Your bathroom is an ideal breeding ground for mold. It is important to take steps to prevent mold from forming, and if it does show its ugly face you should do everything you can to remove the noxious growth from spreading. Here are some ways you can help to protect your bathroom from mold growth.
Clean Your Bathroom Regularly
The appearance of mold in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with your house. Mold can appear in anyone’s bathroom. Even if you clean surfaces once a week with a normal household cleaner, it could still appear. You should clean your shower walls and fixtures, your tub, the toilet (inside and out and along the base), the vanity and the sink, the floor, and even the walls. Be sure to change your shower curtain on a regular basis and scrub thoroughly when you come across the particularly dirty spots such as the corners of the tub and shower and the innermost rim of the toilet bowl. Mold collects where the water comes out to rinse your bowl. Make sure to clean parts of the bathroom that you may be overlooking as well. All too often the cabinet beneath the sink doesn’t get enough attention.
Use Your Bathroom Fan
You should have a fan in every bathroom. If you don’t have one, you should install one. It can be a DIY project, or you can hire someone to do it. You should run a ventilation fan the entire time you are in the tub or shower and for approximately 30 minutes afterward in order to reduce condensation on the surfaces of the bathroom. This will, in turn, reduce the growth of mold.
Keep Humidity Levels Low
It is important to run an air conditioner or a dehumidifier if the air is humid in your home. Mold will grow quicker in atmospheres that are warm and damp. Dehumidification will hinder this process. There are also some plants you can grow in your home that will help dehumidify it naturally, including Boston ferns, peace lilies, palms, orchids, and spider plants.
Wash or Replace Your Shower Curtain and Rugs
Carpet is a very bad idea in bathrooms. If you use a rug you should wash it on a regular basis. Additionally, you should use a disposable shower curtain liner that is replaced once a month. If you have a fabric shower curtain, you should wash it often. A bi-weekly schedule can be helpful for laundering your rugs and toilet seat covers along with your shower curtain.
Remember, if mold shows up in your bathroom it doesn’t mean that your house has a problem. Cleaning your bathroom thoroughly and regularly can solve the problem and maintenance can prevent mold from returning.