A hot shower is certainly the best way to start a busy day or end a stressful one: the hot water that flows on your skin seems to relieve anxiety and relax your body. But the vapours and condensation on the walls and on the mirror create high levels of humidity in the bathroom and, if you do not intervene correctly, you risk finding mould and mildew on the walls. If underestimated, these small droplets can turn into unsightly black spots and be very damaging to your health.
Heating the room well before taking a shower or hot bath is the first step to decrease humidity in the bathroom. Usually, condensation is the result of warm steam on cold walls, an example is what happens when we take a cool bottle out of the refrigerator in the summer and notice that the glass steams up. In fact, the problems of humidity in the bathroom tend to occur mainly in winter, when the outside temperatures make the walls colder and when bad weather prevents you from opening the windows and airing out the room. However, there is no need to leave the windows open for hours: just a few minutes are enough to have safe and hygienic surroundings.
Good preventative measures against humidity in the bathroom can be taken as follows:
• By using specific paints • By ventilating the room
• By cleaning the shower after each use
• By introducing special plants
Waterproof paints are either water-resistant or entirely waterproof and they are highly recommended in the bathroom because they prevent moisture from seeping into the walls and contrast the formation of mould for long periods. These are specific water-based paints for humid environments that can prove to be fundamental especially in windowless bathrooms.
For an adequate ventilation in the bathroom, we recommend opening the window immediately after taking a shower, or alternatively by leaving the door open or by activating the extractor fan if there are no windows. In the case that not even one of the above-mentioned measures were taken, the condensation will remain trapped inside the room and the formation of mould and mildew will be inevitable. If you cannot provide an adequate ventilation, an extractor fan which extracts the steam from the room will be the best solution. In this case it will be advisable to turn it on immediately before carrying out those activities that increase the risk of condensation and to leave it on for about half an hour after a shower.
Even cleaning the shower immediately after use can help to prevent humidity: if you start immediately, before it dries, you will eliminate the steam and make cleaning easier and faster. You will also remove all traces of limestone before they settle on the tray and on the taps preventing the appearance of unsightly white stains. For a spotlessly clean shower, we recommend that you use a microfiber cloth or a rubber glass wiper on the tiles, from top to bottom, and then move on to the shower glass and column set . The shower tray will be the last fixture to be dried.
There are also some plants which are particularly appreciated for their extraordinary ability to improve air quality. Usually, they are tropical plants that allow you to have a precious ally in preventing humidity and at the same time, a very agreeable green corner which will create a very stylish bathroom. Orchids, aloe vera, begonia and ferns prove to be the most suitable species for the bathroom, in addition to all varieties of tropical plants.