Every bathroom will accumulate moisture no matter what you do. Some homeowners struggle with it more than others due to poor room design, improper cleaning or lack of exhaust fans. However, there are steps you can take to minimize moisture levels in your bathrooms. It’s worth the effort it takes to reduce humidity and wetness in your bathrooms to prevent mold from growing.
What Gets Damaged When Water is Used to Put Out a Fire?
Bathrooms are the perfect environment for mold to grow and spread. Daily showers and baths provide a steady supply of moisture from steam, sitting water and even flushing open toilets. If you don’t take the time to prevent moisture and humidity, mold and mildew will eventually take hold. You can keep your bathrooms mold-free by making a few changes:
Use a Bathroom Exhaust Fan
One important thing you need in every bathroom is an exhaust fan. They work by sucking up the moist air and blowing it outside through a vent. You need the correct size fan based on the size of your bathroom. The CFM (cubic feet per minute) on the fan itself will tell you which one you need. Run your fan during your shower and then for about 30 minutes to an hour after your shower.
Use a Shower Squeegee
Leave a squeegee in your shower so everyone who uses it will run it down the walls right after washing. Removing the leftover water on the tub or shower wall may cut the moisture in the room by half or move. That definitely helps minimize dampness and mold growth.
Wash Bath Mats & Towels Regularly
Bathroom rugs, mats and bath towels should be washed every few days. Left in your bathroom to reuse for multiple days creates an excellent breeding ground for mold. If you aren’t washing your towels and mats enough, start making it a habit to increase how often they go through the laundry. Clean towels make for a cleaner, healthier shower experience.
Hang Wash Cloths, Loofahs and Bath Scrubbies
Leaving your wash rags and the like just lying in the shower area traps water and can cause mold and mildew growth. When your washing items aren’t hung up, they dry extremely slowly. Preventing mold and dampness by hanging everything up properly when you’re done bathing is a simple way to reduce moisture.
Put Your Shower Items on a Rack
Look in most people’s showers and you’ll find bottles of body wash, shampoo, conditioner and shaving cream. Every bottle or bar of soap that sits on a shower shelf or tub edge always has water trapped beneath them. It doesn’t take long for the wetness to get moldy. The best way to avoid this is to remove the products from the shower after bathing. If that’s not practical, then remove items that aren’t used often and then use shelves or storage racks that allow water to drain and air to circulate.
Use a Daily Shower Spray
No-rinse shower cleaners can be found in any store that sells bathroom cleaning supplies. Keep it near the shower and after you squeegee the walls and glass doors, spray the cleaner and just leave it. Spraying the cleaner daily is another way to prevent mold and mildew from springing up.
Run a Dehumidifier
If you are finding it difficult to reduce the humidity and dampness in your bathroom, a dehumidifier can help remove moisture from the air. Dehumidifiers come in a variety of sizes. You can find small ones that can reduce the humidity of a space between 200 to 400 sq ft.; this is a decent size for most bathrooms.
Maintaining a Mold-Free Bathroom or Shower Area
The best way to prevent mold growth is to avoid inadvertently creating a favorable environment in the first place. You’ll have to be consistent in your efforts to keep everything clean and reduce moisture in your bathrooms. This also means making sure family members, roommates and guests all know the mold prevention rules before they hop into the shower or run a bath.
If you have found mold growing anywhere in your bathroom, call the professionals at Restore & More. They’ll rehabilitate the area so the mold is gone and the cause is resolved. Don’t wait to fix your mold problem because it can get out of hand quickly under the right conditions.