Do you have a bathroom that just doesn’t seem to dry out after you shower or bathe? Have you ever wondered if there are negative consequences to having an overly humid bathroom? Or maybe you are wondering what are some ways you could remove some of the excesses of moisture-heavy air.
Why Bathrooms Get so Humid
When someone takes a hot shower, the water tends to steam up and fill a bathroom with humid, warm air. This moist air condenses on surfaces in the bathroom like windows and mirrors and may cause puddling on floors or counters if it never has any chance to evaporate. Most modern bathrooms come equipped with a ventilating fan to combat this, pulling away wet air so that a humid bathroom can dry out. However, if a bathroom is small, windowless, or doesn’t have a fan, a bathroom will very quickly steam up and may take a long time to dry out again.
Ways a Humid Bathroom Can Harm Your House
A humid bathroom can lead to a number of issues. For one, warm moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria. Damp towels, washcloths, or hand towels that never get a chance to dry out are highly susceptible to bacterial overgrowth. Damp clothes also lead to a musty smell that can be hard to remove even after multiple cleanings.
Mold also thrives in humid spaces so the chance of molds growing in your shower, under your sink, or around window frames is very high. Damp and dark spaces are also attractive to a number of insects and bugs who may take the chance to move into a humid damp bathroom.
This can lead to secondary infestations of hunting pests like spiders or centipedes who will come into the bathroom to eat the other bugs. Puddles left by puddling condensation can cause damage to the bathroom itself leading to peeling paint, warped doors, rust, and structural weakening.
Also Read: 22 Aesthetic Showers Ideas for a Perfect Bathing Experience
How to Dry Out Your Bathrooms
So what are some ways you can take care of your bathroom, health, and comfort and remove some of the excess humidity from your bathroom?
Exhaust Fans
Fans installed specifically for the purpose of circulating and dehumidifying bathroom air is the best and most effective method for an overly humid bathroom. Exhaust fans should be started a few minutes before your shower and then continue to run up to 20 minutes after to ensure all that steam and moisture is dried up. If you have the budget and ability to install or repair a bathroom exhaust fan, it is your best option. Companies like ac repair Louisville are able to set up or repair bathroom fans professionally.
Dehumidifier
Another effective way to remove humidity from bathroom air is to use a dehumidifier. These devices remove moisture from the air that collects in a tank that will need to be emptied periodically. They usually require access to electricity. They range in price quite a bit but can be well worth it to keep a bathroom dry.
Standing Fans
While they won’t remove any moisture from the room, a standing fan will help circulate air which can help prevent as much water from becoming condensation or puddling. Care should always be taken with electrical fans around water though, to prevent electrocution.
Colder Showers
Taking both colder and/or shorter showers will decrease the amount of water that is absorbed into the air. Colder showers create less steam and shorter showers will cut out some of the time humidity has to develop. For those needing a cheaper or quicker fix to a humidity problem, this may work though it is not a 100% effective method.
Open a Window
If you have a window in your bathroom, opening it can create the kind of circulation that can aid in drying out a bathroom of excessive humidity. If you don’t have a window, consider keeping the bathroom door open to create the same kind of circulation. Having a ceiling fan running nearby can help keep air moving and dry out the bathroom.
Take Wet Towels Out
Wet towels and face rags will contribute to the overall humidity of a bathroom as they release water back into the air as they slowly dry out. They are also prone to bacterial overgrowth in damp bathrooms due to how slowly they dry. Removing wet towels and rags to dry in another room will not only help your towels dry correctly, but will also cut down on some of the humidity in your bathroom. This is true of bathmats, hand towels, and damp clothes too.
Wipe Up Water
You can reduce the amount of water sitting in your bathroom by wiping up your bathroom when you are done showering or bathing. Wipe down mirrors and mirrors with condensation, squeegee down the shower walls, stretch out the shower curtain, and mope up any puddles on the floor.
Get a Few Houseplants
There are a few plants, like ferns, that actually are pretty good at absorbing moisture from the air and may be effective at drying out humid bathrooms. One or two of these will not only dehumidify your bathroom but will create a fresh and clean vibe to your bathroom decor. However, care should be taken to research what houseplants to use as some plants will actually release water back into the air and will only make a humid bathroom more humid.
In Closing
Bathrooms can be notoriously bad breeding grounds for mold and bacteria. High humidity levels only make this problem worse. There are a number of ways to dehumidify an overly wet bathroom, however, even if your bathroom doesn’t have an exhaust fan feature.
As always you should still always keep an eye out for mold growth, musty smells, puddles or dampness behind toilets or under sinks, and any signs of bug infestations so that a bigger problem doest develop. With a little bit of creativity or adjustment to normal bathing habits, even a windowless, small, humid bathroom doesn’t have to stay humid and damp all the time.