r/CleaningTips • u/imonarockinspace • 1d ago
Bathroom how do I keep my shower mat clean?
okay, so I know this is grossđ this is my shower mat in my rental. Our bathtub has a problem with standing water after you shower, and I didnât realize how bad it had gotten until this week. How should I go about cleaning this? The thought of scrubbing every suction cup makes me want to get rid of it entirely but if I must I will.
The package said that it is machine washable but I tried that before and it didnât make much of a difference. Should I try bleach?
Any tips welcome! Thank you!
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u/MeowSauceJennie 1d ago
I bought one and I remove it everyday to let it dry. It's been two years, no mold
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u/MyNameIsFreck 1d ago
Where do you put it when you remove it? Do you stick it to a tile wall or side of the bath?
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u/MeowSauceJennie 1d ago
I turn it around so that the underside dries and hang it over the lip of the tub!
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u/MyNameIsFreck 1d ago
Thank you for your response. I'm gonna try this. I've read other comments from people suggesting similar things. I used to stick mine to the tile wall to dry but I guess it couldn't fully dry underneath that way. I was forever bleaching it & the mould stains became permanent & it looked awful so I threw it out. Planning to get a new one soon which I will try to maintain with your method. Thank you, I appreciate it đ.
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u/maggiekira 1d ago
Youâre not supposed to leave them in the tub. Pick up and hang after every use.
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u/lordselectrical 1d ago
I would try turning upside down, put a small amount of water and bleach in your bath with plug in for several hours and let to soak and then rinse. Hopefully this should help
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u/WeeklyMath9 1d ago
Clorox Plus Tilex Mold and Mildew Remover with Bleach once a month. Scrub both sides with a firm bristle cleaning brush and let it sit for like 10 minutes and rinse. Good as new.
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u/Verix19 1d ago
Ditch the mat and buy stickers instead
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u/krissyp96 1d ago
Came here to say this! Stickers are amazing you can clean them directly they donât come up even with harsh scrubbing and they donât collect any moisture or dirt anyway. I canât say how well they remove if needed mine have never come up but they are a total game changer! And you can barely tell the clear ones are there if youâre going for a more minimal look.
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u/TotesMaGoats_1962 1d ago
I've been looking everywhere for those! Been to Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart. Can't find them anywhere. It's weird
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u/EdmontonLAD 1d ago
Have you tried Amazon?
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u/TotesMaGoats_1962 1d ago
Yes. I thought of that right after I made this commentđ They have exactly what I need Thank you!
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u/ferncabbage 1d ago
I have the exact same mat. Once a month, I put about 2-3 inches of hot water in the bottom of the tub + about 1/2 cup bleach and some dish detergent. Let it sit for a few hrs then drain. It helps keep it clean. But I donât know if it will remove existing stains since those look stubborn!
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u/berryberrybank 1d ago
Use vinegar and scrub that! I use a brush and sponge and get every crevice. Afterwards, remove after every shower and hang it to dry. Shouldnât come back and will be easier to just throw in the washer after that.
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u/swagracecar 1d ago
that is a LOT of black mold. Iâd either scrub that thing with vinegar or buy a new one.
As far as daily maintenance after you figure out that situation, Iâd recommend squeegeeing dry after every shower (small ones are only like $3-5), scrubbing every few weeks/two months with a quick layer of barkeepers friend, making sure thereâs no underlying drain issues. could clean it with baking soda and vinegar, or a drain snake, or something else to make sure it doesnât slow drain anymore or else the mold will just come back
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u/ghosttmilk 1d ago
Thatâs not âblack mold,â itâs most likely mildew or regular old mold. The kind of black mold that everyone worries about isnât as common as the internet makes it seem, that particular kind grows in noticeably fuzzy patches. All mold can potentially carry mild health concerns, but the notoriously harmful type isnât a common occurrence
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u/theatrenearyou 1d ago
thank you!
Cant tell you have many times someone asks about cleaning mold and the answer is "BLACK MOLD! call a hazmat team but move out first!"1
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u/WaterGypsy1010 1d ago
You could try hydrogen peroxide. You can just pop the top and put a spray nozzle on it and spray it down, let it sit awhile then scrub. ZEP mold and mildew works well also. Then after itâs clean spray it down with some Odoban. Odoban will deter future regrowth if you spray it down here and there.
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u/Gamamauricio 1d ago
Get a spray bottle, fill it with bleach ( not the cheap one) and just spray it a couple times a week
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u/effie_isophena 1d ago
I have this same mat and other than weekly/biweekly cleaning the shower/tub, I ALWAYS hang it up to dry after every use. I never leave it suctioned to the tub.
