How to Prevent Mold Growth in the Bathroom

Areas that are hot, damp, and humid are the perfect conditions for mold to start growing. Can you think of somewhere inside your home that fits this description? 

That’s right: the bathroom. 

Mold inside the home is most often found in the bathroom (the runners up are the kitchen and basement). Certain types of mold can lead to negative health effects ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to serious allergic reactions and chronic respiratory illness. Mold in your bathroom is also unsightly and can lead to serious damage to your walls, wood, and home overall.

Thus, preventing mold growth in the bathroom is important for the health of both you and your home. In this post, we’re going to let you know some of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent mold in the bathroom.

Keeping your bathroom clean can prevent mold growth and kill any mold that has already found its way in. Mold isn’t always visible right away, especially since it begins its life cycle as microscopic spores. Because of this, you should be be cleaning your bathroom regularly even if it doesn’t appear dirty or doesn’t appear to have any mold growth.

Begin by dusting your bathroom weekly. Dust is a combination of dead skin cells and dirt; it’s often the food of choice for many molds. Removing this food source can reduce the risk of mold growing in the bathroom.

Use a disinfectant cleaner to clean toilets, sinks, floors, bathroom tile, walls of the shower, etc. Once you’ve done that, you want to make sure everything is dried off. Remember, water is one of the key things that mold needs to grow. Removing any moisture left behind after cleaning is essential.

Something that people forget when cleaning their bathroom is to clean any rugs, towels, and shower curtains regularly. These things can easily absorb and hold onto water, which makes them prime areas for mold growth. Washing and drying them properly can reduce their mold risk.

The floor of the bathroom is the most likely place that mold will grow. Think about it: it’s where wet towels lay on the ground, where bathmats leak water, where water is splash, wet footprints, and more.

Ensuring that the flooring material you have in your bathroom is water-resistant (or as close to resistant as possible) is essential for preventing mold growth. Marble tile, porcelain tile, and ceramic tile are all excellent choices.

As we said earlier, if you do choose to add bath mats or rugs to your floor, make sure you keep them as dry as possible and wash them frequently. Microfiber mats are ideal since the material will both absorb excess water and dry very quickly.

Water on the floor and walls along with humid air is what makes the bathroom a mold breeding ground if you’re not careful. Try the following methods to reduce as much excess water as possible:

Bathroom Fan

If you have a bathroom fan, use it! This provides key ventilation that will reduce a lot of the humidity in your bathroom. This ventilation also prevents excessive condensation on walls, mirrors, ceilings, and floors.

Also, be sure to leave the fan running for 15-30 minutes after you shower or bathe. This continues to cycle out any remaining moisture.

Windows

If you don’t have a bathroom fan but you do have windows, open them up to give the bathroom the ventilation it needs. As with the bathroom fan, leave the window open for about 30 minutes after you’re done showering/bathing.

When you open the window, make sure you shut the door. This will force the moist air out of the window instead of seeping into other parts of your home, which could lead to mold growth elsewhere.

Dehumidifier

If you’re still finding that the air in your home and bathroom is humid with the fan/windows (or if you don’t have a fan or bathroom windows), a dehumidifier can help. These machines work by reducing the overall humidity in the air to prevent the accumulation of moisture that mold needs to grow.

Fix Leaks

Leaky faucets, toilets, sinks, and showers should be promptly fixed. Any leaks could lead to pooling water and excess moisture, which can cause mold growth. 

You should also ensure that the grout lines are properly sealed for both floor and walls. If they’re not sealed properly, even a small amount of water can soak into the floor/walls and lead to mold growth. This can cause thousands of dollars of water damage along with the potential for mold growth.

You should have grout lines sealed at least once per year, but check for any inconsistencies or cracks consistently to see if any repairs are needed.

While these methods aren’t fool-proof, following these tips greatly reduces the chance of mold growth in the bathroom. Proper flooring materials and cleaning go a long way for keeping your bathroom fresh and clean!