siliconing the shower stall

[gabagoo]

I just cleaned out all the old mouldy silicone around the base of the shower stall and about 12" up each corner. I really don't want to use white silicone as it turns mouldy and is very noticeable.

I wanted to use black silicone which matches the walls but found that the only black silicone I could find was for windows and doors. I decided to go with clear although I suppose it will end up looking horrible within a few months again.

What I also realized is that when you are down on the floor and working that close to the walls you realize just how bad everything looks. I would love to get some advice on how to keep the shower much cleaner.

I use one of those squeegees to wipe down the walls every week or so which works but never gets the corners very well. I also use those little plastic scouring pads you can get at dollar stores which is not to bad either.
What else can anyone suggest to get the scum and buildup off easier?

[pushkins]

#1. Never use a scouring pad on silicone, it puts little scratches in the silicone and that's what mold loves to grow in.
#2. Mold loves two things and only two things.....moisture and darkness
without either of these two things mold simply wont survive. The problem comes though in eliminating these things from a bathroom. The most important thing to do is make sure you leave your exhaust fan running after you have finished in the shower to evacuate as much steam as possible, leaving the shower door open if possible as well helps with airflow and light.
Lowe's/HD sell a better quality silicone for bathrooms as well.

[Kman]

Try this silicone from Lowe's:



The single most important thing you can do to keep your shower clean and mold-free is to towel-dry it after every use. If you'll take 30 seconds and wipe the excess water off the walls, paying particular attention to the corners and the wall/floor junction, you'll never have to do a major cleaning again.

Having said that, if your shower is improperly built, moisture may have collected inside the backer board and framing behind the tile and will never dry out. I have personally torn out several showers that had these issues and no amount of work on the surface will ever make them right again. Mold will continue to grow behind the tile and eventually make its way to the surface of the grout. This will be particularly visible on the lower two feet of the walls and on the floor. To compound that problem, the silicone that you're wanting to put at these corners will only trap more moisture.

[gabagoo]

I did use GE silicone and it was from Lowes ironically. The shower is dark and we do not have an exhaust fan in this washroom (a window). We leave the shower door open after use and it does dry out quite well. I may take you up on the towelling of the walls. No more scouring pad...near the silicone.

I had the shower stall redone about 10 years ago and we redid all the wonderboard not just up 2 feet, but the entire enclosure. I hope no moisture has gotten back there, not sure how you would tell though.
Thanks

[Kman]

If it was not waterproofed properly, water will have gotten back there by now.

Silicone in horizontal applications will usually trap moisture like yours is doing.