How to Prevent Mold From Growing in Your Bathroom

Mold growths on the walls, ceiling or shower curtain of the average bathroom are an all too common (not to mention disgusting) reality.

Although it can grow anywhere in the home, the bathroom is prime real estate because mold thrives in moist areas with lots of humidity.

So, while those steamy showers might be making you look nice and squeaky clean, it's actually doing the opposite for your bathroom.

Although most people in good health don't react badly to a little bit of indoor mold, it's still possible to suffer adverse effects, like sore throat, chronic cough, sinus and nasal congestion, eye irritation and even skin rash. This happens because spores break off of the mold and get inhaled unknowingly. So, unless you enjoy your morning shower with a side of fungus, it's probably a good idea to tackle the mold issue before it gets completely out of hand.

Fortunately, it's fairly easy to banish the fungus from your space and kill bathroom mold once and for all.

1. Cut off mold at the source

It won't matter how clean the bathroom is if there's a water leak issue causing the mold to form. Check the space for water leaks in likely places, like pipes under the sink, faucets and the roof/ceiling. Once fixed, that should mitigate most of the threat of mold coming back uninvited.

2. Towel dry potentially moldy surfaces

Corners, crevices and shower curtains often collect water and refuse to let go. Leave the bathroom as dry as possible by toweling off mold-prone surfaces until they shine. It might sound like a pain, but it's an excellent preventive measure and really doesn't take long once you get used to it.

3. Make use of bathroom vents

Those bathroom vents are suited to do more than just remove unpleasant smells from the area. In fact, they suck out all the extra humidity post-steamy shower, so be sure to run them during and/or after you towel off for a while.

4. Nix the carpet

Most bathrooms are tiled nowadays, but if yours is one of the few that remain carpeted, you should ask your property manager to rip up that mold haven and replace it with something that's easier to clean and less likely to harbor fungi. Replace with floor mats that are easy-peasy to wash and dry, should they become soaked or dirty.

5. Limit bath and shower products

Ever picked up an old shampoo bottle or children's bath toy, only to find an impressively disgusting colony of mold? Extra items give mold lots of space to hide under, behind and around, so toss anything that's not totally necessary, and store what you do need in a caddy or on shelves that drain and dry out easily.

6. Keep the humidity low

Humidity levels more than 50 to 60 percent turn any space into a breeding ground for unwanted mold. Either spring for a higher air-conditioning bill by cranking it up a notch or place a dehumidifier in the area to do damage control.

Scrubbing mold away

Mold won't just magically disappear if the humidity or other issues are fixed — it'll still need to be cleaned up. Just make sure to do so safely to avoid mold spores in the respiratory system.

• First, never scrub at mold with a dry brush because those spores will take flight. Instead, use plain old household vinegar to do the trick. Add white vinegar to a spray bottle and spritz the moldy areas liberally. Wait an hour and then clean the area with a towel and hot water.
• Then, adequately dry the surface to prevent a mold reemergence. Sometimes vinegar doesn't pack enough punch to totally kill bathroom mold. If that's the case, move on to plan B, but keep the vinegar spray bottle around for regular treatments, as it's ace at preventing mold growth.
• The next option is to create a solution using baking soda and bleach to remove difficult mold stains. To do so, mix one cup of baking soda with one teaspoon of liquid soap. Then, add hot water until it forms a paste. Separately, mix two parts water with one part bleach and combine in a spray bottle with the baking soda mixture.
• Spray the problem area with the solution and let it soak in. After it dries, spray again and start scrubbing with a brush. Rinse and inspect, then repeat if necessary.

Be proactive with mold

Mold might be sneaky, but people are smarter. All it takes to keep this nasty nuisance at bay is a little bit of well-timed prevention with the occasional bit of elbow grease for good measure.