If you’re like me, you’ll agree that showering in a warm, steamy, enclosed space is one of life’s luxuries. Ah, the pleasure of your own, personal little steam room! And stepping out of the shower into the cozy, moist air is a great way to towel off in comfort while maintaining the pleasure. I’ve had big bathrooms in the past, where the only warm, steamy place was when I was actually standing under the shower – the rest of the room would always be cool and airy. No matter that good ventilation is a must for a healthy bathroom! I always had to brace myself for those moments between turning off the water and briskly drying off before putting on a thick, terry robe. My current bathroom is much smaller, and it’s easy to steam it up and keep it steamy for a little while.

But with all the concerns about mold and mildew, it’s important to keep bathroom humidity in check. So what’s a person to do?

• Use the exhaust fan. Some people don’t mind having the bathroom exhaust fan running while they shower, and this is a good practice for a variety of reasons. Not only does the fan pull unwanted moisture out of the air, it also works as an excellent defogger for the mirror. Even if you like to steam up the bathroom for the shower experience, turning on the fan once you’re out and dry is a good habit.



• Open the door or window. If you’ve got the privacy factor covered, open the bathroom door when you’re finished showering. This lets the steam billow out into the master bedroom or the hallway, keeping it from concentrating and condensing in the bathroom. Cracking a bathroom window open is another way to refresh and dehumidifying the air, although many modern bathrooms are windowless, making this option impossible.
• Keep a squeegee handy. Keeping a squeegee on a hook in the shower stall makes it easy to wipe down the walls of the stall as soon as you turn off the water. This removes excess water in a hurry, and it has the added benefit of keeping the shower enclosure cleaner longer – no spotty build-up to mar the walls.
• Use a dehumidifier. Bathroom dehumidifiers are a good choice when the above options either aren’t possible or don’t do the job completely. According to Dan Vandervort’s Home Tips http://www.hometips.com/how_dehumidifier_works.html , “A dehumidifier uses refrigeration principles the way an air conditioner does, but it doesn’t cool the air—in fact, it warms it slightly. A dehumidifier is a box that contains cold evaporator coils, warm condenser coils, a fan, and a reservoir or drain to catch water. The fan blows moisture-laden room air over the cold coils, where water condenses and drips into the pan or drain. The drier air then blows across the warm coils and back into the room.”

Whichever solution you choose for keeping bathroom humidity in check, your attention to this practice will keep you – and your bathroom – healthier.

Bathroom remodeling photos by Fine Structure and Rockwood Construction.

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