The Photos of My Tub Before and After I Cleaned It With This $15 Mold Remover Are So Grossly Satisfying

Cleaning is one of the best and most annoying adult tasks. On one hand, nothing feels better than a clean space. But, on the other, the task of cleaning can feel super daunting—especially when you live in an old apartment that seemingly loves dust. While I am admittedly not the cleanest person on the planet, I feel like I have found a good balance between cleaning up and accepting the mess. However, one area of my apartment that must—I repeat, must—remain clean at all times is my bathroom. So, I was completely shocked last month when I moved a jar of my favorite Amika deep conditioner from the corner of my bathtub and was face-to-face with a nasty slick of black mold.

One of the things I love the most about my apartment is that it hasn’t seen a lot of renovations since it was built in the 1960s, and the pink bathroom tile boasts a ton of charm. However, the vintage tile is also more susceptible to mold because of all of the areas that have been caulked and re-caulked over the years, making it a little more challenging to keep those nooks and crannies clean and fresh. After shrieking in horror (and calling my mom for advice and general moral support) upon the mold reveal, I scrubbed the area with a heavy-duty tile cleaner with bleach, but it barely budged. Luckily, the internet came to the rescue. Specifically, I remembered the mold and mildew remover, Skylarlife Grout Silicone Whitener ($15) that author Eva Chen raved about on Instagram months earlier and immediately ordered it.

Skylarlife Grout Silicone Caulk Whitener — $15.00

Skylarlife Grout Silicone Caulk Whitener review

Out of all of the cleaning products I have ever tried, the Skylarlife Grout Silicone Caulk Whitener is the most effective formula that actually meets the claims’ promises. I’ve seriously never tried something that works as well as this magical stuff. The whitener comes in a tube with a pointed twist-up cap designed to squeeze directly onto caulked areas, making it super easy to use—all you do is twist it up, squeeze it out, and wait.

After opening the Amazon package containing the cleaner, I put gloves on, twisted the cap, and applied a thick layer to the moldy area. The instructions say to wait between six and eight hours for the final results, but I noticed a change much sooner than that. After five minutes, you could see the black mold lightening up under the clear gooey formula to a less terrifying color. And, within an hour, it was basically gone, save for a dull tinge of yellow. Even though I am impatient (and this was a better result than I ever thought possible), I decided to wait it out for the full six hours before rinsing away. When all was said and done, I was left with a shower corner that didn’t just look clean but appeared freshly caulked, the grout cleaner not only cleaned the surface but also brightened it up and made it look good as new.

This stain cleaner can be used on pretty much any tile surface wherever there’s silicone caulking (bathroom, kitchen, showers, pools, etc.) Like any heavy-duty cleaning product, just make sure you keep pets and small children away from the area.

While I am still a little horrified that my shower corner was so moldy, I am relieved to know that this product exists and can reverse the damage in one application—it feels like a cleaning miracle.