# Mildew proof Caulk; What? Where? Help! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 1999, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370 "1999-12-15T20:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/1 "1999-12-15T20:31:00Z")
I have a friend who is looking for tube caulk that is mildew proof for her bathroom; any leads? * * * Vestal Blue “Hey! How 'bout that Toe Jam?” ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/2 "1999-12-15T20:33:00Z")
Whoa, mildew and toe jam. And two posts on the subject to boot. A double dose of ewww. Actually, I have nothing constructive to say, but this post caught my eye. I bet a hardware store would stock a lot of kinds of caulk. * * * I don’t want to make people think like me, I want them to think like me of their own free will. ---
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/3 "1999-12-15T21:20:00Z")
I only posted ONCE; honest! wha’ happened? * * * VB “Hey! How 'bout that Toe Jam?” ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/4 "1999-12-15T21:42:00Z")
I don’t think anyone makes mildew PROOF caulk, but I’m sure there is mildew RESISTANT caulk. It contains a chemical that kills mildew, but it wears off after a time. Any good Home Depot should have it. Ask the guy in the orange apron (unpaid advertisement). ---
**Author:** ![\_Df](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/7ba0ec/32.png) [@\_Df](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Df)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/5 "1999-12-15T22:11:00Z")
Actually, a number of the caulks (both silicone and latex - two main manufacturers DAP and GE) available at Home Depot advertise “Mildew Proof” or even “Guaranteed Mildew Proof” on their labels. (I have personally watched some tubes go from “Mildew Resistant” to “Mildew Proof.”) THE CATCH is that the guarantee is usually for one year; by the time the chemical ‘wears off,’ the product is no longer guaranteed, and if it’s no longer ‘proof,’ whatcha gonna do? (I’m not even sure it contains a mildew killing chemical; they may just figure(?) it takes more than a year for a good mildew culture to get attached to the silicone.) ---
**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/6 "1999-12-15T22:15:00Z")
Used to work in a hardware store. Yup, there is such an animal. Most better-quality bathroom caulks have some degree of mildew “resistance-ness”. * * * The odds that the bread will fall butter side down are directly proportional to the cost of the carpet. ---
**Author:** ![\_Df](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/7ba0ec/32.png) [@\_Df](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Df)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/7 "1999-12-15T22:15:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I have personally watched some tubes go from “Mildew Resistant” to “Mildew Proof.” Yeah, with my X-ray vision, that is. What I meant, of course, is that I have noted that brands/models that previously advertised their Mildew Resistance now advertise Mildew Proofness (Proofocity?) on the new tubes as their stock gets replenished. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 1999, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/8 "1999-12-16T00:27:00Z")
Hmmmmm. I wonder how they work as plenty of crud gets on top of them and mildew could then grow. hard to figure that bathroom caulk isn’t already mildew proof. They wouldn’t sell much if it stated ‘this caulk grows lots of mildew.’ ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 1999, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/9 "1999-12-16T13:19:00Z")
handy–old fashioned caulk was just an adhesive; there was nothing in it that actively prevented the growth of mildew. VERY old fashioned caulk contained organic materials, and would encourage the growth of mildew. Most of the newer caulks have a chemical that kills mildew dead…for a while. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 1999, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/10 "1999-12-16T17:12:00Z")
Guy, better an prettier to just use some bleach on the stuff & also ventilate the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 1999, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-proof-caulk-what-where-help/5370/11 "1999-12-16T17:59:00Z")
Thanks, all, for the advice; it pretty much corroborates my thoughts. I agree with you Handy, However she has so much mildew it’s starting to breathe on it’s own; she needs to replace it. Your advice is great, post-replacement. * * * VB “Hey! How 'bout that Toe Jam?”