Keeping our homes clean and safe is a tedious job. From deep cleaning cupboards every few months to getting down on your knees and scrubbing mold from the walls, the tasks are “gross”.
Mold especially is common household contamination. Wherever there is dampness and warmth, there is a high chance of mold infestation. This means places like the attic, basement, bathrooms, and crawl spaces are great places to encounter mold growth.
These places are also not always cleaned, visible at a glance, or easy to reach. You’ll have to put some extra effort into a rigorous cleaning spree once every few months to ensure that you are keeping both the house and its inhabitants safe.
What Is The Cause Of Mold?
Before you start digging through your cleaning equipment, it would be helpful to know how mold is formed so you can come up with ways to prevent it from happening.
In essence, mold is a type of fungus that thrives on organic matter. This means the dust and other elements around the house which are plentiful and allow the mold to continuously grow. Over time, it will combine with moisture and warmth, allowing it to also grow on surfaces such as drywall and wood.
So what exactly promotes the growth of mold? – Water leakages, excessive moisture on out-of-the-way floors/walls, high humidity, and places where warm air escapes to. All of these are prime for mold to grow in. So as a starting point, figuring out where these areas are around the house can help you prevent further mold growth in the future.
The bathroom is one place where mold growth thrives because it combines all of the above factors. This is why you’d always see mold growth first inside a bathroom. Mold can be damaging to both your health and the structural integrity of your property, so it’s not something that should be left alone.
The 5 Best Ways To Prevent Mold Build-Up In The Bathroom
- Scheduled regular cleaning
The easiest way to prevent mold from growing is by having a regular cleaning schedule. Rather than a deep clean once every 6 months, you could do some light cleaning once a month around areas where mold tends to grow.
Bleach-based cleaning liquids and white vinegar are good disinfectants to stop mold growth. You can even keep a sponge in the bathroom to remove excess water from walls once you are done showering to prevent any excess moisture build-up.
- Install an exhaust fan
An exhaust fan in the bathroom will serve multiple purposes. It always ensures fresh air inside the bathroom, it clears out bad odors quickly, and it sucks out all the moisture in the air and sends it outside, thereby reducing moisture build-up.
A fan should be a no-brainer addition to your bathroom, and it is the automatic resistance to mold growth inside the bathroom. If you already have an exhaust fan installed, check to ensure that it is of the appropriate size. Using one that is small won’t be as effective at removing all the moisture from the air.
To do this, you need to identify the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of your bathroom. You will need to calculate the total volume of the bathroom and then divide it by 7.5. You can then tell the sales clerk this number and they will suggest a good exhaust fan for your requirement.
- Identify and fix any leaks
If there is any water dripping from pipes or the sink, then it’s time to get them fixed. Neglected leaks lead to moisture building up on the floors and walls. If you can’t do it yourself, call a plumber immediately!
- Keep the rugs and shower curtains in mind
These are constantly exposed to water every day so they will absorb and retain all that moisture. This is a prime location for mold to grow in. If you notice black spots starting to appear on any of these products, just throw them away and replace them.
- Use a dehumidifier after a shower
A dehumidifier can help you regulate the humidity inside a bathroom. It is best to always keep the humidity levels below 50%. Keep the doors and windows open as well to help with this if you don’t have a dehumidifier.
Mold can grow very quickly when you’re not paying attention and then wreak havoc a few years down the line. Don’t take that chance. Take precautions from now on to prevent any accidents or potential health implications in the future.