Pictured below is a very mouldy Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle at a property in the picturesque market town of Woodstock, which is very close to the famous Blenheim Palace and has a long history that dates to the Domesday Book and have many 17th century buildings. As you can see mould had really got a grip on the white grout around the bottom of the shower and in most other places the grout had become discoloured. Mould and discolouration are a very common problem and is caused by a lack of ventilation in the bathroom as well as the dyes in soap and shampoos. Most ceramic tiles have a glazed surface and so are fairly impervious to these problems, grout however is a problem due to its cementitious rough nature. I discussed with the client what could be done to restore the appearance of the shower cubicle for them, and they were pleased to hear we could do something about it. Happy with my quotation it wasn’t long before I got instructed to go ahead with the work. To resolve the problem, I first sprayed the whole shower with Tile Doctor Duo Clean and left it to soak in. The bottle comes with a spray attachment that combines the product with air making it lighter and easier to stick to vertical surfaces. It is a fast effective cleaner which doubles up as a grout cleaner and mould remover. Whilst the Tile Doctor Duo Clean was doing its magic I fetched the other tools I would need to complete this job. After about 30 minutes I sprayed the cubicle again and started to hand scrub the grout and tiles to remove the mould and dirt. I then rinsed with water and went over the stubborn stains again until I was happy. The walls where then dried with a clean towelling cloth. It is amazing the difference you can achieve with the right grout cleaning product and a lot of elbow grease. The last step and “prise de la resistance” was to cut out all the original silicone sealant with a sharp knife and then replace with new white sealant which had an anti-mould formula. I am not convinced these anti-mould products work any better to be honest but with mould being such a problem it is definitely worth giving them a go. The last step was to spray the grout with Tile Doctor Wall Tile and Grout Sealer to help protect the grout, it forms a protective barrier over the tile and the grout, so water just runs straight off the wall and into the shower tray. For after care I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is pH neutral cleaner designed for showers and will help the sealer last longer. Stronger supermarket products can actually strip a sealer off the tile over time so we don’t recommend their use. I think you will agree the shower cubicle looked transformed by the time I had finished, certainly my client was very happy with the work we had carried out. Barry Woodward Oxfordshire Tile Doctor