Leaving the shower curtain or door open after showering is an easy way to stop mould from growing on bathroom tiles, grout, or silicone, according to Ollie Lyon from Plumb Nation.
Bathrooms tend to need the most cleaning of any room in a home, but it is not just the toilet or sinks that need scrubbing; the wall tiles can also become really mouldy. Once you step out of the shower, the bathroom can be vulnerable to mould as all the hot water vapour and leftover steam have nowhere else to go. That humidity tends to cling to bathroom walls, creating the perfect environment for mould to grow, since spores thrive only on wet surfaces.
Why mould spreads
If left alone, mould can spread onto grout and silicone, which can damage them permanently, but it can also create a musty smell that will not go away, no matter how much you clean the home.
Ollie said: “Ventilation is one of the best ways to remove moisture from the bathroom and eradicate mould on bathroom surfaces. Always open the window and turn on the fan, and you can also leave the bathroom curtain and door open so moisture can dissipate through the house.”
Simple prevention steps
Mould tends to grow in areas with lots of trapped moisture, and allowing steam to escape helps prevent it from becoming concentrated inside a shower. Keeping the shower curtain or door open allows more air to circulate over the wet tiles, silicone, or grout, so they dry much faster, which makes mould growth less likely.
Opening the shower door or curtain is the most effective way to keep mould away, but you should also try to create as much airflow as possible by using a fan or opening a window. If there is no window or extractor fan in the bathroom, it might be worth investing in a portable fan or humidifier to help keep the tiles cleaner and mould-free.
Other habits that help
It also helps to keep a dry cloth near the shower and wipe down the damp surface after showering, as it will stop bacteria or mould spores circulating in these areas. Many people also leave wet towels on the bathroom floor or hanging on the bathroom door, but they retain so much moisture that they trap a lot of humidity inside the bathroom.
Placing wet towels in a hamper in a dry area of the home instead will immediately improve the air quality after showering. Keeping mould out of a bathroom can be easy: a few simple habits that take less than 10 seconds can have long-lasting effects and help keep tiles as clean as possible.
