You’d be amazed how often I run into “vented” fans that are just blowing moist air right into the attic. It’s basically like giving your insulation a steam bath… not exactly what you want if you’re hoping to keep mold away. I’ve seen some pretty gnarly stuff up there when homeowners thought they were in the clear.
Cracking a window in winter? That’s a hard pass for me too. Where I’m at, you’d freeze your toes off before the mirror even starts to clear. If the humidity’s high enough, it doesn’t matter anyway—the fog just laughs at your open window and keeps on building up.
Have you ever tried the tissue test with your fan? Just hold a square of toilet paper up to the grill while it’s running—if it barely sticks or falls right off, that fan isn’t moving much air. Sometimes all it takes is cleaning out years of dust and spiderwebs, but other times those old fans are just too weak for modern bathrooms.
If you’re still getting fog even with a supposedly working fan, I’d take a look at how well it’s actually vented outside. You’d be surprised how many times I’ve found disconnected ducts hiding above the ceiling tiles…
If you’re still getting fog even with a supposedly working fan, I’d take a look at how well it’s actually vented outside. You’d be surprised how many times I’ve found disconnected ducts hiding above the ceiling tiles…
That’s such a good call. I thought my fan was doing its job for ages until I finally peeked in the attic—turns out the duct was just dumping steam right onto the rafters. Fixed that and it made a huge difference. It’s wild how something so small can mess with your whole bathroom. Don’t get discouraged, though—sometimes it’s just a simple fix hiding out of sight.
- Had no clue about venting issues until I bought my place last year. Thought the fan was magic—nope, just blowing warm fog into the attic like a steam room for squirrels.
- Quick check: if your mirror’s foggy for more than 10 minutes after a shower, something’s off. Ours used to stay misty forever till I found the duct wasn’t even hooked up outside.
- Not sure if this is “normal,” but in my house (built in the late 90s), a little fog is fine, but puddles on the window sills? That’s when I started poking around.
- If you’re renting, might be trickier to fix, but if you own, it’s worth crawling up there with a flashlight... or bribing someone else to do it.
- Also—tiny window cracked open during showers helps more than I expected. Looks silly in winter, but no more swampy bathroom.
Funny how it’s always the stuff you can’t see that causes the biggest headaches.
“a little fog is fine, but puddles on the window sills? That’s when I started poking around.”
Puddles on the sills are definitely not “normal,” even in older houses. Fog after a shower’s one thing, but if you’re seeing actual water collecting, there’s probably a bigger issue—either the venting isn’t cutting it, or your windows aren’t sealing right. Ever noticed any drafts or cold spots around the frames? Sometimes it’s not just about humidity, but air leaks making condensation worse. I’ve seen newer windows help a ton, but honestly, even a cracked window (like you mentioned) can make a huge difference if the fan isn’t up to snuff. Still, I’d be skeptical of just living with puddles... that’s asking for trouble down the road.