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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Drying showers and washing machines after use - do you?

48 replies

Notcontent · 27/09/2021 23:47

Ok, so my house is prone to damp and condensation downstairs so I have been reading up about it - including all the mumsnet threads - and I have become a bit paranoid about mould etc.

One thing puzzles me - do people really dry down their showers and washing machines to prevent mould and mildew?

OP posts:

Kotatsu · 30/09/2021 10:24

Nope. Not now I have a tiled shower and soft water.

In previous places I've pulled the shower curtain out to dry after a shower, squeegeed any glass, and either opened the window or left the bathroom door open.

I do leave the washing machine door open too.

I'm very much a 'no heroic measures' type of person when it comes to cleaning.

DustyMaiden · 30/09/2021 10:26

Shower yes, washing machine leave door open until dry. Makes so much difference to the fresh smell.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 30/09/2021 10:35

Sorry to derail but wondering if any wise peeps know ... our shower room has x 3 external walls so even with the heating on the walls are always cold in winter. We use the ceiling extractor during every shower and leave it on for a good 20 minutes after. At that point if it's dry outside I'll open the window. Still the walls (as in room walls not shower cubicle / I squeegee them after my shower too) are often not dry or ages after.

The extractor is definitely working so could the problem just be the number of external walls? We have to wipe patches of mildew off 2/3 times a year and scrub it and repaint with anti mildew paint every few years

chatw0o0 · 30/09/2021 10:45

Washing machine - just leave lid open and pull out drawer.
Bathrooms - the one with a window, no, just leave window open.
Second bathroom doesn't have a window and the floor of the shower gets squeegeed, otherwise it never dries out.

TuftyMarmoset · 30/09/2021 10:49

I use a squeegee on the shower due to limescale and leave the washing machine door open after use but I don’t dry them off with a towel or anything

purplesequins · 30/09/2021 10:51

shower - yes. we have a squegee that we use to wipe down the tiles with.

washer - no. but we leave the door & drawer open a bit between used

Kotatsu · 30/09/2021 11:01

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

My parents have 2 external walls on theirs, and the window is in a spot in constant shadow, and over the last 40 odd years have tried basically everything to no avail. Anti fungal paint, tiles of all sizes, infra-red bathroom heater/heated towel rails, extractor fans from silent to jet taking off.

They're just resigned to just making sure the door is always left open after a shower/bath and re-doing the ceiling every few years. The anti-fungal paint they've used seems to be doing a good job though, the walls are generally damp to the touch for quite a while, but mum isn't having to continuously wipe them as she has in the past.

MintJulia · 30/09/2021 11:03

I squeegie the shower screen to reduce limescale but otherwise no. We're up at 6.30 during the week as it is. Who has time for more?

GoodnightGrandma · 30/09/2021 11:05

Not my shower/bath, but I do have windows open and those little dehumidifiers in every room.
I also have the washing machine door and soap drawer wide open when not in use.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 30/09/2021 11:14

Thanks kotatsu. We've never bothered wiping the walls before bed unless they're soaked through but good to hear it's possibly normal for the conditions.

fanjosaysi · 30/09/2021 11:16

Bathroom- window open and extractor fan during and after use. Only needs to be wiped if you have an en-suite/no window

Washing machine- leave door open

evilharpy · 30/09/2021 11:16

We have very hard water and the limescale leaves a white residue on everything if it's not dried off. We have coloured tiles in the shower in one bathroom and glass doors and after every shower we dry it all off using a window vac - it only takes a minute and we've just got into the habit. It's a lot easier than trying to clean off the limescale. In the other bathroom we have matte white tiles that don't show the residue so we just squeegee the shower screen.

We are hoping to move soon to an area that has very soft water and I plan to never dry a shower again

NightVinca · 30/09/2021 11:17

I try and leave the drawer and door open to air and the shower door and I open windows.

Ifailed · 30/09/2021 11:18

I put my washing machine in the tumble-drier after use.

bloodywhitecat · 30/09/2021 11:20

Washing machine door open slightly when not in use and the shower and surround is always squeegeed down after use. I live in an old house that is prone to mould in the bathroom and I find keeping the shower dry (and the bathroom window slightly open) helps stop black mould on the silicone and grout.

MitheringMytryl · 30/09/2021 11:22

I don't dry my shower but I live in a scorching hot country. I think if I moved back to the UK I probably would dry the shower, but that's because I've had a taste of what life is like when my bathroom is always dry. It's so much easier to keep clean and it never gets that stinky damp odour.

I've never heard of drying the washing machine.

CiaoForNiao · 30/09/2021 11:23

I don't have a shower, but do make sure the bathroom window is open as much as possible, even if it's just an inch.

Like others on here I leave my washing machine drawer ajar. And again keep the small kitchen window open as much as possible.

idontlikealdi · 30/09/2021 12:48

Shower yes.

Washing machine and dishwasher I leave open a bit otherwise the end in particular to stink

lazyakita · 30/09/2021 15:22

I squeegee the shower screen and cubicle after use, and leave the extractor fan running for an extra 15 minutes as there's no window. I always leave the washing machine door open after use, but don't specifically wipe it down. I use a Karcher window vac on old single glazed windows to get excess moisture off, might try using it on the shower, too!

BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 30/09/2021 15:24

Squeegee the shower

Leave the door and drawer open on the washing machine when not in use.

Bufferingkisses · 30/09/2021 16:46

Squeegee shower, leave curtain spread to dry, have extractor and window ajar.

Washer leave the door open slightly. (Also the microwave actually!)

We have exceptionally hard water though so it is as much about limescale as it is about mould. If I'm honest I think I'm the only member of the household who does any of these things 😆

Burgerqueenbee · 01/10/2021 10:13

Shower no (leave the window open though)
Washing machine yes, DH insisted we do it after our old one was full of black mould. I also leave the drum open after drying to air it out.

PurpleCurtain · 01/10/2021 11:31

I try to leave the washing machine door open, but our utility room is where our cat sleeps and I'm always paranoid she would clamber inside. Tbh our machine is constantly on and in use and I do make sure I thoroughly clean it once a month. I think the problem is more if you only do a couple of loads a week and keep the door closed and don't do a maintenance clean.

Shower, no I don't wipe down but maybe I should as we do have a mould problem. We bave a mini dehumidifier in the bathroom too thats on if window not open.

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