Mold is a lot more than an unsightly, smelly growth on your windowsills and walls. It can provoke asthma attacks and irritate the lungs, nose, and throat in even non-allergic people.
Any source of mold in your home is a health hazard, period. The thing with mold, though, is that it may seem to crop up in the same places no matter what you do to combat it. Do you have persistent mold growth in the bathroom that won’t go away?
Today, we discuss how to prevent mold in the bathroom, whether or not you have a fan.
How to Prevent Mold in the Bathroom
First, it’s important to understand what causes mold growth in the first place. Mold loves all things wet and warm. This makes your bathroom the perfect incubator for mold to form, thanks to its endless humidity and condensation.
Do you ever notice how the mirror fogs over every time you take a hot shower? This is because the heat of the water creates steam, filling the room with humid air that condenses on all surfaces. Left unchecked, it creates continual warmth, moisture, and humidity on a daily basis.
Getting rid of mold means eliminating those ideal growth conditions. Let’s look at some easy solutions to cut down on mold.
Maintain or Replace Your Exhaust Fan
Your exhaust fan is that little white box fan mounted on the ceiling that activates with a light switch. All it’s doing is pulling hot, humid air from the bathroom and venting it outside.
Ideally, you should leave this fan on while you shower and let it run for a half-hour afterward. Also, run it whenever you are cleaning the bathroom. Check to make sure the fan is powerful enough, and swap it with a higher-powered one if necessary.
Not sure how to prevent mold on a ceiling fan in the bathroom? Make sure to keep it running during and after a shower. Get a stepstool and wipe off the blades once per month as well.
Get an A/C or Dehumidifier
If you have a bathroom with a lot of traffic and an aggressive mold problem, consider installing a dehumidifier or A/C window unit. This is a far more effective way to pull humidity out of the air while also keeping the bathroom at a comfortable temperature.
However, it will be more expensive, so only use this solution in extreme cases.
Fix Leaks
For many people, mold springs up even when they keep the bathroom clean. This is usually due to an unknown source of water. Things like a busted pipe underneath the sink or the toilet’s inlet pipe.
Double and triple-check that there are no leaks in the faucet, the showerhead, or anywhere else in the bathroom. If you can’t find the source of persistent mold growth, consider getting a mold inspection.
Replace Towels and Shower Curtains
Most people hang their towel after showering, which lets it marinate in those humid, moist conditions that are ideal for mold. While it’s OK to do so after a few showers, make an effort to wash and replace your towels a couple of times a week.
Check other fabrics in your bathroom that could be holding onto that moisture. The shower curtain, bathroom rug, and hand towels are all perfect contributors to mold growth. If your shower curtain is non-washable or plastic, consider replacing it a couple of times a year.
Do Regular Cleaning
Mold is most successful when you do not do consistent cleaning. Keeping surfaces grime-free and dry will make it very difficult for mold to grow.
Just cleaning once per week with a cleaning solution and a fresh rag will do wonders.
How to Prevent Mold in the Bathroom Without a Fan
What if you don’t have an exhaust fan in your bathroom, or it’s not working? Fortunately, there are still many ways to cut down on or prevent mold without one.
Leave the Door Open After Showering
Many people fail to simply leave the door open after showering. Getting some ventilation from the rest of the house keeps the bathroom dry after a hot, steamy shower. Otherwise, you may soon have to call for mold removal.
Crack Open a Window
If your bathroom has a window, crack it open after you shower. This is ideal if you want to keep the scent of existing mold out of the home. It’s usually more effective than an exhaust fan, especially if the temperature is cooler outside.
Squeegee Wet Surfaces
The best way to combat mold is to remove the water from the surface directly. Use a squeegee on your mirror, the glass shower door, and the shower floor to remove excess liquid. Otherwise, wipe down condensation-covered surfaces with a spare towel or another drying method.
It’s a hassle, but it only takes a few seconds and keeps your bathroom moisture-free. Mold has much less of a chance to spiral out of control, then.
Find Sources of Moisture Accumulation
There are many places in your bathroom that accumulate moisture without you realizing it. A perfect example is underneath your shower items, like soaps and shampoos. You probably keep them on a shower side shelf that gathers stray water, which sits there for hours or days until it dries.
Buy Mold-Killing Products
Some bathroom cleaning solutions come with mold-killing agents. If the above is not working, then spray and wipe down problem areas a couple of times a week.
If you want to save money, then grab some white vinegar from the pantry. This is an excellent mold killer. Just make sure you let the space air out after using it.
Get Help With Your Mold Problem
The good news is that once you know how to prevent mold in the bathroom, it’s just a matter of consistency. Ventilating the bathroom, cleaning it, and preventing excess moisture are really all you need. It’s only in extreme cases where nothing else works that you should call for mold remediation.
If you’ve got one of those extreme cases of mold, don’t fight it alone. Get in touch with Big Easy Restoration. We’ve got a combined 45 years of experience tackling mold issues.
