How do I get a mildew smell out of my shower?

Question

My shower always smells like mildew but I can't find the source. I have cleaned it with all different cleaners, none seem to work. I think it is coming from the drain. How do I get rid of it? Also, I have a door on my shower, how can I get the mildew off the shower door? No matter how hard I try, it never looks clean.

Answer 1

Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so then run hot water down the drain.

Answer 2

Phew, thought I was the only one with mildew drain. I'm not sure if there's a leak somewhere and water has gotten into subflooring and is causing mildew....I hope not. As for the drain, I use Chlorox full strength, down the drain and then I put a cover over the hole since the fumes are so awful. The next person to take a shower gets to remove the cap. This helps, doesn't totally cure, but helps.

Also I get mildew in the metal bar for the shower door. Here I use diluted Chlorox, let it sit and then brush. Finally I use the hand held shower head to rinse out the guck and finish with a drying rag.

After awhile the glass on the doors becomed etched from water minerals and can't be cleaned. Before you give up, try making a paste of OxyClean and spread that on the door, let sit, take a nylon scrubbie and give it a scrub. Maybe that will work.

If the door just won't come clean, look into covering with a vinyl cover with a stain glass or other motif. Available at home centers, you just cut to fit and put on the outside of the door with water and a little soap......like the solar film that goes on windows.

Answer 3

My shower drain was backing up and it caused a musty smell. I didn't have any drain cleaner so I added some water to a nearly empty bottle of dishwasher detergent ( no special brand, just the store brand). I ran really hot water for a moment, then poured the dishwasher liquid down the drain and left it for a few moments. I then ran the hot water again and I haven't had a bit of trouble. The dishwasher liquid broke up the soap scum and stuff that had built up down in the pipe where I couldn't reach. I now also use it on my sink drains every so often to keep them from clogging after my husband shaves.

Answer 4

Try a mixture of bleach and water. Make sure you spray the corners of your shower. Your bathroom with smell like bleach for a bit so make sure you open a window. This usually works when we have that black mold growing on the tiles of the shower. As far as the mildew on the doors I have no experience with this. Good luck!

Answer 5

Once a month you need to do a full flush of the drain. All the soap scum and loose hairs gets stuck in the middle of the pipes. I would suggest running hot water into the drain. That's hot water you boil than pour it down. I use vinegar to clean out the smell. You can use draino or lime away. I even at times use dish soap. Always remember pipes do get rusty and moldy so it could be the left over molds. Also, their could be a dead rodent, bugs or paper stuck in the pipes. Its possible that smell is being caused by something in the pipes. I hope this helps.

Answer 6

Hi try this....
Go to Dollar General and buy a cleaner called Mean Green
spray a lot on the shower door, scrub it well with a scotch bright pad, rinse and for the drain try a drain cleaner like draino then follow that with a box of baking soda
= )

Answer 7

Pour some bleach down the drain. Maybe the drain need to be cleaned out. Oxy clean spray foam will help the door.

Answer 8

Use a mildew cleaner

Answer 9

Try a solution of water and bleach

Answer 10

bleach and water solution.........works everytime.