How to clean a silicone joint?

Everything about cleaning silicone joints!

In a humid environment such as the bathroom, it may be normal to see black spots appear on the silicone seals around the bathtub, the shower tub or the sink.

Before you start the tedious task of removing moldy, yellowed and stained silicone gaskets, know that there are tips to clean everything. 10 Tips therefore offers you the best tips and products for cleaning a silicone joint.

Tips and products for cleaning a silicone joint:

1. Clean a silicone joint with baking soda

Natural product well known for its cleansing and whitening properties, the baking soda is an incomparable ally when it comes to cleaning silicone joints. Here is a simple recipe, which will still require a little of your time:

• Mix 4 tablespoons with 100 milliliters of white vinegar
• Apply this foaming paste on the silicone joints
• Let it act all day on the joints
• Scrub with an old toothbrush and rinse to finish

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2. Cleaning the silicone joints with black soap

Black soap is another all-natural product that is known for its purifying properties. To clean silicone grout around tubs and showers, simply apply a small amount to an old toothbrush and scrub away mildew stains.

Did you know that it was possible to buy liquid black soap online? Here is a very popular one with netizens at a great price:

3. White vinegar to eliminate mold on the joints

If you are a fan of 10-trucs.com you know how popular white vinegar is for our tips and tricks! So why not use this natural product for cleaning moldy silicone joints?

Indeed, vinegar is ideal for disinfecting silicone joints. White vinegar can be used alone or with the addition of a drop of dish soap to remove black stains caused by mold. Again, use an old toothbrush to thoroughly scrub the silicone grout around the tub, shower, or sink.

For very stubborn mold stains, add a little baking soda to the vinegar before rubbing the silicone joints.

4. Bleach to disinfect silicone gaskets

It’s not just laundry that can benefit from bleach’s disinfecting and whitening properties. In fact, diluted in hot water, bleach is effective in thoroughly cleaning and whitening the silicone joints of your bathtub, shower or sink.

Soak the joints well with the silicone to be cleaned, leave to act for a few hours, then rub before rinsing.

For silicone joints with mold, you can also soak white cotton cloths in bleach, and cover the joints with these pieces of cloth that you will leave in place overnight. You will only have to remove them and then rinse the next day.

Safety note, be sure to wear rubber gloves, protect your eyes and ventilate the room when using bleach as a cleaner.

If you do not like the use of this very powerful cleaning product, I invite you to consult this other article: How to replace bleach.

5. Cleaning silicone gaskets with ammonia

Using ammonia will also give you clean, white silicone joints.

Following the same safety tips as for bleach, here is how to use ammonia:

• Dip an old toothbrush in ammonia
• Rub the silicone seals and leave to act for a few minutes
• Rinse with clean water to complete cleaning

Ammonia is effective especially for effectively cleaning a yellowed and or moldy silicone joint.

6. Lemon juice to whiten silicone joints

the lemon juice also having disinfectant and whitening properties, but without the disadvantages of bleach or ammonia, can therefore be useful for cleaning bathroom sjoints.

Indeed, you could use the same trick as for bleach and soak cotton cloths with it, which you will apply to the silicone joints and leave to act for a few hours. All you have to do is remove the wipes, scrub with a toothbrush and rinse.

8. Clean bathroom joints with hydrogen peroxide

If after having tried one or more tricks to eliminate mold on the silicone joints of your bathroom another trick is offered to you. Indeed, you can use hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) to clean and disinfect silicone joints as well as tile joints in your bathroom.

• Soak a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide and apply the solution to the joints blackened by mold.
• Leave to act for a few minutes and rub with a toothbrush (also soaked in hydrogen peroxide) the moldy joints
• Rinse with clean water to complete cleaning

9. Redo the silicone seals

If the silicone seals around the bathtub or sink are too affected by mold and nothing can remove the stains, then the seals will have to be redone. It will of course be necessary to start by removing the old dry silicone using a razor blade, a knife or a tool designed for this purpose. When you have completely removed the silicone seal, be sure to clean and disinfect the area around the bathtub or sink.

Once the area is completely dry, you can apply a new silicone joint. To do this, you will need one or more cartridges of silicone sealant and an applicator gun specifically designed for this type of cartridge.

There are now silicone-based sealants that prevent the appearance of mould, thus guaranteeing you silicone seals that are always white. Here is a putty from the Rubson company that contains 3x more antifungals and helps against mold.

10. Prevent the appearance of mold on silicone seals

Whether you have succeeded in eliminating the mold stains or whether you have chosen to redo the silicone joints of your bathtub or washbasin, it will then be necessary to prevent their reappearance. Here are some tips to never see these ugly molds on your silicone seals again:

• Ventilate the room: the steam created by hot water from the shower or bathtub must be eliminated completely to prevent the appearance of mold. Remember to turn on the fan before jumping in the shower, or open the window to allow good ventilation.
• Dry the joints: after showering or bathing, don’t forget to thoroughly dry the surrounding walls as well as the joints. To this end, opt for the squeegee designed to wipe the surfaces of the shower well and pass a cloth over the joints.
• Spray the joints with bleach: keep on hand a spray bottle in which you have put bleach, pure or diluted, to which you have added a drop or two of essential oil of lavender or Melaleuca. Spray the seams around the bathtub or sink to reduce the risk of mold.