Guides
How Often Should Shower Silicone Be Replaced?
1 May 2026 · 4 min read
Signs your sealant has had it, why mould keeps coming back, and what a proper re-seal actually involves.
Silicone is finishing, not forever. Even good sanitary silicone, properly fitted, has a useful life of around 5–8 years in a regularly-used family shower. After that, it starts losing its bond and mould gets behind it.
Tell-tale signs it's time
- Black streaks that don't bleach out — that's mould behind the silicone.
- Lifting edges, especially in corners.
- Hairline gaps between the silicone and the tile or tray.
- A slow leak in the room below.
Why bleach doesn't fix it
Surface mould bleaches off. Mould that's grown behind the silicone, where moisture has crept in, doesn't — and even if you scrub the surface, it'll come straight back.
What a proper re-seal involves
Old silicone fully cut out (not painted over), the joint cleaned and dried, mould treated, edges masked, and a single crisp bead of sanitary mould-resistant silicone tooled in. Twenty-four hours' cure before you use the shower again.