Many people think of mold as a problem caused by big issues like flooding or long-term water damage. But something as simple as your daily shower routine could be creating mold risk in ways you don't expect. Cleaning experts say that how you handle the bathroom door before and after your shower can affect the amount of mold that grows in your bathroom.
Mold tends to grow in warm, damp, and humid environments, which is why it's not uncommon to see it take hold in bathrooms. Some areas you might spot mold or mildew are in grout lines and fabrics like shower curtains. As you might expect, cleaning experts say it's much easier to prevent mold in the bathroom than it is to remove it.
Luckily, preventing mold in the bathroom doesn't require a big change to your routine. Making a quick adjustment to your pre- and post-shower routine can help moisture evaporate more quickly, which makes it less likely for mold and mildew to take hold in your space.
Carolyn Forté, our resident scientist and executive director of the Home Care and Cleaning Lab shared her advice on how to tweak your shower routine so mold doesn't come crawling back.
Can small habits promote mold?
Unfortunately, they can. One of the most common daily habits that causes mold is closing the bathroom door during and after your shower. "Closing the door traps moisture in the room, and wherever there's moisture, mold growth is encouraged," says Forté. "If possible, it's always best to leave the door open for the steam to escape."
Of course, closing the bathroom door won't automatically cause a mold problem, but it does make it easier for mold to grow. If you can't leave the door open, there are other ways to vent moisture. "Open a window and turn on the exhaust fan," Forté suggests. "The faster moisture, steam, and humidity leave the room, the more you delay the growth of mold."
What to do after your shower
Once you hop out of the shower, keep the shower door open so the inside can air out. "The quicker surfaces dry, the less likely mold takes hold," Forté says. If you use a shower curtain, pull it partly open to allow water to evaporate from the inside of the shower and from the folds of the curtain itself.
At the end of the day, it's all about getting the air moving, whether that's by opening the bathroom door, the shower door, a window, or a bathroom fan that's vented to the outside. "Air flow is what you want," Forté says.
You'll be happy you tweaked these tiny habits the next time you clean your bathroom!
Juliana (she/her) is the deputy digital editor at Good Housekeeping, where she leads the lifestyle team and oversees coverage across entertainment, health, home, holidays, food, and travel. She brings more than a decade of experience to the role, including time as deputy features editor at HGTV Magazine and Food Network Magazine. Her bylines have appeared in Reader's Digest, Elle Decor, Editorialist, Best Life, Bloomberg News, and more.
