Bathroom mildew?

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Hello, i need some help with the terrible mildew all around my bath please.

I know i need to cut it out, but what should i cut it with, and do i cut it right out so i can see the small gap between the bath and the wall.

I have some of that white filler to put around the bath, but do i have to buy a special one for mildew, and do i just fill the gap around the bath or do i have to smooth it down with something, and also how long do i have to wait before i can use the bath.

Many thanks for any replies.
 
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Make sure you use a good make of silicone like Unibond, I used a Wickes anti-mold one at the weekend (it was all I could get late on a Sunday) it was awful to use. Loads of Youtube videos and guides on the web. Stanley blades are useful, took me about a day to do remove all the old from around a bath.
 
Use (carefully) a sharp stanley blade, make sure you get it all. Then clean with white spirit, then clean damp cloth, let it dry thoroughly then re-seal. Get a slight smooth downward slope on the sealer so that water can't sit on the seal. Job done.
 
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Honeybea,
good advice from the other posters but if youre like me you will get the sealant all over the place and it wont look very neat when its finished.
I solved this by sticking masking tape to the bath where you want the seal to finish. Then do the same on the tiles above, run your sealant round the joint and smooth it down. Its no problem if it goes on the tape, when you are happy with the angle and smoothness of the sealant carefully pull off the tape and leave the sealant to dry.
Only thing to watch is that you dont let it get too thick on the masking tape as it will leave a ridge when you pull the tape off. Hope this helps and good luck.
Rob
 
spot on rob ;) a finger wetted with a bit of spit :mad: run lightly over after tape peeled - that flattens the ridge out
 
All good advice above however, I would not use white spirits to clean the prepared area with - it tends to leave an unnoticeable residue that can prevent sound adhesion of the silicone.

Methylated spirits should be used instead, as it evaporates leaving a totally clean surface that requires no further preparation.
 
What no-one has mentioned yet, is, half to three quarters fill your bath with water.before using silicone, this will ensure that when you use it in the future you will not open the joint again.
 
Remove as much of the old silicon as possible, cean the edge of tiles and bath with what every woman has handy, nail varnish remover, run a length of masking tape along bath edge and tiles. Fill bath 3/4 full. run bead of silicone into gap, wet finger and run it into silicon, leave 5 mins then remove tape, wet finger again and run it LIGHTLY over the silicon, leave water in bath at least 12 hrs, then drain. Bath should then raise up slightly giving you a good waterproof seal.

the mildew could be caused through soap / shampoo residue not being washed off thoroughly, as thats a common occurence, but people do not associate the 2 things
 
What no-one has mentioned yet, is, half to three quarters fill your bath with water.before using silicone, this will ensure that when you use it in the future you will not open the joint again.
The link covered all points mentioned. :confused:
 
Is there any way to get rid of horrible mildew without cutting it out.... like sealing it with paint??? Sorry I'm pretty clueless when it comes to renos which is why I joined this site and I really don't want to do something drastic to my bathroom wall...

Afraid not!

GUARANTEED TOP TIP:
The most effective way of stopping mould in the first place is to wipe the tiles and sealant dry after bathing/showering. Sounds like a chore but it only takes about 30 seconds!!

No water = No mould :)
 
Tip: Tile grout and silicone sealant that's got mould is easily removed by ordinary household bleach rubbed over it and left for an hour - then just hose down. No scubbing necessary. :) Job done.
 

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