Bathrooms get more moisture than almost any other room, so they are one of the first places mould appears: on sealant, grout, ceilings and window frames. Most of it can be kept at bay with a few habits and a working extractor fan.

Get the moisture out

  • Use the extractor fan every time you shower or bath, and leave it running for a while afterwards. The government's damp and mould guidance says bathroom fans should be "fully operational and sufficiently powered" to remove moisture.
  • Check the fan actually works. Hold a single sheet of toilet paper near the grille while it's running: if it isn't pulled towards the fan, the fan or its duct may be blocked or broken.
  • Keep the door shut while you shower and for a while after, so steam doesn't spread to colder rooms.
  • Open the window or leave it on the vent setting after a shower, if there is one.

Keep surfaces dry

  • Squeegee or wipe down tiles, glass and the bath after use.
  • Hang wet towels and bath mats somewhere they can dry, not bunched up.
  • Keep the room reasonably warm: cold surfaces attract condensation.
  • Leave a gap between shampoo bottles and the wall so tiles and sealant can dry.

Deal with mould early

  • Clean small spots straight away with a mould and mildew product rather than bleach, wearing gloves, goggles and a mask, with the door shut and the window open.
  • Mould that has grown into silicone sealant rarely cleans out. Cutting out the old sealant and resealing is usually the lasting fix.
  • Recurring mould on the ceiling above a shower often means the fan isn't coping or there's a cold spot, for example missing loft insulation above.

See cleaning small areas yourself for the safe way to clean.

When the bathroom itself is the problem

Some bathrooms have no fan, a fan that's too weak, or a fan that vents into the loft instead of outside. Fixing that is a job for an electrician or ventilation specialist. If you rent, it's normally your landlord's job: report it in writing. See who has to fix damp and mould in a rented home.

Leaks from a bath, shower tray or pipework show up as damp patches that don't dry, often on the ceiling below. Those need a plumber before any mould treatment.

Sources

Tags

bathroom mouldventilationcleaningmaintenanceprevention