Bathroom condensation occurs when water damage gathers into water droplets on cold surfaces due to contact with humid air. This can cause unnecessary harm to your bathroom. It is important to be diligent and limit the amount of condensation to keep your bathroom healthy and clean.
Ceiling Condensation
It is extremely easy to overlook ceiling condensation, simply because you are not generally looking up at all the time. However it is important to check it regularly like you would with anything else. If condensation builds up too much, your ceiling could be damaged beyond repair, especially if it is made with a weaker material when dealing with water. To remedy or prevent this, make sure ventilation is properly working, and moisture is dealt with soon after it accumulates.
Toilet Condensation
A toilet will typically gather accumulate condensation because the water in the tank is colder than the air outside of it. To fix this, there are a few very effective solutions. Of course, ventilation is always one of the best potions. Other than that, consider getting an insulation kit for your toilet to warm it up a bit. There is always the option of keeping up with the condensation buildup and wiping it down regularly with a dry microfiber cloth.
Shower Condensation
Perhaps the most common area for condensation buildup in a bathroom is the shower. The regular flow of warm warm will cause condensation to build up almost every time you use your shower. If you have an exhaust fan, make sure you run it while you shower so the condensation is eliminated before it can even form. If condensation does end up accumulating, you can wipe it with a microfiber cloth. To be more proactive, you can coat your shower door with an anti-condensation solution.
How to Prevent a Molded Bathroom
The last thing you want is a moldy bathroom. Mold will collect in a bathroom due to moisture buildup and lack of ventilation most commonly. Luckily, there are several ways in which you can prevent this from happening. For example, make sure your ventilation situation is optimized as much as possible in your bathroom. This can be done through the use of fans, windows, dehumidifiers and other similar methods. In addition, moisture can be manually handled as well. Wiping down your surfaces with a dry microfiber cloth can absolutely help to prevent the buildup of moistures, therefore preventing mold in your bathroom.
It is recommended that you utilize a combination of methods to prevent moisture buildup in order to really be on top of your bathroom's health. Include ventilation as well as some manual upkeep. Both of these methods, as well as some other methods, can be done a few times a week to prevent the buildup of mold.
Importance of Ventilation
Ventilation can come in several different forms. The most common is in the form of a bathroom window. This could be an issue for some due to the location of the bathroom and its inability to incorporate bathroom windows to let in natural air ventilation. Keep in mind that the water temperature of the air is a factor in controlling the bathroom condensation in your bathroom. Generally, warmer air is better for keeping bathroom condensation under control. If access to bathroom windows is not possible, the next best option is artificial ventilation. This is most commonly utilized by floor or ceiling vents to ensure air circulation.
Another trick you can try is to turn up the thermostat a few degrees to make your cold surfaces are slightly warmer in order to prevent bathroom condensation. No mater what method you are thinking of implementing into your bathroom, it is important that you include at least one. Ventilation is an extremely important aspect in your bathroom if you want to limit bathroom condensation. Ventilation is probably the most cost efficient way to keep your bathroom condensation at a minimum as well because of the variety of ways you can do it. It is as simple as opening a bathroom window or a one time installation of a small ventilation system.
Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers are effective in making sure bathroom condensation does not collect at a rapid pace. Keeping a dehumidifier running when water damage is running helps control the rate of bathroom condensation on mirrors or other fixtures. Not only does a dehumidifier reduce bathroom condensation, it also reduces the need to constantly wipe down your fixtures. This is a common staple in many bathrooms, even if it isn't being used all of the time.
It is recommended that you run your dehumidifier during a shower. You should keep it on for several minutes after you get out of your shower in order to eliminate the most amount of bathroom condensation possible. Dehumidifiers are available in a variety of prices as well, so if you happen to be on a budget, there are always affordable dehumidifiers to choose from. Prices generally range from about $50 to $250, though some can be much more expensive for the luxury products.
Dehumidifiers for Bathrooms Without Vents
If you are working with a bathroom without any vents, a dehumidifier will be an incredibly rewarding inclusion to the space. This is because a dehumidifier will compensate for the lack on the ventilation provided by vents. there are several different things to know before implementing a dehumidifier, however. For example, it needs to be powerful enough to account for the entire area of your bathroom. It should also be emptied regularly, whether that is done through a hose or done manually.
What Causes High Humidity and How to Solve It
High humidity will generally be caused by excessive amounts of water being evaporated in a given area. Of course, in a closed space like a bathroom, humidity will rise much faster than an open space due to the regular use of running water. In addition, hot areas will typically be more humid because heat causes water to evaporate much faster than it would in a cold area.
Although humidity can be common in bathrooms, there are several ways to solve the issue. The most common solutions require some form of ventilation. Dehumidifiers, fans, vents and air conditioning are all great ways to allow air flow in a bathroom to remove moisture. If you need more of a foundational remedy to high humidity, you can improve insultation, weather-strip your doors and windows and even caulk or seal your fixtures that may be leaking. It is always important to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to controlling high humidity.
How to Prevent the Bathroom Mirror from Steaming Up
One of the most common issues in any bathroom design is when a bathroom wall mirror fogs or steams up. Luckily, there are several ways to prevent this from happening effectively. Firstly, ventilation is the easiest and least intensive way to prevent steam buildup. If the ventilation is good enough, the moisture won't have a chance to gather. If you would like to go with a more hands-on approach, you can lightly rub a bar of soap on the surface of the mirror, and then buff it off with a microfiber cloth. This is a great way to keep a mirror from steaming up while using materials you may already have available. Of course, this will apply to magnifying makeup mirrors as well.
Warm Up Your Bathroom
One of the easiest ways to prevent bathroom condensation is to adjust your thermostat to a higher heat. You don't need to make your bathroom into a sauna. However, turning up the heat a few degrees in your bathroom will warm up all of your surfaces. This can in turn, reduce the overall amount of bathroom condensation.
If you want to include a little extra heating, try incorporating some heated fixtures, such as towel bars, to add heat to your bathroom as well as heat up your towels for the next use. An option that is always available to you is a heater. Make sure that any heater you incorporate does not increase moisture in your bathroom, defeating the purpose of including it in the first place. If you need to, insulate your bathroom wall more effectively to keep your bathroom warm and your bathroom condensation at a minimum.
Wipe Down Surfaces
After using the bathroom, make sure you wipe down surfaces until they are dry. Wiping down your countertops and fixtures prevents the buildup of bathroom condensation. It also protects your fixtures from any permanent water damage. It is important to make sure that water isn’t collecting around the base of fixtures or on the floor, as it can be hard to miss. Wiping down your surfaces can also help prevent any buildup of mold.
If you start seeing black spots on your fixtures, it could be signifying the first stages of mold growth. It is important to wipe down your fixtures and surfaces regularly. If you do, bathroom condensation will be limited to a minimum. Your bathroom will smell fresh and look clean as well. It is suggested that you first wipe down your surfaces with a dry microfiber cloth or something similar. After that you can wipe them down again with cleaning wipes and then another wipe with a dry cloth. As long as you wipe down your surfaces with a dry cloth, the bathroom condensation should not pose any threat to the preservation of your bathroom surfaces.