Tips for Cleaning Mold on a Shower Made of Marble

In a memorable episode of the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kylie Jenner mentioned that her office featured a marble shower, which wasn’t actually shown until she posted a photograph of it on Instagram. While a marble shower in an office may seem to be over the top, light-colored natural-stone surfaces are part of Jenner's life. Her Southern California mansion features white marble in both kitchen and bathroom spaces. Marble in the shower is highly desirable, but like any other type of natural stone it has the potential of developing mold. Luckily, mold growth on marble tiles or panels is something you can prevent or eliminate. Here are some recommendations for how to clean natural-stone showers made of marble and avoid mold buildup.

Keep Your Marble Dry

Mold is just one of the issues you have to watch out for with marble showers. Water stains on marble surfaces are the result of hard minerals such as magnesium and calcium, which cause the phenomenon known as hard water. In the case of mildew and mold colonies, they’re the result of excessive moisture on marble, which you can keep under control with a squeegee tool, sponges, and absorbent cloths. If possible, all members of your household should make routine contributions to this drying effort, ideally after each shower. Here's a quick video explaining why you should never use common household cleaners on marble or other types of natural stone, whether it's a shower, countertop, floor, or other surface in your home:

Keep Your Marble Sealed

The sealant treatment applied when marble is installed in your shower stall won’t last forever, but you can keep a fresh and strong seal with Granite Gold Sealer®. When mold forms on top of properly sealed marble, you can easily wipe it away using a marble and granite shower cleaner such as Granite Gold Shower Cleaner®. However, if the seal has weakened, the tiny spores that reproduce into colonies could penetrate the porous surface, thus requiring a more involved method of cleaning and removal.

The Dangers of Mold

When excessive mold forms on the marble tiles that line the shower stall floor, it can become slippery. Other problems are related to the fungi and mycotoxins present in mildew and mold colonies, which can cause infections as well as neurotoxic reactions. When mold grows out of control, it can damage the grouting between stone tiles. If this occurs, you’ll need to regrout the tiles, then seal the grout.

Safely Cleaning Mold on Marble Surfaces

If wiping down marble with natural-stone shower cleaner fails to remove mold spots, you’ll need to mix a 50/50 solution of bleach and water, then spray or pour the mixture onto the surface of the stone and scrub it, which should only be done with a non-scratch bristle brush or nylon brush. Allow the bleach and water solution to sit on the marble surface for at least 15 minutes before rinsing with water. Once the mold is removed, you should clean the entire shower stall with natural-stone cleaner and finish the job with an application of marble and granite sealer. For additional tips on how to care for a shower made of marble, travertine, granite, or another type of natural stone, reach out to the Stone Care Experts at Granite Gold®. Call us today at 1-800-475-STONE (7866), and make sure to follow our Twitter account as well.