Kitchen & Bathroom Design Blog

Here is a new blog post from a guest author contributing to Lang's Kitchen & Bath website.  We hope you find this topic helpful!

The dark, damp conditions of a typical bathroom are, unfortunately, the perfect breeding ground for mold — an issue that’s not only unsightly, but also potentially hazardous to your health. Mold exposure has been linked with everything from allergic reactions to poisoning. It could cause fungal infections or other illness. That’s why keeping mold out of your bathroom and away from your loved ones is vital. How can you do it? What is the key to preventing mold growth? It starts by reducing the dampness of your bathroom.

When it comes to mold, the good news is that just because mold is common in the bathroom doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to stop it. When you want to put a nix on mold in your bathroom’s shower and tile, consider these six top tips below:

1.      De-clutter in the shower/tub. Think of it this way: Every toiletry, loofah or sponge you keep in the shower is another place where mold may grow unnoticed. Instead of keeping shampoo, soap and other items in the shower/tub, wipe them after each use, removing any moisture, and store elsewhere.

2.      Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate.  Every time you take a shower or fill the bathtub, ventilate your bathroom. Leave the door open if possible. Turn on the fan, and leave it running 30 minutes after your shower is done. Open the window if you have one and if the humidity isn’t too high outside. The goal here is to minimize the moisture accumulation in your space so that mold’s breeding ground can’t occur.

3.      Wipe the walls after use.  Every time you shower or bathe, pull out a squeegee and wipe the walls, removing excess water. This not only helps the walls dry quickly, but it also minimizes the conditions that mold needs to grow.

4.      Buy mold-resistant bathroom products.  From mold-resistant drywall to mold-resistant shower curtains, the more you can equip your bathroom to resist mold growth, the better. You can even deck the walls with mold-resistant paint.

5.      Swap shower curtains.  Whether you buy the kind of re-usable shower curtain that you can regularly wash and dry, or you throw away and replace your shower curtain often, make sure you’re swapping out shower curtains on a consistent basis. This helps prevent mold from being able to accumulate in the frequently wet edges of the curtains in your bath.

6.      Seal the grout lines.  A key problem area for mold is in tile grout lines, so protect yourself by annually sealing your grout with a standard sealer. By taking time to complete this step, you can add waterproof potential to your tiled areas, protecting them from mold growth.

As frustrating as bathroom mold can be, you have the power to stop it. By thinking proactively about mold in the bathroom, you can prevent it from accumulating in your space. Use the six tips above to strategically stop mold from being able to thrive in your bathroom. By doing your due diligence to dry out your bathroom and minimize long periods of dampness, you may be able to protect your household from dangerous mold exposure and its related side effects.

Author bio: Bill Robinson is the Vice President of Operations for DKI Commercial Solutions. His main responsibility is to oversee disaster relief operations for commercial large loss in the United States. DKI Services is a nationwide disaster remediation and restoration company that offers emergency restoration services for residential and commercial buildings. Some of Robinson’s efforts have been recognized throughout the media both locally and nationally.