How to Dehumidify a Bathroom Without an Exhaust Fan or Dehumidifier

Warm air and humidity in your bathroom can cause a lot of issues.

Most bathrooms have an exhaust fan or a dehumidifier built in but don’t worry if yours doesn’t. There are a lot of other ways to reduce humidity in the space.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to dehumidify bathroom areas quickly and efficiently without an exhaust fan or dehumidifier.

12 Best Ways to Dehumidify a Bathroom Without Exhaust Fans Dehumidifiers

1.   Use a Recirculating Fan

Part of the reason your bathroom becomes so humid without an exhaust fan is because the excess moisture just stays in place.

However, a recirculating fan will blow the damp air around, and if you direct it properly, you can vent it out of the small and confined space.

If you are using a bathroom fan, you should start running it before you use the shower or run hot baths.

Position it to direct airflow towards a window to vent it out of your home or towards the door.

Keep it running for 10-20 minutes after you’ve finished to keep your bathroom dry.

2.   Open the Door As Much As Possible

Keeping the bathroom door open will allow outside air to enter the humid bathroom.

This can reduce humidity in the room by allowing the moist air to disperse into your home.

This shouldn’t cause damp issues in your wider living space, but if you can direct the warm air outside,  that is usually best.

3.   Keep Windows Open

Opening bathroom windows is the simplest and most effective way to remove moist air and excess humidity.

Humid air will be able to flow out of the bathroom window, and dry air from outside will help to prevent the humidity from the hot shower from forming condensation.

If you have a window, you should open it before you have a hot shower or bath, and keep your bathroom window open for 20 minutes afterward (as long as it’s dry outdoors).

4.   Wipe Down & Mop Up

Water will gather on your shower curtain and bathroom walls and condense on a cold surface (like your bathroom mirror).

Eventually, this water will evaporate, but if you wipe or mop up the damp patches, you’ll remove moisture and stop it from adding to the humid atmosphere.

5.   Demist Your Mirror

Hot, humid air will condense on cooler surfaces, and it’s why water droplets always gather on your mirror.

This can make it annoyingly difficult to see yourself after steam showers and will add moisture to this already humid area of your home.

By demisting your mirror after your shower, you can reduce the moisture in the room.

You can also invest in a mirror with a built-in defogger which uses heat pads to prevent condensation from forming.

6.   Warm Up Your Bathroom

Humidity gathers in the air when you shower, but it needs a cool surface for the liquid to form again.

You can keep your bathroom dry by warming up your bathroom, so it doesn’t create condensation.

Underfloor heating is a great way to maintain dryness, but you can also use a small portable heater to reduce moisture levels.

Just ensure it’s a waterproof model, as electrical appliances combined with water can easily lead to an electric shock.

Run the heater before your shower and keep it running for 10-20 minutes afterward.

7.   Dry Your Used Towels Outside

It’s normal to leave your wet towel hanging up in the shower room, but the dampness from these towels can quickly increase the humidity in the space.

You should avoid hanging wet clothes or towels in your room and instead hang them outside.

You can also use an electric towel rail to dry out the wet fabric, but make sure it’s hot enough to dry it out quickly.

8.   Take Shorter, Cooler Showers

The heat, steam, and hot water from your showers cause high humidity in most cases.

Lowering the temperature with cold water and having cooler showers is one of the simplest ways to reduce the moisture in the air.

Having shorter, cool showers will also help to reduce your energy bills.

9.   Put Plants in the Bathroom

Most house plants will actually add humidity to a space, but if you have the right plants, then they can actually dehumidify your bathroom.

The important thing is to choose tropical plants used in wet conditions, which will absorb water vapor and reduce humidity levels in a small bathroom.

These types of tropical house plants will work best:

• Snake plants
• Boston ferns
• Spider plants
• Peace Lillies
• English Ivy
• Tillandsia plants
• Cacti

10. Fix Any Leaks

Showers and baths will increase the humidity, but excess water from leaks or drips will also cause added moisture to the air in your bathroom.

