I’ve been obsessed with interior design ever since I was a child—and now write about it for a living—so it’s safe to say I take a lot of pride in my home. (I make the bed every morning, have an arsenal of cleaning supplies and spend hours doing little chores around the house.) But, if I can be totally honest, I’m a little embarrassed by my bathroom: No matter how much I scrub the perimeter of my tub or the tile’s grout, there’s always a little bit of mold that wants to hang back. I know, it’s a little gross and I get embarrassed whenever my husband and I have a house guest who needs to take a shower.

I tried all the conventional bathroom cleaners, so when I saw GlassGuard’s Miracle Mold Removal Gel advertised on Instagram of all places, I thought, “Hm, might as well.” Nothing else worked, so what was the harm in trying? Well, it’s been a couple months and I have a lot of thoughts.

What Causes Mold?

Did you know that mold thrives in wet, humid spaces? So while mold can develop as a result of leaking pipes or flooding, it’s definitely possible for it to occur after lots of long, warm showers. (Guilty as charged.) While products like mold removal products like GlassGuard’s offering can certainly help, you can also nip it in the bud by cracking open the window while you shower or investing in a dehumidifier. Of course, should mold persist, you’ll want to enlist a professional to take care of it on your behalf.

How Does the GlassGuard Miracle Mold Removal Gel Work?

Since GlassGuard’s founding in 2020, the Australian brand has sought out to create cleaning supplies that work for you and your space. Not only does this eco-friendly gel use a special mix of non-toxic ingredients—including sodium hypochlorite—but it can also work on an array of materials. (Grout? Tile? Ceramic? Glass? Try all of the above.)

Plus, using the Miracle Mold Removal Gel is pretty easy to use. Simply shake the tube for five to 10 seconds and squeeze the gel onto the problem area. Let the gel sit on the problem area for three to five hours as it works to not only penetrate deep to the root of the mold—eradicating it in its wake—but also stop regrowth from happening. Though the gel is made with non-toxic materials, GlassGuard still recommends that you crack open a window for some extra ventilation. Once the time is up, rinse and wipe away the goo to reveal your mold-free surface. While GlassGuard doesn’t promise perfect results, it does claim that it’ll remove 99 percent of mold.

What I Like About the GlassGuard Miracle Mold Removal Gel

After trying a bunch of cleaning products to no avail, GlassGuard’s Miracle Mold Removal Gel was a pleasant surprise. For starters, it really was that easy to use. All you need to do is follow the directions and the gel will do the hard work for you—no scrubbing required. The 10-ounce tube I purchased comes with a precision tip, so you can effortlessly apply a thin, straight line to your grout or stubborn nooks and crannies. Not only is this gel pretty intuitive, but it also works. After leaving the gel on my moldy patches for the instructed period of time—okay, I’ll admit, sometimes I leave it on for a little longer than five hours—I spot a noticeable difference. I’ve used this gel on a bunch of different areas—along my bathroom sink, on the edge of my tub, and all over my grout—and ended up with considerably cleaner surfaces.

As for the claim that GlassGuard keeps mold from resurfacing? Well, it’s hard to say. While the areas I applied the gel to back in October still look clean and mold-free, I’d only imagine that taking long, shot showers with minimal ventilation might cause mold.

What I Don’t Like About the GlassGuard Miracle Mold Removal Gel

There’s a lot to love about the GlassGuard Miracle Mold Removal, but it’s by no means perfect. In fact, there are a few small annoyances I’ve noticed while using this formula over the past few months—the most obvious being the time commitment. While I love the easy, scrub-free nature of this gel, three to five hours is a long time for a product to do its thing. To err on the side of caution, my husband and I typically refrain from using the shower or sink after I’ve applied the gel, so I always need to time these cleaning sessions wisely. It’s not ideal, but also not a deal-breaker.

Another thing I noticed is that while the precision tip does make it easy to apply the gel, removing the formula can be kind of a pain. My bathroom doesn’t have a handheld showerhead, so I usually wipe the formula away with a damp paper towel, which causes the gel to smear onto the surrounding areas. Make no mistake that the gel does come off, but removing it without a handheld showerhead may require some trial and error.

Nowadays, it’s easy to buy efficient, effective cleaning supplies at a range of price points, but at $30 for a 10-ounce tube, this gel does feel a little pricey. While the Miracle Mold Removal Gel is an investment, it’s worth noting that a little goes a long way. (Translation? With any luck, a single tube can be all you need to take on your home’s mold.)

Is the GlassGuard Miracle Mold Removal Gel Worth It?

Ultimately, everyone’s cleaning needs are different: Some people might relish in the quick and easy solution GlassGuard’s Miracle Mold Removal Gel provides, while others may require the help of a professional. However, in my experience, the pros certainly outweigh the cons here. Despite the small annoyances, I love how this gel is so easy to use and requires minimal elbow grease. And the fact that it actually does what it promises? At the risk of sounding cliché, this Miracle Mold Removal Gel is nothing short of a miracle.