The Bathroom Requires Extra Cleaning Attention In Winter: Here's Why

Have you noticed your bathroom getting grungy more frequently this winter? You aren't imagining it — the bathroom can become a cleaning weak spot during the wintertime. There are actually a few reasons why it's harder to deep clean your bathroom and keep it clean during the colder months. For starters, you're probably spending more time indoors, so your bathroom is getting more use. Windows and doors are usually sealed up tight to keep the cold air outside, meaning there's less natural airflow throughout your home. Paired with the hot water and moisture from showers and sinks, your bathroom can become the perfect environment for mold and mildew in the winter months.

Keeping your bathroom clean in the winter is important for your health. Over time, exposure to mold and mildew can cause health issues like headaches, respiratory infections, and allergies. But you may feel like you're constantly waging war against the wintertime grime. Making some simple adjustments and establishing daily and weekly cleaning habits for your bathroom can help you battle bacteria, mold, and mildew buildup and guard against seasonal germs.

There are some simple things you can do to keep your bathroom clean this winter. For starters, increasing the airflow in your bathroom can help moisture evaporate quicker. In the winter, people often take hotter showers. When hot water meets a cold surface, it creates condensation that will stick around and evaporate slowly because of the cooler air. All that moisture tends to linger on bathroom tiles, mirrors, walls, and ceilings, leading to a faster buildup of mold and mildew. The same can be said for towels and bath mats, which dry slower in the winter and trap odors and bacteria. After a shower, keep the shower curtain and bathroom door open to let steam out. Proper ventilation can be really helpful, so be sure to run the exhaust fan after a shower to keep your bathroom mold-free. Running an air purifier can also help you remove mold particles in the bathroom and alert you if the air quality is poor.

Bathrooms also have some very high-touch areas like faucets, toilet handles, hand towels, and light switches. All the extra traffic through the bathroom can lead to fast-spreading bacteria, even if everyone is washing their hands more frequently. For this reason, it's important to change out hand towels regularly in winter, putting them in the wash pile after about five uses. You should also create a daily and weekly cleaning routine in your bathroom to cut down on excess moisture and bacteria. Every day, try to wipe down surfaces and sanitize the high-touch areas, and consider towel-drying your shower walls after every shower to prevent mold growth.