How to Get Rid of Mold in Your NYC Apartment Bathroom

To get rid of bathroom mold, scrub the stained grout, caulk, or tile with a stiff brush and a cleaner rated for mold, wearing gloves and a mask and keeping the room ventilated. Rinse, dry the surface completely, and fix the moisture source. Small patches under 10 square feet are usually a safe DIY job.

What you'll need

Rubber or nitrile gloves and safety glasses
An N95 mask (mold spores get airborne once you scrub)
A stiff-bristle brush and an old toothbrush for grout lines
A spray bottle and a mold-and-mildew cleaner, or a paste of baking soda and water
Microfiber cloths and paper towels
A squeegee for tile and glass
A box fan or, if you have one, a small dehumidifier

Step by step

Open the window if it opens; if it doesn't, run the exhaust fan and set a box fan blowing air toward the door. Ventilation matters most in a small, sealed bathroom.
Put on gloves, glasses, and the mask before you disturb anything.
Dry-remove loose surface growth with a paper towel and throw it straight in the trash. Don't smear it around.
Spray your cleaner onto the grout, caulk, or tile and let it sit for the time listed on the product label.
Scrub the stained lines with the stiff brush, and the toothbrush for tight corners around the tub and faucet.
Wipe residue away with a damp cloth, then rinse the surface with clean water.
Dry everything completely with a microfiber cloth and squeegee. Mold needs moisture, so a dry surface is the goal.
Run the fan for another 20 to 30 minutes and check the spot again in a few days.

What NOT to do

Don't mix cleaning products, especially anything containing bleach with anything containing ammonia, glass cleaner, or another mold product. The combination releases dangerous fumes, which is a real hazard in a room with a non-opening window. Don't paint over a moldy wall or re-caulk on top of stained silicone; it comes back through. Don't use a wire brush or abrasive powder on natural stone or a fiberglass tub surround, since both scratch. And don't skip the mask because the patch looks small; scrubbing is what sends spores into the air.

When to call a pro

DIY stops where the mold spreads behind the wall or under the floor. If a patch keeps returning after you clean it, covers more than roughly 10 square feet, sits on soft drywall that feels spongy, or comes with a smell you can't trace, that points to a moisture problem your landlord's building maintenance needs to handle, not a surface you can scrub. Report a suspected leak or ventilation failure to your landlord in writing. For the routine deep clean that keeps grout and tile from getting to that point in the first place, book apartment cleaning with CleanWhale.

FAQ

Why does mold keep coming back in the same corner?

Because the moisture source is still there. A dripping seal, poor airflow, or a bathroom that never fully dries between showers will regrow mold on clean grout within weeks. Fix the water and the ventilation, not just the stain.

Does vinegar or baking soda remove bathroom mold?

A baking soda paste helps scrub stains off grout, and vinegar cuts soap scum that traps moisture. They can lift surface discoloration, but treat them as cleaning aids, not a guarantee against regrowth. The dry-out step still matters most.

The mold left a dark stain after scrubbing. Now what?

Older grout and silicone caulk can stay stained even after the growth is gone, because the color has soaked into a porous surface. If it's caulk, the cleaner fix is to cut it out and re-caulk. Stained grout can be sealed or regrouted.

Is a little bathroom mold something my landlord has to deal with?

A small patch on the surface is usually yours to clean. But recurring or widespread mold often traces back to a leak or a broken exhaust fan, which is the building's responsibility. Document it and notify your landlord in writing.

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