Bacteria is bad enough, but when you start thinking about the fact that fungi might be growing in what is supposed to be one of the cleanest places in your home, you tend to wonder what you can do to prevent it from happening to you. How can you do that? Here are a few tips.

Do not put carpet in your bathroom. If your toilet overflows, having carpet at its base will prevent you from being able to soak up all the water and if it is not cleaned up properly and is allowed to dry naturally, mold can start to grow within 48 hours.

The best kind of floor to have in the bathroom is a tile one and caulking around the bathtub and walls will make sure the water can not escape into the wood behind it.

One of the most important purchases you can make if you buy an older home is a bathroom vent that will allow steam and warm air to escape outside into the atmosphere instead of collecting and causing condensation on your ceiling.

The sheetrock on your ceiling will absorb this condensation and become water damaged over time if the steam from your shower or bath has nowhere to go. If you do not have a vent like this installed in your bathroom, it will save you money to have one installed as quickly as you can gather the funds to do so.

Throwing wet or damp towels and rags into your bathroom closet and leaving them in contact with the floor, even if you do have a tile one, will cause mold to grow if they are not removed regularly. It is best to use a clothes hamper or something else to put the clothes into besides just leaving them on the floor.

Dirty clothes baskets or bins should be emptied often, at least every two days. Even if they are in a bin instead of on the floor, mold can still start to grow.

If you discover mold growing anywhere in your bathroom on the sheetrock or around the floor, it is best to assume that the mold is also growing inside the wall, ceiling, or floor. Most of these building materials will need to be replaced as soon as possible.