Bathrooms are perfect breeding grounds for mold and mildew.
As a matter of fact, bathroom plumbing parts and structures are common starting points for mold growth.
Left untreated, these growths can very quickly spread throughout your bathroom walls and escape through your vents, at which stage, mold damage can get out of control and affect even more parts of the home.
Airborne mold spores are everywhere, but they tend to catch and settle in dark and damp environments—especially in areas that are undisturbed by household traffic.
Because moisture levels in most bathrooms are high and remain constant enough for mold growth even when you only shower once a day, they create an environment where mold doesn’t only grow but is likely to fester.
Learning how to prevent mold and mildew in the bathroom has a lot to do with knowing exactly what causes or attracts them to grow there.
What makes a bathroom prone to mold growth?
1. Plumbing damage
Leaking sinks and toilets, as well as other plumbing issues, contribute to increased moisture inside the bathroom.
When you have a need for bathroom faucet repair or some other type of patch-up for moisture-inducing damage in your bathroom plumbing, best attend to it as early as possible to avoid creating an environment that allows mold and mildew to fester and spread inside the bathroom walls.
2. Poor ventilation
When your bathroom is not well ventilated, moist air remains inside the bathroom, keeping surfaces wet and prone to catching airborne spores.
The corners your shower stall and bathtub, where moisture tends to collect are common sites for mold growth.
In overly damp bathrooms, moisture can even collect in the vents, which can trigger a spread to other areas of the home.
3. Damp materials
Materials in the bathroom that collect moisture are also common breeding grounds for mold, especially items containing cellulose.
This is why it is best to avoid them or at least have them cleaned or replaced as often as possible to keep your bathroom mold free.
Some common items that promote mold growth, when left untouched for long periods include wood and wood products, fabrics, drywall, grout, rugs, and paper (including wallpaper).
Detecting mold growth
Mold and mildew do emit a certain musky odor, but they can be tricky to detect especially since they tend to grow out of sight.
However, there are usual spots that often attract mold and mildew in the bathroom, such as under the sink and inside of cabinets.
Plumbing fixtures like water supply lines and the back of toilets are also common spots where molds are usually found, along with exhaust fans, crawl spaces, and rooms directly beneath or are adjacent to bathroom spaces.
They appear as dark patches and spots on floors, walls, and surfaces, often accompanied by staining
Preventing mold and mildew in the bathroom
Like many things, prevention is better than cure when it comes to mold and mildew infestation.
There are many things that you can do to help prevent mold and mildew growth in the first place, beginning with increasing the airflow within the bathroom by keeping the air supply clean and free from any type of clutter.
Eliminate points of condensation so moisture isn’t trapped in more places.
Another way to prevent mold and mildew growth is to control your bathroom’s moisture climate.
Open doors and windows to balance moisture levels and keep your exhaust vent running at least 30 minutes after bathing or showering.
When your air conditioning is on, keep doors and windows closed so as not to attract moist and heated air in.
You can track humidity levels inside your bathroom using a humidity monitor to make sure there isn’t excessive humidity in the air and regularly inspect your bathroom for standing water, evaporation stains, and other early signs of mold and mildew growth like darkened grout, and discoloration on floor moldings, tub corners, and other mold-prone spots.
How Danco can Help
Danco is your partner when it comes to bathroom maintenance, repair, and upkeep.
Just as crucial as preventing mold and mildew in the bathroom is, so should your attention to plumbing maintenance be.
Danco offers a wide array of basic plumbing parts for all kinds of bathroom maintenance tasks, including bathroom faucet repair to help you make sure that your bathroom remains functional, safe, and free from mold, mildew, and damage.