Tricks to Keep Your Bathroom Mold Free
Mold growth in bathrooms may seem inevitable. The constant moisture from the sanitary wares can create an ideal mold growth environment. Hot water in showers and bathtubs can also add to this environment by creating steam in the bathroom and letting the moisture stick to various surfaces. Moreover, the winter months can worsen the situation as condensation in the interior of the walls can also lead to mold growth.
However, you can keep the bathroom mold free by following only a few steps as part of your home’s cleaning routine. Let’s take a look at these steps and see how they can help prevent mold growth in bathrooms:
Run an Exhaust or Dehumidifier
This is one of the easiest and most effective methods. Running a bathroom exhaust keeps your bathroom ventilated. The push of air from the outside can significantly help dry out the moisture in your bathroom. If you don’t have a bathroom exhaust or bring cold air inside, you can achieve the same drying effect with running a dehumidifier in your bathroom. You can let the dehumidifier run every night for up to six to eight hours to dry out all day’s moisture from your bathroom walls and sanitary wares.
Open Bathroom Windows
During the summer months, you can keep your bathroom dry and mold free by opening the bathroom window when the bathroom is not in use. Fresh air from the outside can keep your bathroom ventilated, while sunlight can kill all bacterial or mold growth. Open windows will also let out all the moisture and steam in the bathroom.
Hang Bathing and Cleaning Accessories to Dry
Bathing accessories such as loofahs or scrubbing pads are common areas for mold growth in the bathroom since many people don’t let them completely dry. Leaving loofahs on the counter space or closed shelves can keep them from fully drying and lead to mold growth. Mold growth in bathing
accessories can be very dangerous due to mold exposure. Mold exposure directly to the skin can irritate the skin. This irritation can easily spread to other parts of your body, especially to the eyes and mouth, during a bath or shower and lead to mold ingestion. You can avoid mold exposure through bathing accessories by hanging them to dry while a dehumidifier is running.
Similarly, bathroom cleaning accessories such as sponges and washing rags can also cause mold to spread to all bathroom wares. If this mold growth extends to the shower, bathtub, or bathroom vanity, it can cause mold exposure to you and your family. As with bathing accessories, bathroom cleaning accessories should also be hanged to dry with an open window or a dehumidifier running.
Avoid Solid Surface Storage Accessories
Storage accessories for the bathroom come in a lot of variety. While picking up extra storage accessories for your bathroom, you should always pick those that don’t have a solid surface to place things. Solid surfaces can trap water which can lead to mold growth on them. On the other hand, surfaces with holes allow water to drip down and let air from the window or exhaust circulate through them, keeping them dry.
Dry Towels and Bathrobes in Sunlight
Letting the towels and bathrobes hang in the bathroom after use can make them ideal spaces for mold growth. Mold growth in towels and bathrobes can also lead to mold exposure and affect your and your family’s health. Always hang a wet towel under the sun to let it dry effectively. Running a dehumidifier in the bathroom when wet towels or bathrobes can also help keep them mold-free.
Wash Towels Regularly
Keeping towels dry isn’t enough. Bacterial growth in towels can also allow mold growth in their fibers. If you wish to keep your bathroom mold-free, swap used towels in the bathroom with clean towels every week or ten days.
Wash All Bathroom Fabric Accessories Regularly
Shower curtains and bathroom mats can also harbor mold. To keep shower curtains mold free, you should wash them every month. Washing shower curtains also removes the bacterial or germ buildup from them and keeps them smelling fresh.
Similarly, the underlining of bathroom mats and rugs can also be the ideal habitat for mold growth. But you can easily prevent mold growth under it by vacuuming it every week, flipping it during the night when you leave the dehumidifier running, and washing in the laundry every month.
Finally, don’t forget that mold exposure can be lethal. Even if you cannot always see it, you can find it hidden in the corners of bathroom cabinets, between tiles, or on the ceiling. Thoroughly clean the bathroom at least once every month with disinfectants to prevent any mold growth there.
Maintaining sewage pipes can also significantly help in this regard. Examine and repair or replace any leaking sewage pipes or accessories regularly to prevent mold growth inside the walls of your bathroom. If you ever find mold growth in the bathroom despite all the measurements, call a restoration company as soon as you can. Many restoration companies, such as 911 Restoration of Manhattan, offer complete mold removal services to professional and commercial properties.
