Discovering mold in your bathroom can be freighting. You never expect to see mold in the bathroom or anywhere else. That’s because the presence of mold can lead you to numerous challenging situations. For example, it can lead you and your loved family members at home to frustrating health issues. Due to all these reasons, you need to understand how to prevent the growth and spread of mold in your bathroom. Continue to read and we will share more details about it with you.
How does mold grow and why is it a problem?
Mold reproduces by dispersing microscopic spores into the atmosphere. These spores may be found all over the place and just require a tiny bit of moisture to take hold. Mold development is aided by warmth, which accelerates the process. Within 48 hours of spores landing on a damp surface at an appropriate temperature, the fungus might emerge.
Mold, like all living things, need nourishment to thrive. Any organic stuff in the surroundings will feed the mold, causing it to quickly spread. Mold feeds on dust, which is one of the most common food sources in the home.
Touching or inhaling mold spores can lead people to allergic reactions. Some of the allergic responses that people have to experience include skin rashes, red eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. If anyone is suffering with asthma, mold spores can make the symptoms worse. They can even result in lung irritation.
Why Does Mold Grow in Your Bathroom?
The moisture and heat in your bathroom creates a humid atmosphere, which is ideal for mold spores to thrive. Every time you take a bath or shower, or even wash your hands or face in warm water at the bathroom sink, you’re creating this perfect environment. Mold is fed by other microscopic creatures and dust in the air and on the surfaces of your bathroom, causing it to spread quickly. This is where you need to look for appropriate methods to prevent the growth of mold spores on the walls of your bathroom.
How To Prevent Mold Accumulating in Your Bathroom?
There are multiple steps that you can follow to prevent the growth of mold accumulation within the bathroom. Let’s deep dive and take a look at some of the most effective tips out of them.
1. Have proper ventilation to prevent condensation
Obviously, the first thing you should do is open a window, particularly if you’re bathing or showering. When I fail to open the window while having a shower, I notice a lot of condensation on everything.
It’s simply not worth the trouble when all you have to do is open the window, even if it’s chilly for a few moment. The hot water and steam from the shower will warm the room up anyway, but at least the condensation will have somewhere to escape to.
If you just have single glazed windows, you should consider having double glazed windows, as single glazed windows are cooler and therefore more likely to attract condensation.
While you may believe that opening the bathroom door will assist, this is not the case. This will merely transfer the water vapor to other rooms in your house, perhaps causing condensation problems in those areas.
2. Invest in a dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air and collect it as water, so if you run one while using the restroom, you’ll notice a significant reduction in condensation. Unfortunately, dehumidifiers are expensive, so they should only be used as a last resort. Renting one for a few days is the greatest solution because it will allow you to figure out what’s causing the issue.
3. Examine the Structure of the House
Check to check if your property has a damp proof course. This is a horizontal barrier that is installed in the wall with the purpose of preventing moisture from rising from below.
Check that any air bricks aren’t covered or filled with debris, and that any interior cavities aren’t filled with debris. Make sure your home doesn’t have any structural concerns that might lead to excessive moisture and mold. You may need to check for water damage under your house as well. Excessive moisture promotes dry rot in wood, which can lead to some unpleasant consequences if you’re not careful.
4. Get the Walls to Warm Up
Cold wall surfaces, such as ceramic tiles and different painted surfaces, are more likely to attract condensation. If you have chosen these materials for your bathroom, there isn’t much you can do about the chilly walls. Warming the surfaces in the bathroom is about the only thing you can do, so something like underfloor heating can assist here.
5. Make use of an extractor fan or an exhaust fan
An extractor fan is required in all bathrooms that do not have windows. This is something that cannot be overstated. Without an extractor fan, the condensation will never be able to escape, and you’ll soon be dealing with a major problem. The damp air from your bathroom will be sent outside or to a loft area by an extractor fan.
If you want to get serious about eliminating condensation in your bathroom and you have windows, an extractor fan can assist. It’s a good idea to have two areas where wetness can be drained. If you don’t clean your extractor fan on a regular basis, dust and grime will accumulate and reduce the fan’s efficiency. Also, make sure the fan turns on at the same time as the bathroom light, so you don’t forget. If that’s not feasible, keep the on button on a long string so it’s difficult to overlook, especially if it’s very close to the shower.
6. Invest in a set of demistable mirrors
When you take a hot shower or bath, mirrors may rapidly steam up and become coated with condensation. It’s vital to wash these surfaces dry as soon as you notice this, just like you would your windows, but there are mirrors that may help you with this.
Demistable mirrors are equipped with heating pads that keep the mirror’s surface warm, preventing condensation from forming because condensation requires a cold surface. They’re obviously more expensive than a regular mirror, but if you’re serious about getting rid of condensation, this is another excellent option.
You don’t have to buy new demistable mirrors; instead, you may enhance current bathroom mirrors with heated pads.
7. Use Anti-Condensation Paint
Another fantastic suggestion is to paint the ceiling of your shower or bathroom with anti-condensation paint, which is a particular type of paint that resists condensation. Mold will be less likely to grow as a result of this, and water damage from excess condensation will be reduced.
8. Keep Your Bathroom Floor Dry
One of the proven methods available to stay away from the growth of mold in your bathroom is to keep it dry. If you have an older bathroom with leaks, this can be a challenge. This is where you need to proceed with a bathroom renovation project and fix all the leaks. Likewise, you may also come up with an appropriate design for the bathroom to keep it dry.
After using the restroom, take some time to wipe surfaces dry with a towel, especially glass such as the windows. While having to do this every time may seem inconvenient, it doesn’t take long and will save you a lot of time in the long run. You don’t have to be meticulous about making sure your bathroom is totally dry; just make sure it doesn’t seem damp every time you take a shower or bath.
Adhere to these tips and you will never have to see the growth of mold spores within your bathroom again.
