WITH winter now in full force, millions of Brits are wondering about the same thing – how to keep condensation at bay.
A common autumn and winter issue, condensation is water droplets that form on a window when moist air comes into contact with a cold surface.
Not only can this make for an unsightly mess, but these water droplets can also lead to the growth of mould – which, in some cases, can be fatal.
Amongst those most vulnerable are newborns, young kids, elderly, as well as those with respiratory issues, allergies and asthma.
As temperatures are now dropping, thousands of desperate Brits have been taking to social media to seek advice and tips on how to deal with the issue.
One of them was also an anonymous member of the popular DIY On a Budget Official group, who shared their woes on Facebook.
The person, one o the staggering 2.2million members of the page, explained that they’re ”really suffering with a lot of condensation on bedroom window” and have attempted to banish it with numerous methods.
”We’ve tried leaving the window open which doesn’t work, I’ve cleaned them with fairy liquid which don’t work,” the person wrote in the post.
”The only thing that seems to work is having the heating on all night (costly) or the dehumidifier on all night which is costly and noisy. Has anyone else had this issue and fixed it?”
Luckily for the Facebook user – and anyone else who’s on the lookout for effective hacks to get rid of condensation – the post was soon inundated with more than 100 responses.
Dozens of fellow members of the page flooded to the comments where they shared their top remedies, with one explaining why the viral washing-up method didn’t work.
”The fairy liquid thing is no good. It only moves the moisture elsewhere keeping your home damp and like this when it builds up again unfortunately,” the savvy cleaning fan claimed.
Offering a helping hand, the person also shared a cost-effective solution that costs just 10p per use.
”Buy salt and leave it in little dishes all around the house. It’ll go hard then just empty it and fill with fresh salt.
”It works 100% and is much cheaper than most other things.”
Another Facebook user was also raving about this budget-friendly trick, writing: ”Saucer of salt on your window sills, soaks up moisture in the air, cheap to do, so give it a go.
”We always left some in our caravan, dotted around.”
By placing bowls of regular table salt near the affected areas, it will help to absorb moisture and dehumidify your house – not only is this effective but also cheap, as you can find salt for around 70p at most supermarkets.
Condensation is water droplets that form on a window when moist air comes into contact with a cold surface.
Condensation occurs when:
Air cools
Warmer air can hold more moisture than cooler air. When moist air touches a cold surface, like a window, the water vapour in the air turns into liquid water droplets.
Windows are colder than walls
Windows are often colder than insulated walls, so condensation is more likely to occur on them.
Windows are poorly insulated
Poorly insulated windows can lead to condensation, especially if they are made of aluminium, which conducts heat quickly. If left untreated, it can lead to mould and other serious problems.
Home and garden enthusiast Andy Ellis from Posh.co.uk explained: “Salt has the ability to naturally absorb moisture from the air and essentially dries it out so that when it does come in contact with the glass, there are less droplets of condensation that will form.”
Chatting with Leeds Live, the guru went on: “It’s a really easy trick that requires no effort at all. Simply fill a shallow bowl or a small jar with some salt – this can be table salt or rock salt.”
He said: “The amount you use will vary depending on the size of the window you’re placing it next to. Of course, generally speaking, the larger the window the more salt you’ll need, though usually one small bowl should be fine.
”The same bowl of salt should last you a couple of days.”
According to the expert, you’ll know it’s time to replace it because the salt will appear damp and will begin to clump together.
