It’s something almost every homeowner struggles with – mould in the bathroom.
But there’s certain things you can do to deter it from growing and spreading in your home – and it doesn’t require much work at all.
It comes after a fed-up homeowner said on Reddit: « You should know mould in the bathroom can be prevented entirely by keeping the bathroom door open during/after showering. »
They added: « If you’re renting a place with lacking ventilation, opening the bathroom door will generally prevent mould.
« Why you should know this – I am moving into a new apartment now, which again has a mouldy bathroom.
« I have lived in my current apartment mould free despite the previous renters claiming that the mould always returns. Both renters seemed completely clueless on mould.
« This advice only applies to the very common bathroom mould where the issue is generally high humidity. Other instances of mould can have a variety of causes that are potentially really difficult to fix.
« Also, don’t clean mould with soap. You will keep cleaning endlessly if you do that. Use a special mould cleaner or something similar (with a face mask and gloves as the stuff is nasty). »
Sharing their expert advice, the team at National Plastics explained how mould grows when moist air encounters a cool surface, such as a wall, window, or mirror, the moisture condenses into water droplets.
In our homes, this condensation can occur for several reasons including inadequate ventilation, missing insulation, and lack of or inadequate heating.
But thankfully, there’s a few easy fixes.
A statement reads: « Bathrooms create more moist air than any other room in your home, due to the daily use of showers, baths, and taps.
« Because of this, the chance of mould developing is high. » There are a few things you can do to minimise the risk:
- Install ventilation in the form of a fan or vent to ensure moisture can leave the room
- If you do not have sufficient ventilation, then always open a window while you are in the bath or shower to prevent excess moisture from building up
- Try and dry towels outside if you can
- Wipe away any excess moisture from surfaces to help prevent the creation of mould
- Keep your bathroom warm to help reduce condensation through underfloor heating, heated towel rails, and radiators
Commenting on the Reddit, post, one user said: « Maintenance man here, for the love of god use your exhaust fan. Don’t make me bust my a** to peel all that caulk. »
Another user added: « We have an old house with no bathroom vent fan, but we do have a window in each bathroom.
« So far it’s one of maybe three houses I’ve seen with bathroom windows. If you have one, crack it open to let moisture escape. »
A third user said: « I live alone and never close my bathroom door to shower and yet mould is constantly appearing. This is despite times that I’m away from home for a month at a time. »
