What You Caulking About?! Part One

Today's post starts with a confession...I love bleach. I know bleach emits toxic fumes. I know toxic fumes are bad for my health, but...I also know that cleaners with bleach leave my sinks, bathtubs, and toilet bowls shiny and clean. What can I say, I am was a bleach-iever.

Why past tense? Well, it turns out bleach doesn't leave every surface shiny and clean. In fact, sometimes, it strips all the goodness away. Sad, but true.

You see, when my husband, Dr. Love, and I got the keys to our new place last August, the first thing I did was spray all of the toilets, sinks, and bathtubs with my bleach cleaner. Oh, and I sprinkled Comet Bleach powder (love that stuff) all over the surface of our master tub.  Actually, sprinkle doesn't fully describe what I did. I basically shook that container of bleach until nearly 1/3 of its contents were in my tub.

After a good long rinse, the master tub (and the other surfaces) looked great...or so I thought. It wasn't until after our first shower that I started to notice something happening. It seemed like the tub was getting more and more stained each time we showered.  The tile caulk was no exception. Its appearance was no longer white and smooth  either.

So, what did I, a staunch bleach-iever, do? I doused the master bath with more bleach. Bad idea.  Within a week, our once crisp white tub had turned into a moldy, crusty nightmare.  Pictorial evidence (not for the faint of heart) below...

Ewwww, right?!?!  Turns out, the tub's anti-slip surface coating and the caulk between the tub and tiles didn't fancy bleach as much as I did. In an effort to disinfect my new tub, I had managed to disintegrate the coating and caulk. Not cool.

Flash forward moooonths later ('cuz that's the way we roll), and it was finally time for Dr. Love and I to talk about the caulk.  I assure you, this conversation was far less awkward than it sounds.

Basically, we both decided that it was time to fix up the bathtub that I had all but destroyed. We took showers in the guest bathroom for a week to let our bathtub fully dry, Dr. Love conducted some caulking research (again, far less awkward than it sounds), and we headed to our local hardware store to pick up the necessary supplies (more information on research sources and supplies later).

As you know, I had a big client matter (research/draft demurrer and motion to strike) last week. Well, most of late last week, this weekend, and this morning were devoted to working on that matter, with the exception of two very important breaks:  the one I took on Friday to celebrate a friend's successful thesis defense (woohoo, Dr. Molly!!!) and Sunday night's Game of Thrones episode.  Best.Show.Ever.

While I was up to my neck in work, Dr. Love decided to get started on the tub. First step...remove existing caulk...

The de-caulking step took a good 5-7 hours...not sure if that's standard, but I suppose it's not that crazy for amateur DIY-ers. Needless to say, this project is not a one day job. More pics and info. regarding the process, supplies, and tips later this week.

Until then, I leave you with one simple, but poignant, thought:  Don't bleach your caulk.