How To Prevent Mold In The Bathroom

Do you have bathroom mold or are you just looking for the best ways to prevent mold in the bathroom? In either case, this guide will tell you exactly how to prevent mold in the bathroom with some common sense tips to guide you along the way.

It’s very common for mold to be found in bathrooms.

Why? Because there’s a lot of water and humidity in the bathroom. In fact, the bathroom is really the most moisture prone room in your home. Not only do you have standing water 24/7 thanks to the toilet but there are a lot of water activities that take place there. From showering, to washing hands, the soaking in a hot bath, to bathing the dog, the bathroom gets a ton of moisture in it every day.

Before we look at how to prevent mold in the bathroom, lets take a look at a couple of other important bathroom mold related items.

Common Causes Of Bathroom Mold

There are many reasons why bathrooms get moldy. Let’s take a look at the most common cause of mold in the bathroom.

• Frequently running water in the bathroom sink, the bathtub, and the shower creates wet surfaces and puddles of water.
• When the water in the bathroom does dry out it evaporates into the air and increases the humidity.
• Steam from the shower or a hot bath also makes the bathroom more humid.
• Wet surfaces take longer to dry due to lack of ventilation.
• Grime from body oils and soap scum which is washed off and into the shower or tub create a food source for mold to feed on.
• The bathroom has a lot of potential leaks. There are leaky toilets, leaky sinks, leaking showers and bathtubs, and leaky pipes.
• Damp cellulose materials such as rugs, paper products, wood, wallpaper, grout, drywall, and fabric are all found in the bathroom.

Before You Can Prevent Bathroom Mold You Need To Remove Bathroom Mold

What’s the best way to remove mold in the bathroom?

First, you need to be 100% sure that the bathroom mold is a small issue and not something massive involving mold growing on or behind the walls, ceiling, or floor. If you have a major mold issue in your bathroom then you need to seek professional assistance.

If the bathroom mold you are dealing with is simply in the shower, around the rim of the drain, or along a window sill, then you can likely handle it yourself.

5 Steps To Remove Bathroom Mold

1. Wear a protective mask so you do not inhale any mold spores. Protective eye wear is advisable as well.
2. Using a mold control solution like EC3, Endurance BioBarrier Cleaner Prep, or Chrisal Heavy Duty Foamer, spray any areas with mold growth. Allow the solution to penetrate for about 3 minutes and then using a strong scrub brush, scrub until all the mold is removed. This will work on any surface except caulking. In that case…
3. Remove and replace sealant or caulking affected by mold with mold resistant caulking.
4. Keep your bathroom doors and windows open while cleaning and keep the exhaust fan running.
5. If you have a good air purifier, run it in the bathroom along with this mold control candle for three hours after you remove and clean the mold.

If you need more information on mold removal and how to kill mold, click that link to head to my dedicated page on how to remove mold.

Now you are ready to start preventing mold in the bathroom!

How To Prevent Mold In The Bathroom

While there are a lot of ways to prevent mold in your bathroom, one of the most important things you can do is to invest in an effective exhaust fan for every bathroom in your home. Vents can suck out the moisture in your bathroom and send it outside. Make sure that you find a fan with the right cubic feet per minute (cfm) for the size of your bathroom.

This bathroom exhaust fan is a good option and the one I use. It can be helpful to get an exhaust fan timer switch so you don’t have to think about turning it off.

There are 4 steps you must take daily to prevent mold in the bathroom.

I know it seems like a lot but trust me – mold prevention is worth your time.

1. Open a window if you have one and use the bathroom exhaust fan properly. Turn the fan on during a bath or shower and leave it on for 30 minutes more after leaving the bathroom.
2. Wipe down the walls after bathing. Moisture from a shower or bath that sits on the walls of the shower or tub can lead to mold growth. The best way to stop this from happening is to wipe down the walls with a sponge, towel, or squeegee after every time you bathe. I use this squeegee and love it.
3. Dry out everything in the bathroom. After using your sponges, loofahs, shampoo and conditioner bottles, shower gels and soaps, and bath toys, remove them from the shower and wipe them down and/or let them dry. Keeping these items in the shower or bathtub gives mold a place to grow and hide.
4. Don’t leave wet towels hanging in the bathroom to dry. Wet towels are a breeding ground for mold. It usually starts with that mildew smell. Mildew smell = proper environment for mold to grow. Dry towels outside in-between washings. If you cannot place wet towels outside, then hang them in the most open area of your house to dry. There are some really good mildew resistant towels out there so you might consider grabbing a couple of those.

More Bathroom Mold Prevention Tips

These 4 tips are not things you need to do daily to prevent mold in the bathroom. However, they are things that should be done or checked regularly as part of your mold prevention plan.

1. Repair leaks. Once you notice leaks, fix them right away. Delaying repairs will only encourage mold to grow and take hold. In addition, be sure to dry out the area that had the leak immediately.
2. Use a mold-resistant shower curtain or shower curtain liner and wash or replace it frequently. This is the mold-resistant shower curtain I use and love. This is a good choice if you prefer a mold-resistant shower curtain liner.
3. Choose a mold resistant bath math (this is the one I use) and bamboo bath towels to help prevent mold.
4. Wash towels, rugs, and bathmats regularly. These are ideal mold growth spots, especially if you leave them unwashed for long periods of time. You should wash these items at least once per week, together. I suggest using a special laundry additive designed to remove mold spores from your laundry. The EC3 Laundry Additive is my personal favorite although the OdorKlenz Laundry Additive is a good choice as well. If you prefer an all-in-one laundry detergent, this one from Pure Biotics is a good choice.

A Guaranteed Way To Prevent Bathroom Mold

Endurance BioBarrier. Click that link and read my review post but Endurance BioBarrier is an absolute must when it comes to preventing bathroom mold. You can spray it in the shower, around the toilet, and under the sink. It is guaranteed to prevent mold for at least 6 months in a bathroom setting and let me tell you… it does work. If you don’t need to read my full review and just want to purchase Endurance BioBarrier, you can do so here.

And there you have it! Easy ways to prevent bathroom mold without sucking up a lot of your time or money. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!