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Yes, mold can grow under your shower tiles if they aren’t thoroughly waterproofed. Even if you have a durable, non-porous tile material, water can make its way through grout or gaps around the edges of the shower. This will slowly erode the grout, which can cause tiles to come loose. It can also trap moisture behind tiles, and within a day or two, mold and mildew can rapidly grow.

The best solution for mopping floors depends on the type of floor you have, but a good all-around or multi-purpose DIY floor cleaner is 2 cups of warm water, 5 to 10 drops of liquid dish soap, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. This is safe to use on tile, laminate, wood, polished concrete, vinyl, and more, as it’s relatively neutral and lacks caustic and abrasive chemicals that could be harmful to children and pets. You can also use a multi-purpose commercial cleaner, but make sure to follow the directions for safety.

Yes, if you’re strapped for supplies, boiling hot water can be a great alternative for getting rid of soap scum. However, as this method calls for a bit of soaking, it’s best used when cleaning your bathroom sink or bath basin (or on small objects you can submerge). All you have to do is plug your sink or bathtub drain and pour in enough boiling water to cover the soap scum. Allow it to soak for five minutes, drain, and follow up with an additional hot water rinse to remove any lingering residue.

You should plan to reseal the grout in your shower every one or two years, depending on how often your household uses the shower. Resealing shower grout costs around $200, but it will help extend the lifetime of your shower and freshen it up without having to go through the entire process of regrouting your tile shower. If you have a custom shower enclosure with grout between tiles on the floor, that grout should be resealed more often due to increased wear—once every six months might be necessary.