinegar: The mix of baking soda and vinegar will foam
impressively, and not do much else. And borax: good fungicide for the long term,
but water-soluble and washed off tiles and grout too easily.

So, unsuitable, hard to get, expensive, when compared to bleach.

bleach is far cheaper, and the logical option for tiles. Diluting it & rinsing it off are counterproductive of course.

I don't know why borax is now classed as reprotoxic

some of us do. In short it's baloney.


NT

On 2016-06-30, Adam Funk wrote:

I've been working on tidying up the grout in the shower by applying
thick bleach with a paintbrush, leaving it for a while, then rinsing
it off. I'm wondering --- would it be more effective if I made it
even thicker so it stayed in place better, & what is a good way to do
that?

I've started spraying hydrogen peroxide on the grout & sealant
recently, & that seems to work better.