Growth of mold in bathrooms is very common if there is no proper ventilation. Mold in bathrooms could be due to poor ventilation and high humidity in the bathroom. The mold could be found growing on the walls and also the bathroom ceiling. Severe growth of mold in bathrooms can also occur in drains which emit odors. Drains are a hot spot for fungal growth in bathrooms. The extent of fungal contamination in bathrooms is dependent on the amount of moisture present.
Predominant types of mold in bathrooms include Acremonium sp., Cladosporium sp., Cladophialophora sp., Fusarium sp., Phoma sp., Exophiala sp., Scolecobasidium sp., and Aureobasidium sp. With leaking pipes or prolonged excessive moisture other indicators of moisture damage such as Stachybotrys sp and Chaetomium can be found growing behind the baseboard.
How to control growth of mold in bathrooms
To control growth of mold in bathrooms, humidity has to be reduced. The CMHC recommends the following:
- Check the bathroom fan to make sure it exhausts to the outside.
- Turn the bathroom fan on when you shower. Keep it running for a few minutes after you finish your shower.
- Take short showers.
- Keep surfaces that get wet, such as the walls around the bathtub and shower, clean and dry.
- If there is a carpet in your bathroom, remove it.
- Check for water leaks.
- Keep drains in good shape by removing debris from them.