Check the room properly for any leaks, cracks, or lingering damp areas, and take steps to seal it if you can.

You may need to consult a professional if it’s a complicated plumbing issue.

11. Use Anti-Condensation Paint

Moisture gathers on surfaces, especially if your bathroom has no ventilation, and it’s often your walls which show signs of damage first (you may see your paint begin to peel).

By using anti-condensation paint, you can protect your bathroom walls and stop paint peeling off.

It can also prevent mold or mildew, stopping many potential health problems.

12. Invest In Double Glazing

This isn’t exactly a quick fix, but replacing single-glazed windows with double glazing will help to reduce the amount of condensation and moisture being created in your bathroom.

Double-glazed windows don’t get as cold, so when hot air comes into contact with it, there won’t be as much condensation.

Signs of Excess Moisture in Your Bathroom

The most common signs of excess moisture levels and humidity in the bathroom are easy to spot. If you notice any of the following, then it’s time to take action:

• More condensation on windows, mirrors, and bathroom tiles when you come out of the shower than there should be. You may not notice this if you have a mirror defogger.
• Visible mold.
• Flaking or peeling paint on the wall and crumbling plaster.
• Dry rot on the walls or ceiling.
• Damp patches.
• Towels and fabric staying damp and not drying out.
• Mildew forming in your bath or shower.
• You may also notice increased allergic reactions because of mold spores and dust mites in the humid conditions.

What Causes Bathroom Mold and Mildew in Your Bathroom?

Mold and mildew are particular kinds of fungus that thrive in moist, warm conditions.

It’s organic but can be harmful to humans by triggering allergies or even causing respiratory diseases.[1]

In bathrooms, they are typically caused by high humidity levels, lack of adequate ventilation, or a leaky toilet tank, sink, or plumbing. Usually, it’s a combination of all these factors.

Mold and mildew naturally develop on surfaces first, usually as black spots and marks.

It spreads very quickly in humid bathrooms because mold spores can travel quickly in the air and spread through damp items.

That’s why mold can become a big issue quickly if you don’t dehumidify your bathroom.

How to Prevent Mold Growth in Your Bathroom?

There are many different methods for preventing mold growth, but the key is to reduce the humidity in your bathroom.

You can use a bathroom dehumidifier (or portable dehumidifier) to dehumidify your bathroom, or you can increase the airflow by keeping your windows and doors open.

This will introduce cool air, which can stop mold from growing and spreading.

You can also reduce condensation by having shorter showers, switching to a cooler shower temperature, and using a dry towel to deal with damp areas to leave less moisture in the room.

All of this will help to stop mold from forming in the first place.

Dehumidifying a Bathroom Common Questions

How do you vent a bathroom with no ventilation?

The easiest way to vent a bathroom is to open the windows and doors to create a draft. You can also use a portable dehumidifier or fan to direct the moisture out of the room.

Does baking soda absorb moisture?

Yes, baking soda is a hygroscopic material which

means it actually draws water vapor out of the air. Leaving a bowl of it in the room can help to dehumidify your bathroom.

What kills bathroom mold best?

Using a vinegar cleaning solution is the best way to kill and remove bathroom mold. Bleach-based cleaners can be effective, but the EPA recommends not using a bleach cleaner for mold as a background level of mold spores will remain[2]. You can also buy specialist mold cleaners from most stores.

What works better than a dehumidifier?

If you want to remove moisture, nothing works better than a bathroom dehumidifier. However, using an exhaust fan can be really effective for directing hot air out of your home.

Conclusion

Bathrooms are the most humid rooms in your home, and you need to control the humidity, or it can lead to expensive damage.

Dehumidifiers and exhaust fans work very well, but you don’t need them to dehumidify the room.

It’s all about encouraging airflow and drying the room out as much as possible.

I’ve shared the best tips in this article, and hopefully, you now know some easy steps to dehumidify your bathroom.