28 October 2023 , 16:56
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With the past week bringing lashings of rain and chilly conditions to most of the country, you might have started waking up in the morning to find the inside of your windows covered in a thin layer of water. Condensation is common in cold weather as warm air from your home meets the cold surface of your window, and while it will eventually evaporate, letting it do so can create more problems - as the damp air can create a breeding ground for mould.
Therefore, it's best to clean up condensation as soon as you see it, so you can reduce the risk of mould growth around your windows and walls. Thankfully, one home and cleaning expert has compiled his top tips for tackling condensation head-on, and one of them costs as little as £1 to do.
Evan Jones, a bathroom design expert from Bathroom Supastore, said one of the quickest and easiest ways to reduce condensation in your home is to make sure you have good air circulation in any rooms prone to mould. This means opening windows, moving furniture away from the walls, and not trying to draft-proof rooms that will trap water, such as the bathroom.
He said: "Keeping the air flowing in your home is going to minimise the chance of mould growth. Moving furniture away from your walls, keeping air vents unobstructed and not overfilling your cupboards are going to improve the airflow in your home. You should not draft-proof rooms that are prone to dampness, by doing so you are decreasing the airflow in your bathroom which will lead to condensation and dampness forming."
Evan also suggested doing what you can to minimise the moisture in your home, especially if you're drying your clothes on airers because using the tumble dryer is too expensive amid the cost of living. Putting your washing machine on for an extra spin can help pull excess moisture out of your clothes, which means that liquid won't be released into the air inside your home. The expert added: "Although tumble driers can be expensive with the cost of living right now, using one will decrease the amount of moisture in your home if you have the venting set up correctly."
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But when it comes to actually cleaning the condensation from your windows, Evan has one easy tip that won't break the bank - use a squeegee to push the water off the window and onto a towel so that it doesn't have a chance to evaporate into the air. You can spend money on a window vacuum for this, but all you really need is a simple squeegee, which Asda sells for just £1.
Evan said: "To remove the condensation quickly and cheaply wipe down the surface of the window with the squeegee. When all of the moisture is in one area, wipe it over with an old towel to remove it."
The bathroom specialist also said that you could benefit from a dehumidifier that will help draw moisture out of the air. While electric dehumidifiers can be expensive and noisy to run, you can pick up interior dehumidifiers that can sit on your window sill to soak up condensation. A four-pack of lavender-scented dehumidifiers will cost you £4 from Asda - making them £1 each.