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Outside of our kitchens, our bathrooms may be the most used, and essential, rooms in our home and require detailed care. Most bathrooms contain no windows; therefore they receive little or no natural light. Most of the time that someone is in the bathroom there is water running (bathing, showering, hand washing, brushing teeth, etc). Also, the door is kept closed and because it’s a smaller-sized room it usually remains slightly warmer than the other rooms in the home. For the most part, our bathrooms can be one of the wettest rooms in a home. Put all these factors together and you have a small, dark space with higher than normal humidity levels that is just right for mold to develop.
Here are some tips for keeping your bathrooms shiny and clean. A clean bathroom is essential to maintaining a safe, healthy home.
DIY Steps for Cleaning Your Bathroom
1. Dust your bathroom at least every week. Dust contains multitudes of organic matter. Items like soil, plant pollen, human and animal hairs, textile fibers, paper fibers, and human skin particles can be found in dust and lead to mold problems. Mold needs food to survive. By leaving less “food” lying around, you help to keep mold away. And remember, when dusting, always start up high and work your way down towards the floor.
2. Use an all-purpose bathroom cleaner. Wipe down ceramic tile around your bathtub and/or shower, the tub itself, your sink bowls and countertops. A don’t forget your toilet. Do this on at least a weekly basis. This will help further eliminate leftover organic materials and possible any mold spores that may have settled in between cleanings.
3. Clean bathroom mirrors and windows. Place some rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad. The alcohol will help remove things like hairspray and toothpaste splatters. Act quickly, because alcohol will dry fast. After misting the mirror with the alcohol, use a soft, flat-weave microfiber cloth to wipe down the mirror. Don’t use a newspaper (grandma’s old-fashion way) or a paper towel (paper towels tend to leave small pieces of lint behind).
4. Wash shower curtain liners and any bathroom throw rugs often. Plastic shower curtain liners should be washed in your washing machine often. Just add the liner in with a load of whites and add a handful of baking soda. The baking soda will help cut odors, boost the power of your laundry detergent, and help clean the washing machine itself. Throw rugs should be washed in cold water and then dried on the lowest heat setting in your dryer.
5. Keep damp bathroom towels hung up. One of the worst things you can do in the bathroom is to leave damp towels lying in a pile on the floor or hung over your shower curtain. Doing this will contribute to the bathroom’s already humid environment. Although towel hooks are fine, a towel rod is better as it allows the towels to be spread out and dry at a faster rate.
Eliminate Excess Bathroom Moisture
Leaky faucets and pipe connections need to be fixed. Any drips and small leaks need to be repaired as soon as they are found. They not only cost you extra money on water bills, but add moisture to an already humid room. Because mold loves water, you should not conveniently provide it.
Don’t store bathing products in your bathtub or shower. Sponges, washcloths, shampoo bottles, and bath toys give dirt and mold a place to hide. Instead of leaving these wet or damp items in the tub, dry them off or wring them out and store them in a dry space until they are to be used again.
Dry down tub surrounds and ceramic tile after bathing. After doing everything possible to prevent extra humidity, why would you leave the walls of your shower or tub wet? Wiping down the shower or tub walls will help eliminate excess water and help keep tubs and showers cleaner longer.
Always turn on your bathroom exhaust fan. Run it while you are bathing and then leave it running for a short period of time after you’re finished. Even if you are only washing your hands, it’s a good idea to turn on the exhaust fan.
A word of caution: never leave any exhaust fan running and leave the house. These fan motors have a tendency to freeze up when left running long periods of time and sparks can ignite any lint or dust in the fan. Many house fires are reported each year because someone left their exhaust fan running while they were not at home.
Leave the shower curtain or shower door open when you are done bathing. Also when you are finished in the bathroom, leave that door open also. Leaving these doors open allows for better airflow, which promotes quicker water evaporation and drying.
Do a “Motel Six” thing and leave the bathroom light on. Leaving the bathroom light on for 24 hours once a month is a great idea and won’t have much effect on your electric bill. Mold likes moist environments but it also likes a dark bathroom. Leaving the light on over night is not welcoming to mold.
Is It Mold or Mildew
Is it mold or is it mildew; what’s the difference? They are similar, yet distinct. They are both members of the fungi family. They both need moisture, they both need an organic food source, and they both grow on a variety of surfaces. Both mold and mildew can make individuals sensitive to it sick.
Mold usually grows in round spots and emits a musty smell. It can range in color from white, green, blue, brown, black or even gray. Mold is usually fuzzy or greasy feeling. Mold has a fungal structure called hyphae, or roots.
Mildew is a surface fungus. It is usually whitish to grayish in color. It is powdery or fluffy in texture and can usually be easily removed from surfaces.
Professional Help For Mold Problems
Bathroom mold prevention starts with keeping the room as clean and dry as possible. Follow the procedures above and your bathroom remain clean and never have become a mold problem.
However, if you do see bathroom mold, Water Mold Fire Restoration, 800-905-0277, can provide the help you need. We will come to your home, perform an inspection and provide you with a plan to remove the mold, all at no cost to you. We respond 24/7 and our technicians are nationally certified in safely removing mold. You can also contact us at help@watermoldfire.net.
