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.
Yeah, puddles are where I draw the line too. I thought my old windows were just being dramatic until I had to start mopping up after every cold snap. Turns out, the seals were basically non-existent and the bathroom vent fan was more for show than anything else. Swapping to double-pane windows helped a lot, but honestly, even running a dehumidifier made a difference when things got really swampy in there. Still feels weird having to manage indoor weather just to keep the sills dry... but hey, homeownership, right?
Still feels weird having to manage indoor weather just to keep the sills dry... but hey, homeownership, right?
- Had the same thing last winter—woke up to puddles on the bedroom window sills after a night of single digits. Thought I could ignore it until I realized the paint was starting to bubble.
- My house is from the 70s, so not exactly airtight. Upgraded to double-pane in the main rooms but left the old ones in my office, and you can really tell the difference. The new ones barely fog up at all unless I forget to run the fan when I’m cooking.
- Dehumidifier is a lifesaver, but yeah, it’s kind of a pain dragging it from room to room. Not sure if it’s “normal” for windows to sweat this much or if it’s just these older builds.
- Bathroom vents seem useless in my place too—might as well just open a window for all the good they do. Tried cleaning out the ductwork, but honestly, not much changed.
- Noticed that even with good windows, if you dry laundry inside (guilty), or have a lot of plants, you’ll still get that swampy feeling. Guess there’s no perfect fix unless you want to go full climate control.
I’ve accepted that some fog is pretty normal in our climate, but once it starts dripping down onto the sills, that’s where I draw the line too. Still surprises me how much work goes into keeping “weather” outside... or at least off my floors.
I get what you mean about the sills—once the paint starts bubbling, it’s hard to ignore. I’ve got a 60s ranch and the original windows were basically condensation magnets, especially on cold mornings. Swapping to double-pane helped a ton, but even then, if I forget to crack a window after a shower or cook a big meal, I’ll still get some fogging. I do think a little moisture is normal, especially with older homes that aren’t sealed up tight, but puddles seem like a sign there’s too much humidity inside. Ever tried a small, dedicated dehumidifier just for the worst room? It’s not a total fix, but it’s less hassle than hauling a big one around.
I get the idea behind using a dehumidifier, but honestly, I’ve never had much luck with the small ones. Maybe it’s just my house, but they barely made a dent in the humidity when I tried one in our bathroom. I ended up just running the exhaust fan longer and leaving the door open after showers—seems to help more than the mini dehumidifier ever did. I guess every house is a little different, but for me, better airflow worked out cheaper and less hassle.
I’ve had similar luck with those little dehumidifiers—tried one in our laundry room and honestly, it just filled up way too fast and barely changed anything. Seems like unless you get a bigger unit, airflow really does more. Out of curiosity, do you notice the foggy windows more in just the bathroom or all over? Our kitchen windows get it bad in winter, but cracking them open a bit helps. Wonder if older windows make it worse...
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing with those smaller dehumidifiers—they just don’t have the capacity for spaces that see a lot of moisture. Air movement seems to help way more, especially if you can get some cross-ventilation going. Older windows definitely make it worse, in my experience. The seals aren’t as tight, and the glass itself isn’t as efficient at keeping the inside pane warm, so condensation forms more easily. I actually replaced a few single-pane units last year, and it made a noticeable difference in the winter. Still get some fog if we’re cooking a lot or after long showers, but nothing like before.