Turn the extractor fan on every time you shower or have a bath, because that is what clears the steam. Showering and bathing fill the air with moisture. It settles as condensation on the colder parts of the room, and that damp is what bathroom mould grows from.
If the fan is broken, blocked or left switched off, the moisture has nowhere to go and builds up. A fan should work properly and be strong enough to clear the steam, so it is worth checking that yours does. Damp is not always condensation, either. Leaking waste pipes, an overflowing bath or a burst pipe all point to a leak that needs repairing. A musty smell with no mould in sight can mean it is growing behind a surface.
For a small patch, use a mould and mildew product rather than bleach, and wear gloves and a mask. Wiping off what you can see will not stop it coming back unless the cause of the damp is fixed.
Sorting the cause early saves you scrubbing the same corner over and over. Larger areas of mould should be dealt with by a qualified professional, and so should a musty smell you cannot trace or a suspected leak. At Mitchell & Andrew Building Services I work on bathrooms across Falmouth, and I would rather fix the cause than leave you wiping walls. Have a look at my Bathrooms page and get in touch.
