I'll try to take a picture of the bathtub in the master bathroom at the new house so you can see what I'm up against, but I'd appreciate any tips or tricks on getting rid of mildew/mold. It's pretty bad.
I would suggest using a grout sealant after you have killed the mold. That way it should keep it from coming back. Lots of times when we keep having mold reappear it's because the grout is pourous and needs to be sealed.
Vinegar actually encourages some molds and mildews.
Bleach helps but it grows back, needs constant re application.
Tea tree oil is better than bleach for killing both mold and mildew
BUT
Mildew and mold coming from underneath the silicone or grout needs to be dealt with at the source. No amount of mildew resistent grout or silicone will kill this stuff if it is fed by a leak or moisture in behind.
Without seeing the pics, I would dig out the old grout and silicone sealers (grout saw for grout, olfa knife --box cutter type- for the silicone, those silicone removal goo products don't work worth beans!)
and clean deep with bleach, let dry, and re grout, re silicone using
MILDEW RESISTENT SILICONE which is very different from regular silicone sealer.
AND I would wait till the grout cures, then apply a grout sealent (which needs reapplication every 6 to 8 months.) in order to keep the grout from breaking down. (tilex and other soap scum removers are acids, they destroy grout by dissolving it, leaving microscopic holes for mildew to grow in)
If the mildew comes back you are looking at taking out the tiles or surround and even the tub and redoing the walls and floor behind, redoing the plumbing to fix wherever the water is leaking to make the mess keep growing, and basically rebuilding the bathroom from scratch.
Which is what I'm in the process of right now. It's not as bad as it seems.
But try removing and replacing the grout and silicone first.
Lysol mold and mildew with bleach, leave it o/n, but keep the kiddos away. I spray our main bath weekly and it has kept it out since the original cleaning.
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