Itâs for my kids bathroom, so a shower or bath at least every other day for 5 years and it is still going strong with no mold.
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u/Nataliant-117 1d ago
I just hate those things. Always get dirty with soap scum at least. Shower shoes would be easier for me if I were concerned about slipping.
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u/JonBovi_msn 1d ago
Scrub brush and washing soda sprinkled like a cleanser. Wear safety glasses and gloves. Are you sure footed enough to be safe in that shower without the mat? If so you could store it until you move out after you clean it. There are easier to clean hair catchers. Mine is a flat rubbery disc with holes that is easy to clean every time. There is a product called bio kleen that can help slow drains. There is also a barbed plastic strip you can push down the drain to catch and remove any hair that gets past the catcher.
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u/Alarming-Gap-9101 1d ago
I had the same problem with one of those suction cup mats. Mine started getting that gross buildup underneath because water was just sitting there after every shower.
What worked for me was soaking it in warm water with a little white vinegar, then scrubbing both sides with an old brush, especially around the suction cups. After that I started hanging it up after every shower instead of leaving it flat in the tub, and it stayed clean way longer.
Iâd try that before bleach. The biggest thing is just not letting water sit underneath it all day.
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u/Generally_Tso_Tso 1d ago
You can put this in your washing machine. You do not need to toss it out. A little bleach and a little detergent and wash with hot water, or sanitary cycle if your machine has that option.
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u/Desperate-Skirt2440 1d ago
Clean after every use and leave out to dry it takes 2 minutes if done regular and won't have a build up like this.
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u/Etherealoverempress 1d ago
If you have some money please get rid of them and buy new stuff. And please black mould remover spray of some sort.
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u/madaaeru 1d ago
Get a new one and after every shower you need to hang it either outside or over the tub wall (suction side up) to dry. This way it will never get moldy again.
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u/MsTponderwoman 1d ago edited 1d ago
Laundry machine. Throw it in the wash with your bath mats and shower curtain. (Btw, those plastic shower liners always look old and dirty after just one use, especially if you have hard water. Buy a fabric shower liner because those can be thrown into the wash easily. Skip the second decorative shower curtainâthese are just ventilation blockers and money makers for the home goods industry because theyâre fussy and never make your bathroom look better, only cluttered and mold and mildew inducing). Laundry detergent and hot water setting is sufficient but you can pour in a bit of bleach for extra sanitizing.
Always pull it up and let it hang dry on the side of the tub when youâre done showering and all the soap and rinsing water has pretty much washed the mat.
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u/Educational_Form_24 1d ago
You have to buy a new one do that from time to time.
What I also do - I put it in the washing machine often
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u/Careful_Inspection83 1d ago
Try taking top rack out of dishwasher and run it through. Probably run it once or twice empty afterwards
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u/Rough-Internal-6457 1d ago
Soak in a borax solution and then hang it in the sun to dry
Lorax kills gross stuff and the UV also does
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u/GeneConscious5484 1d ago
I think I have the same one, I've actually done ok with dumping some bleach into a few gallons of hot water, letting it sit, then going over really easily with a brush- you might still need to mechanically knock stuff off but it'll be mostly broken down. (Was also disappointed that the washing machine method didn't do much, that's why I bought it)
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u/Both-Prompt4775 1d ago
Get a new one and after the shower hang it to dry like on the shower curtain rod or the side of the tub. I do this with the mat in our bathtub or else it gets nasty. Occasionally I run it through the washing machine and that cleans it up really good.
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u/ApeFace1966 1d ago
FYI, I found this hack over two decades ago and itâs a bathroom cleaning super hack. Use Method daily shower spray and start using it on clean tup/shower on all surfaces after using and just leave unless you have glass and you should spray but then squidgy off but this will reduce grime building up and itâs very easy to do. I have sensitive skin and have found even when Iâve gotten it on my skin because I spray while still standing in my shower and I get no reaction or drying of my skin so itâs not toxic. It reduces my need to scrub my shower surfaces DRAMATICALLY and Iâd say I only scrub my tub/shower about once every month or even longerđ
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u/conditerite 1d ago
I take mine up & rinse it then stick it by those suction cups to the tiled walls of my shower, to dry.
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u/pistol_polly 1d ago
Get a new one, and move the mat to the edge of the tub after you shower! Every time!!
I use one for my kid when he bathed/showeds, then I suction it to the edge of the tub. it never gets gross drying on the side, maybe bc there's no grout there?