Keep Mildew Out of Your Bathroom

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

Prevent bathroom mildew or mold

Whether you live in an area where humidity is a consistent problem or you only occasionally deal with excess moisture, knowing how to prevent mold growth is vital to preventing mold from growing in your Salt Lake City, UT, bathroom.

Prevent Mold Growth in Your Bathroom

The first step is identifying the main causes of your humidity problem:

• It's normal to enjoy the feeling of a hot shower with plenty of steam, but this lack of proper ventilation is one of the leading causes of mildew growth. It's best to run a fan, leave the bathroom door open when showering, or open an outside window.
  
• Make sure that the people showering in your home don't leave damp towels lying around or neglect to air dry the shower rug.
• At least once a week, it's important to clean the toilet and shower with commercial cleaners.
  
• The deterioration of tiles, grout, and floorboards allows moisture to get behind the walls and under your flooring. Keep a close eye on your grout. Some experts recommend replacing shower grout once or twice a month.
  
  

Make it a habit to reduce moisture and humidity in the bathroom to discourage new growth.

Identify Existing Trouble

If you already have evidence of mold or mildew, take steps right away to clean and correct it. The most common types of bathroom mildew or mold include Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Stachybotrys (or black mold.) Because it is hard to know which type of mold is present, it's best to hire water damage cleanup professionals to test for and get rid of mold. Professionals have access to equipment and supplies for testing which types of mold are present and determining how widespread the mildew has grown.

Repel Mold Growth

Mold loves to grow in warm, damp areas, and the environment in bathrooms is often very inviting for floating spores. In addition to providing this inviting atmosphere, the bathroom also has plenty of hidden nooks and crannies where mold spores can settle and support new colony growth.

The first steps for preventing bathroom mildew include increasing ventilation, removing wet clothing and towels, and replacing damaged grout.