Should You Leave Your Bathroom Window Open for Ventilation?
Bathroom ventilation is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy and hygienic living environment. However, there’s a common debate on whether leaving the bathroom window open is the best way to achieve this.
It’s definitely a good idea to keep your window open for ventilation; however, it’s not always the best solution. Installing an extractor fan in your bathroom would be the most effective method to ventilate the room.
Proper bathroom ventilation is crucial not only to have fresh, clean air in your bathroom but also to prevent any mold or mildew from growing. In this article, we’ll look at the different ways that you can ventilate your bathroom.
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Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
Opening your window during and after a shower is a great way to ventilate your bathroom. Here are some other products that also help to keep the mold at bay and remove any unpleasant odors from your bathroom.
The best products to ventilate your bathroom:
1. Extractor/Exhaust Fan – Extracts moisture from the bathroom air.
2. Ductless Extractor Fan – Ideal for apartments with no roof access.
3. Portable Air Circulating Fan – A great alternative if you do not have an extractor fan.
Ventilation in Your Bathroom
A bathroom is a damp and humid space, which is the perfect environment for mold and mildew to thrive. This is one of the main reasons why proper bathroom ventilation is essential in any house.
Good ventilation in a bathroom also helps to transport unpleasant odors that could come from your bathroom. Let’s look at different ways that you could ventilate your bathroom.
Ways to Ventilate Your Bathroom
There are a few ways to keep your bathroom air fresh. Whether you use an extractor fan or a regular fan or crack open the window, they serve the same purpose.
Extractor Fan
In the United States, most bathrooms have an extractor fan installed to extract moisture from the bathroom. Some municipal building codes require these fans, while others don’t. However, we would consider it a must-have in any home.
These extractor fans remove moisture from the bathroom air and vent it through a duct to the outside. An extractor fan would be the perfect solution to remove mold and mildew if your bathroom does not have access to the outside through a window.
If you don’t have access to the roof to run a duct through, you can install a ductless extractor fan. These pull the air through a filter that removes the moisture and releases the air into another room of your house.
You might also enjoy our post on Whether Bathroom Fans Remove Smells
Windows
What if you don’t have an extractor fan? Well, that’s where a window comes in handy. Cracking open a window while you shower allows moisture to escape your bathroom and forces fresh air to flow in.
This is not as effective as turning on an extractor fan, but it will keep the mold at bay if you have no other option. You would need to leave your window open pretty much 24/7, though, no matter the temperature outside. If you live in a particularly humid climate (like Florida), opening a window might not be enough to fight off the mold.
To circulate the air in your bathroom, you need to extract the moisture from the air and allow fresh dry air to enter the bathroom. The best way to do this is to turn on your extractor fan or open the window and open the door to the bathroom. This allows fresh air to flow in.
Condensation is simply humidity collecting on the surface of your window or shower. To prevent these small drops from forming, simply open your window. This forces the moist air to flow out of the room and removes any condensation from your bathroom.
When to Open Your Bathroom Window
Ideally, you should leave your bathroom window open as much as possible. However, it’s most crucial during and after your shower. This is when a lot of moisture builds up in your bathroom and needs to be ventilated.
You might consider leaving your bathroom window open throughout the night. However, you need to consider some factors. Firstly, is it safe? Is your bathroom window accessible to thieves or anyone trying to cause trouble? Secondly, does your bathroom window offer privacy? Can anyone walking by on the street see right into your bathroom or potentially see you in the shower?
If you answered yes, it might be best to keep your window shut during the night and only open it during your shower (for privacy, you can install a curtain) and right after your shower for about one hour.
Air Circulating Fan
If your bathroom has no window and no extractor fan, the next best idea is to use a portable fan. Open the door to the bathroom and turn on the fan in the doorway. This will force the air inside your bathroom to circulate and allow fresh air to flow into the bathroom.
This is not an ideal solution and probably won’t stop mold from growing in your bathroom, but it is better than nothing, and it can be used while organizing an extractor fan installation with your landlord.
If you have a bathroom window, you can crack it open while the fan is blowing into your bathroom. This would probably be the best way to remove as much moisture as possible from your bathroom.
You might also enjoy our post on If Bathroom Windows Can Be Clear
Final Thoughts
Bathroom windows can be enough to ventilate your bathroom if you live in less humid areas or colder areas. However, an open bathroom would not be enough in more humid states to thoroughly ventilate your bathroom.
In this article, we looked at other options for you to keep in mind and why it is so important to ventilate your bathroom.
