A Moldy Bath Mat: The Often Overlooked Bathroom

That’s not exactly what we want hanging out inside of one of our favorite rooms in the house! Just imagine stepping out of a nice, refreshing shower and straight into a growing mold colony. Icky...

Plus, a moldy bath mat opens the door for more mold growth opportunities in additional areas of the bathroom or other rooms in the house. The good news is that there are several steps you can take to ensure this fungus among us doesn’t settle in and start to colonize that handy water-absorbing accessory. That way, our bathroom oases can remain safe and clean.
Why the Bath Mat? 
It’s pretty simple! A bath mat offers the perfect conditions for mold to grow if a lucky mold spore stumbles upon it. But, before we get into that, let’s back up a little bit. 

There are over 100,000 species of mold identified so far, and they all reproduce by creating microscopic particles called spores.These spores are released into the air and travel wherever that current takes them. If a spore lands in a cozy place that meets all of its needs, it will settle in and begin to grow.

Kind of like how early colonizers set off into the world to find goods and new places to live. They would only remain in an area if they found the necessities they needed to survive. 

When it comes to spores, these hardy little particles only need four key components to start creating a moldy home. Without these present, they’ll just stick to the surface and remain invisible to the naked eye. 
These four ingredients for life include
Oxygen (they need very little)
Temperature (most spores prefer temperatures between 40 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but some can survive in extremes)
Food (they’re like teenagers, they eat anything)
Moisture (typically the missing piece of the puzzle)
A mold colony can begin if these components are present for at least 24 hours when a spore lands on a surface.