The Bathroom Etiquette Rule That Helps Prevent Mold & Mildew

Nothing beats a steaming hot shower in the morning or a long, warm bath after a hectic day of work. Cranking the heat up on your shower head or bath faucet, of course, creates steam, which then clings to the mirror and walls and floats in the air. There's nothing inherently wrong with this ritual, but when you turn the faucet off and hop out, what do you do next? Many of us immediately prop open the door both to dissipate the humidity and steam and maybe even to cool down a bit ourselves, but this is a mistake. When we open the door to our bathroom while it is still brimming with clouds of steam, we are effectively letting that moisture seep out into every part of our home, much of which isn't well suited to humidity. 

Bathrooms have one key advantage over the rest of your home, and that's the extractor fan. There are several benefits of extractor fans that pull air from the bathroom, as they help to eliminate moist air as well as odors and debris. Fans running before, during, and after the shower or bath prevent moisture from settling on surfaces, which is what leads to mold and mildew in the bathroom. By opening the door, you funnel moist air into areas without proper ventilation or an extractor fan's help. 

Of course, an extractor fan is only effective at mold prevention if it's in working order. Test out your extractor fan(s) with a simple method called the toilet paper test, where you turn your extractor fan and hold a single square of toilet paper to the fan. If the paper sticks to the vent, you'll know that the fan is suctioning. If it's not working, be sure to dust the fan and wipe it down. You may need to take the filter or filters behind the vent down as well and either clean or replace them, similar to how you need to clean the filters on your kitchen range hood. 

It's also key to make sure you're giving the fan adequate time to work, which includes letting it run before you've even turned the shower on, throughout the shower, and after you get out. Keep the door closed with the fan on for about 5 to 10 minutes after the shower to make sure all of the moisture has been removed, and you should be all set.