With many parts of the east coast of Australia enduring heavy rain and humidity in the early parts of this year, the subject of mould has again hit the headlines. What is mould and how can you keep it your bathroom? Here’s a teaser: some solutions (e.g. having a heated towel warmer) can actually be luxurious!
What is mould?
Mould is simply a type of fungi. So too, by the way, is the humble mushroom, but it’s a different type of fungi. Mould lives on plant and animal matter and loves damp, poorly ventilated areas.
Mould can be bed for your health and can trigger issues such as nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing and wheezing. It can also cause respiratory infections and be a particular issue for those with asthma, lung diseases, weakened immune systems and allergies.
Where is mould an issue?
As mentioned, mould loves damp conditions, which is why the heavy rain and humidity in some parts of NSW and Queensland has led to mould thriving.
However, there is one part of every household, no matter where you live in Australia, where moisture and humidity are common and that’s the bathroom. The bathroom is in many ways a perfect breeding ground for mould, which is why keeping mould out of your bathroom should be a priority.
Heated towel warmers and more
How can you keep mould out of your bathroom?
We’ve already mentioned one way and that’s by installing a heated towel warmer. While standard rails mean that towels and bath mats are slow to dry, particularly in winter, a good quality heated towel rail will dry your towels quickly, even in winter and in other cold conditions.
Here are some more ways to keep mould out of your bathroom:
- Wash your towels and bath mats regularly. Around once a week should do it.
- If you have glass shower screens, use a squeegee to wipe down all surfaces and remove excess moisture after every shower. This will also help to keep your glass clean.
- If you have a shower curtain, wash it regularly.
- Make sure you use your bathroom fan whenever showering or running a bath. In fact, it’s a great idea to leave the fan going well after you shower or bath finishes.
- While this is less tempting in winter, open a window in your bathroom (if you have one) every day to let fresh air in.
- If you use a face washer, loofah or sponge in your shower, make sure they are left hanging to dry quicker.
- Use a spray-on shower cleaner regularly. You can use commercial products, but it’s easy to make your own. For example, combine 1 part vinegar, 3 parts water and a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle. Shake and spray the entire shower area. Don’t rinse. Leave it on to attack any mould on your surfaces and to prevent mould from appearing.
- Always wipe up any water spills, that would otherwise take a long time to dry.
Get a Gordon heated towel warmer
As mentioned, a good quality heated towel rail will dry your towels quickly, but only one will flash dry your towels.
When it comes to keeping mould out of your towels and bath mats, there are several reasons why the Gordon heated towel warmer is the best choice:
- Gordon doesn’t just warm towels and it doesn’t just dry them. It flash dries them. Testing has shown that it can dry towels and bath mats in a third of the time of most heated towel rails.
- Most horizontal heated towel warmers aren’t designed for any more than one or maybe two towels, so most people fold and scrunch up their towels to fit. This means they take even longer to dry. The standard Gordon can fit up to four large towels or bath mats. The double Gordon can fit eight!
- Gordon’s long vertical fins constantly exhaust any humid air surrounding your towels, replacing it with dry air.
- Gordon reaches operating temperature three times quicker than most heated rails on the market.
- Unlike most heated towel rails, Gordon will add some additional heat to your bathroom. Pretty handy at this time of the year!
What about the kitchen and laundry?
The other rooms that are also common breeding grounds for mould, because of moisture and potentially poor ventilation, are the kitchen and the laundry.
An excellent solution in these rooms is Eskimo Heat’s The Holy Rail. It’s a clever towel drier, clothes dryer and radiator in one. It will help warm any room and provides convenient slots to dry towels, kitchen tea towels and clothing.
Like the Gordon, it’s not just functional, it’s also stylish. The Holy Rail comes in six sizes and 29 different standard colours, or you can choose your own colour for a slightly higher price. You can even choose two colours to blend with your home’s interior design.
