A significant number of our clients worry about mold growth in their bathrooms, and their fears are not unfounded. In addition to attics and basements, restrooms are most prime for growing mold. Big or small, a moisture situation is going to lead to a mold situation – and bathrooms and moisture problems go together like peas and carrots.
If you smell a musty, pungent stench in your bathroom or notice a dark green, black, or white spot or patch of fuzz developing beneath your sink or around your bathtub, you’ll need to schedule an inspection, test, and inevitable remediation. Despite what you may hear from your DIY-enthusiast friends, you will not completely remove mold on your own AND effectively keep it from returning.
However, you do have the authority to prevent mold from taking root in the first place. Fix the evident moisture problem prior to fixing the possible mold problem.
When you step out of a long, warm shower, you probably notice the steamed-up mirror and the hot, humid air. Without even knowing it, you’ve just made a mold spore’s day. If you have a ventilation fan, always make a point of turning it on while you’re taking a shower or running a bath. It’s additionally of critical importance to ensure the fan is in proper working condition and effectively ventilating the area (eliminating the moisture from the home, not just relocating it to the basement or attic where more mold is likely to incubate). In the event that you don’t have a fan in your bathroom, realistically consider installing one… or cracking a window… or even leaving the door wide open while you shower (your family members or roommates will live – and someday thank you for not making them inhale mold spores).
Moisture isn’t the only necessity for developing mold, though. The mold also requires a cellulose-based energy source, which explains why you might see mold growth on dirt or soap remnants in your tub or shower. Too many homeowners and renters cut corners when it comes to cleaning their bathing spaces, justifying the negligence by saying that since it’s all water and soap anyway, the tub must be sanitary inherently. Not so! It’s critical to clean your tub or shower on a weekly basis in order to prevent mold from invading your soap scum and taking root in the rest of your bathroom.
Minimizing mold growth in your bathroom takes a some extra time and effort, but we assure you it’s a negligible sacrifice when considering the time and effort it would take you to restore your family and home to health after a plague of mold.
