How to protect your bathroom from fungus and mold?

There are at least several reasons why it’s necessary to make sure that mold doesn’t appear in the bathroom. Health is at the forefront. Fungus in the bathroom causes various diseases. It contributes, for example, to the development of asthma, allergies, skin conditions, respiratory diseases and eye infections. This prompts us to take preventive and moisture-reducing measures in the bathroom. Health concerns should encourage us to view the microclimate in the bathroom closely, but the consequences don’t end here.

Mold impinge on the bathroom appearance. Discoloration and stains may appear on various surfaces, and a characteristic unpleasant odor will be smelled when we enter the bathroom. On top of that, grout, wallpaper, paint and even furniture get damaged. This means that the home dwellers are exposed to incurring additional costs associated with the purchase of new furnishings, and sometimes an extensive and more costly renovation may be necessary. As we can see, excessive moisture can lead to numerous issues, and as always the principle saying that prevention is better than cure should be followed. How to protect your walls from moisture then?

In fact, to make sure there’s no problem with mold in the future, it’s necessary to think about it already at the stage of construction or renovation. What to use to protect your walls from moisture? Liquid rubber is perfect for this. It can be applied with a roller or a brush in the areas that are most exposed to water. Sealing compounds are also used. They work well for protecting walls, floors and the interior of shower stalls. They have the form of a one-component paste and are sold in buckets. They can be applied to plaster, cement, drywall surfaces, and concrete. Such compounds are made from synthetic resins and are ready to use immediately - no need to add anything or dilute them. Sometimes two-component compounds are also available for purchase.

It’s worth grabbing some tapes and seals on your way, too. The former are used where the wall meets the floor and in the corners, while puddle flanges are used at pipe joints and at drains. With this type of treatment, it’s less likely that fungus will appear in your shower stall. What’s more, we need to remember to pick moisture-resistant materials when finishing the interior. As we can see, the way the investor approaches the renovation is crucial, but the utilization is equally important.

When using the bathroom, frequent ventilation is essential, especially after bathing, when the humidity level rises significantly. Moreover, it’s important to clean and wipe the surfaces regularly, which we will elaborate on in a moment. If possible, it’s also better to avoid drying laundry and towels in the bathroom, as this also conduces to the appearance of moisture. In addition to all the preventive measures, the humidity level should be checked regularly, and if necessary, we ought to invest in a dehumidifier.

How to protect your bathroom door from moisture? It should be made from durable and resistant material, and preferably covered with a protective coat of paint or varnish. The bottom edge can also be protected with sanitary silicone.

Regular cleaning: The key to mold prevention

Moisture on the bathroom wall or mold in the shower stall are a result of their frequent contact with water. Airborne steam settles on different surfaces, hence wiping down the areas where water and steam accumulate is an effective treatment preventing mold growth. We shouldn’t forget about other common stains resulting from bathroom use like streaks, limescale and product residues. Not only do they look unpleasant, but also once they build up, getting rid of them can be a nuisance.

How often the bathroom should be cleaned can vary depending on its size, how much water is used, and whether it has a window and efficient ventilation. It’s recommended to clean the bathroom at least once a week. So what products should be used to prevent fungus from appearing in the shower stall?

Choosing the right cleaning products against mold and fungi

Bathroom care and cleaning should be done with the right products. By reaching for other measures, we can unintentionally damage our sanitary ware. For example, if the shower enclosure has a water-repellent coating, cream cleaner or other caustic agents could damage it. In such a case, SanSwiss professional cleaning products like Glass Cleaner, Power Cleaner and Protect Cleaner will work much better.

For routine bathroom cleaning, mild detergents are enough. A bigger problem arises if there’s fungus in the shower stall or elsewhere. Simple washing the grout or the wall doesn’t mean the problem will go away. The fungus can go much deeper, so the problem will return over time. If you already see a growth, you should immediately focus on fungicidal products. They contain strong chemical compounds so handle them with special care.

The matter of ventilation has come up several times here. Together with cleaning and good surface protection, it plays a special role. There are a few ways to take care of it. As mentioned above, the bathroom should be ventilated after bathing. It’s best if there’s a window that can be opened daily to ensure air circulation. It’s also recommended to leave the bathroom door ajar. Such natural ventilation, against all appearances, can do a lot. Another good practice is to invest in an extractor fan, especially if the bathroom is small and has no window. To make sure that the fan works well, it’s best to entrust its installation to a professional. The door is important for ventilation too, it should be undercut or have vents at the bottom to allow air exchange.

Knowing now how to protect the walls from moisture, how often to clean the bathroom and how to take care of its ventilation, we can take full care of the comfort of the bathroom, the health of the home dwellers and the durability of the sanitary ware and furnishings. Let’s not forget about the many consequences of excessive moisture, which should be an extra motivator to keep an eye on the microclimate of our bathroom.