Have you ever noticed that after a couple of weeks of taking hot showers, your bathroom walls sweat yellow and brown? Yes, this is indeed a very common occurrence, and if you have white walls, it’s all the more noticeable. So, why does this happen?
Well, there are a number of different reasons why this might be the case. Mineral deposits, fungi buildups, and dirty walls, may all be to blame. Let’s take a closer look at why your bathroom walls are sweating and what you can do to stop it.
What Does it Mean for Bathroom Walls to SWEAT?
In case you don’t know what it means if your bathroom walls are sweating, let us explain.
Simply put, if your bathroom walls are sweating, it means that there is water running down the walls. Now, don’t expect anything like Niagara Falls here, but you will see water droplets running down the walls. Moreover, more often than not, those water droplets won’t be clear, but rather yellow or brown.
SIX Reasons Bathroom Walls Sweat YELLOW
There are actually a few different reasons why your bathroom walls might sweat yellow. Let’s take a look at the six main causes.
1. Condensation
The simplest explanation here as to why your walls are sweating yellow in your bathroom is due to condensation. When you take a hot shower, there is a lot of steam. That steam needs somewhere to go.
If you don’t have good air circulation and ventilation in your bathroom, that steam is going to accumulate on the walls in the form of condensation, or in other words, water droplets. Due to dirt in the air and on the walls, those water droplets may appear yellow or brown.
2. Mold, Mildew, and Fungus
Another explanation as to why your walls in your bathroom might be sweating yellow is due to mold, mildew, and a variety of fungi. These mold, mildew, and fungi spores are in the air all around us. There are also spores present in water. These things are just naturally all around us.
However, there are situations where mold, mildew, and fungi can take hold and grow much better than in other situations. For instance, if the water you use is rich in nutrients, this can provide fuel for the growth of these spores. Moreover, if your bathroom is not well ventilated and has hot and musty air, this will also provide mold, mildew, and fungus with a great breeding ground.
These spores can then take hold on your walls. Then, when you shower, condensation causes those spores to come loose and drip down the walls. These mold and mildew buildups are generally brown, yellow, or any other similar color.
3. Soap Scum
Yet another explanation here is soap scum. Soap often contains a variety of chemicals. When you take a shower, some of that soap gets into the steam, and that steam then gets on your walls.
That yellow discoloration on your walls could be due to the soap that you use. Many shower gels and soap products contain chemicals that can end up discoloring your walls.
4. Hard Mineral Deposits
Another reason for bathroom walls sweating yellow is due to hard mineral deposits in the water. If you have hard water, which means that it contains plenty of calcium and magnesium, these deposits can end up on your walls thanks to all of that steam when you take a hot shower.
Mineral deposits can also clog pipes and discolor your shower in general. Mineral deposits and hard water is one of the biggest problems that people face in their homes. Hard water can be extremely destructive in many more ways than one.
5. Dirty Walls
Another simple explanation here does have to do with our first point, condensation, although there is a bit more to it. Simply put, if you don’t clean your bathroom enough, specially the walls, then dirt is going to build up.
All sorts of dust, debris, and air pollution will settle on those walls. Then, when you shower and create condensation, that dirt will loosen and start to run down the walls. Of course, dirt is yellow, brown, and similar colors.
6. Heating Appliances
The other explanation here is if you happen to have some sort of heating appliance in your bathroom. Heating appliances, especially when you heat up a room too much, can damage or degrade paint.
When paint becomes damaged or degraded, it may become discolored on its own. Damaged paint is also more susceptible to picking up mold, fungus, mildew, dirt, and pollution of all sorts.
Why Do My Bathroom Walls Sweat BROWN?
The reason why your bathroom walls are sweating brown instead of yellow are more or less the same, with the difference being that if your walls sweat brown, the problem is just more severe.
If your bathroom walls sweat brown instead of yellow, it just means that your walls were excessively dirty, that there are great amounts of minerals in the water, or that your soap has plenty of chemicals in it. If your walls sweat brown, it’s generally just a more extreme version of the walls sweating yellow.
For instance, your walls may sweat yellow if you don’t clean them for a few weeks. However, if you let that dirt build up for a few months, then the walls may very well start sweating brown.
How to Prevent Bathroom Walls from Sweating
Luckily, there are quite a few things that you can do to prevent your bathroom walls from sweating. Take a look at all of the texts below to prevent those nasty yellow drips on your bathroom walls.
1. Take Cooler Showers
To reduce the amount of condensation in your bathroom, taking cold or colder showers is one way to go. Shower with colder water and also take shorter showers. This will minimize condensation.
2. Use a Water Softener
You can also try using a water softener. This will reduce the amount of mineral deposits in your water that will end up on the walls. If you have a house, you can get a whole home water softener system. If you live in an apartment, getting a shower head with a built in water softener is an option.
3. Use Natural Soap
If you use all natural and chemical free soap, it will also help control this problem. The less nasty chemicals are in your soap, the less chemicals there are to end up on your walls.
4. Open a Window
A really simple thing that you can do here is to just open a window. The more of that moisture you can let out of the bathroom, the less of it will end up on the walls. If you don’t have a window, then make sure that all of your vents are clear. If you don’t have any vents, open a door. At the very least, you can turn on a fan to create some air circulation.
You might also want to read about how to prevent mold in a bathroom without a fan.
5. Use a Dehumidifier
A good way to reduce the amount of moisture in your bathroom is to use a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers aren’t overly cheap, but they do work really well to remove moisture from a space. A good dehumidifier may also come with a filter to help remove other airborne pollutants.
6. Clean the Walls Regularly
Another good solution here is to ensure that you keep your bathroom walls very clean. The more you wipe them down and clean them, the less of those fungus and mold spores, and the less dirt will be on your walls. Cleaning your walls may not prevent sweating from occurring totally, but at least that sweat won’t be yellow or brown.
7. Use Special Paint and/or Wall Panels
There are also special bathroom wall panels that you can install that are bacteria and fungus resistant. There are also special types of bathroom paint that you can use that are resistant towards condensation.
How to REMOVE Yellow/Brown Stains from Bathroom Walls
Removing yellow and brown stains from bathroom walls is very easily done. Generally speaking, a damp cloth or rag is more than enough to wipe them away. If a simple damp cloth doesn’t do the trick, some bathroom cleaner will definitely help.
General all purpose cleaner is more than enough to remove those stains. Because there is plenty of condensation and your walls are wet a lot, none of those stains will be severe. They might look very bad, but they won’t really be stuck on.
CONCLUSION
You should now have the information that you need to prevent your walls from sweating yellow every time you shower. Keep in mind that although it may not look attractive, it’s really not dangerous.