<p>What can I do to get rid of the mildew stains (aka “black gook”) that forms around the edges of sinks and especially the edge of the bathtub?</p>
<p>I have already tried scrubbing and scrubbing with bleach…and the black gook is still sitting there smirking at me.</p>
<p>Is the only alternative to living with the disgusing stuff to re-grout the tub and sink? (I really don’t want to face dh with that option!)</p>
<p>Are you talking about the stuff that’s growing in the plastic sealant (not grout) that joins the wall and the tub?</p>
<p>Because if that’s where you’ve got mildew, you need to scrape it out, dry the area out with a hairdryer or somesuch, and reapply the sealant, because you now have moisture trapped in the wall–which you really don’t want. </p>
<p>However, because it’s not grout, it’s not that hard to get out, really. I’ve done it myself.</p>
<p>I have used stuff called kaboom (or something like that) in a purple bottle. It’s pretty toxic though, you need gloves and you don’t want to breathe it.</p>
<p>Baking soda and bleach. Trowel it on, and it sits in the cracks and crevices. Wait 20 minutes to half an hour, rinse off.</p>
<p>I lay down a line of the bleach gel that comes in a little tube (made by Chlorox) on that pesky mildew and let it sit for a good long while. Sounds like the expensive version of what mom2three uses. Scrubbing doesn’t work.</p>
<p>Bleach. Steam. I’ve had some luck with my household steamer. But as stated above, I’ve also found that sometimes the caulk just has to be re-done if the mildew has taken hold “within”. It really is simple to do, you just need dry conditions.</p>
<p>I use that anti-mildew stuff—comes in all brands in all kinds of bottles. It stinks, but it does the job. Don’t even have to scrub!</p>
<p>I have the same gook on the edges of the painted bathroom ceiling. Would all of the above work without ruining the paint?</p>
<p>Sorry for hijacking, cockatiel!</p>
<p>There is probably a buildup of soap scum as well as mildew. Just using mildew remover doesn’t work in my shower because it’s “covered” with a thin layer of soap buildup. Soap buildup is obvious in the bottom of the shower or tub- it’s a generalized “gray” discoloration. I use a soap scum remover first- spray everything down and use a brush or scrubbie to loosen up the grayish scum, and rinse. After that step, I spray everything down with a mildew remover and scrub, especially in the grout joints, then rinse.</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>I assume you do not know that the word “gook” is an offensive derogatory slang term. Sorry to bring it up, but everytime I look at the title of this thread, it makes me react. Here is the wikipedia definition:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^^ that’s the gook pronounced OO as in boot. The gook OP is talking about is commonly spelled ‘guck’, and is pronounced OO as in look.</p>
<p>Yes thank you, after reading the thread, I knew what she was referring to. But the title alone does not reveal OP’s meaning. I have never seen “guck” spelled “gook,” but it does appear as an alternative spelling in the dictionary.</p>
<p>I’ll be honest, when I read the thread title what Bay was pointing out jumped immediately to my mind. Happy this wasn’t along those lines. :P</p>
<p>lol. I had no idea. Learned something new!</p>
<p>I remember years ago moving into a shared home after college that had been inhabited by mostly men. I inherited their gross bathroom. I remember using a product called “X-14” with great results. The heavily slimed black bathroom was disgusting, but spraying the X-14 (with good ventilation) and letting it sit a while had the tile and grout sparkling. I may have had to use an old toothbrush on a few of the tougher areas, but I recall being pretty impressed with the product.</p>
<p>Try soaking some cotton balls in bleach and then wedging a row of them around the edge of the sink or bathtub where the black stuff is. Leave it sit for a few hours and it may be gone when you get back. I do this around my shower door and it works. Don’t do it on marble though. I did that near my sink and it took the polish off.</p>
<p>Sorry for the slang useage. I had no idea! </p>
<p>Seriously, I do apologize to all. I have learned new today!</p>
<p>And I do appreciate all the black goo comments – this is helpful!</p>
<p>If you have a lot of black mildew on the ceiling, and you are in a duplex with an apartment above you - there may be a leak in the shower pan of the bathroom above you. (Happened to my daughter’s duplex, and it was bad, realllllll bad. Ended up with mold over everything.) If this is the case, talk to your landlord asap!</p>
<p>We don’t have an upstairs. I think it’s just mildew, but it’s yucky. Do you think spraying it with bleach will ruin the paint?</p>
<p>There is a mildew product that comes in a container that looks like two containers joined together. When you spray it on, the two ingredients are combined and they begin to do their thing. It works wonders even on the deep stuff. I’ll try to find out what it is. It’s made by a nbame brand company and I buy it at the grocery store. Its a miracle.</p>