Prevent Mold in a Bathroom
Bathrooms are common thriving places for mold because heat and moisture accumulate on a regular basis, providing the perfect environment for the growth of mold. Not only can mold impact the appearance of your bathroom, but it can spread through walls, floors, and ceilings, resulting in home repairs. Mold can also be hazardous to your health if the problem in your bathroom is not addressed, leading to allergic reactions, fungal infections, and poison by mycotoxins, which are toxins in the air created by mold. There are several different methods you can follow to prevent mold growth.
Steps
- Allow air to circulate in your bathroom. Retaining moisture in your bathroom may encourage the growth of mold.
- Turn on your bathroom exhaust fan during and after taking a shower. The fan will help circulate air and reduce steam while you shower in addition to causing the bathroom to dry faster when you are finished.
- Open your bathroom windows and doors after taking a shower. Allowing fresh air to enter your bathroom will aid in a higher air flow and assist with drying the room more efficiently.
- Stretch out your shower curtain after showering. To prevent mold from growing in the folds of your shower curtain, stretch it out fully across the length of the shower curtain rod to allow it to dry completely.
- Clean and dust your bathroom at least once per week. Since dust is a food source for mold and mold spores travel by air to settle on any surface, you must clean everything in your bathroom regularly to prevent mold growth.
- Spray all-purpose bathroom cleaner on all the surfaces in your bathroom including your bathtub, sinks, and toilet. Follow the directions on your cleaning product and allow the cleaning properties to disinfect bathroom surfaces completely before wiping it away with paper towels.
- Spray glass cleaner on bathroom windows and your shower doors if no bathtub is present. Follow the directions on your glass cleaner and use paper towels to wipe away the residue.
- Washcloth shower curtains and bathroom rugs once per week. Since most shower curtains and rugs can be washed in a washing machine, follow the washing directions on the tags as instructed by the manufacturer. Soak plastic shower liners in your bathtub for 30 minutes in water and bleach or with water and all-purpose cleaner.
- Clean bathroom walls. To prevent mold from growing on walls, clean away mold spores by spraying all-purpose cleaner on a sponge and wiping it along wall surfaces.
- Check your bathroom for leaks. Feel around pipes and seals in your bathroom around the toilet and sinks for leaks. Since leaks will cause moisture to accumulate, they may result in mold. If leaks are present, contact someone who can fix leaks, such as a plumber, to repair your bathroom.
- Address slow water-drainage problems. If your sink, bathtub, or shower drain is backed up and drains water very slowly, it may cause mold to grow in your bathroom. Use tools such as a plunger or toilet snake to unclog drains, or purchase a liquid commercial product designed to unclog drains.
- Paint your bathroom walls with semi-gloss paint. Semi-gloss paint is more resistant to stains, is easier to clean, and creates a harder surface on walls that makes it more difficult for mold to grow.
Things You'll Need
- All-purpose bathroom cleaner
- Plunger or toilet snake
- Glass cleaner
- Paper towels
- Bottle of bleach
- Sponge
