If you find that you do have condensation in your home, you should wipe it away with a dry cloth.
If any mould grows you can get rid of it easily by wiping down walls with a fungicidal wash, which you can buy in any supermarket. If you deal with mould quickly it shouldn’t come back.
There are three main steps that can be taken to reduce condensation, some of which can by controlled by using your heating and ventilation systems:
- raise the temperature of the air (heating)
- raise the temperature of the surface (insulation)
- replace wet air with dry air (ventilation)
Tips for dealing with common condensation problems
Condensation on walls behind furniture
Allow air circulation behind the furniture by moving it slightly out from the wall. This will help prevent condensation and the creation of dampness and then mould.
Windows running with water in the morning
- ensure window vents are open to allow air circulation
- open windows if you can to allow air circulation
- wipe the windows and remove the condensation that has gathered
Windows running with water while cooking
You can help prevent this by:
- putting lids on saucepans preventing steam landing on cold surfaces
- if you can, use a microwave which does not create steam rather than hob
- keeping the kitchen door closed when cooking preventing water vapour travelling to other rooms
Using a portable gas heater
Portable gas heater are well known to cause condensation in the way that they provide heat.
You can help prevent condensation by:
- using the heating provided by the council
- if you feel you cannot use the heating system provided you can seek advice on energy costs from organisations such as Scarf
Other ways to prevent condensation in your home:
- Use an extractor fan. These cost as little as 7p a week to run. Fans in your home will run automatically when there is moisture in the air. You should leave them switched on - please don’t turn fans off.
- Use a small electric dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air. One with a wattage of 0.157 kilo watt hours costs around 5p to run an hour.
- Don’t block up any vents in your home.
- Avoid drying clothes indoors. If you do have to dry clothes inside, close the door of the room where they’re drying and open a window in the room.
- Make sure your tumble dryer is vented so that the steam is emitted outside your home
- Keep a small gap between your furniture and walls to let air circulate.
- Use the trickle vents on your windows .
- If possible keep your house at the same temperature in every room. Condensation will form in cold rooms.
Next: Help and advice