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Rising energy bills have forced many Britons to find new ways to heat their home without having to turn on the heating. However, while this could benefit your bank account, experts have warned it could increase damp and mould in the home.
TikTok’s self-proclaimed “Money Saving Mum” Heidi Ondrak, who shares videos under the username @duchessofthrift, shared some basic tips to try and keep damp to a minimum as the temperature drops.
She told her audience of 27.7K followers: “Loads of people have commented because they are worried about their houses getting damp over winter.
“All of the advice that you read about keeping your home warm is to insulate it. Seal any gaps around the windows, put rugs on the floorboards, use draft excluders.
“So, when your house is that well insulated you haven’t got that nice airflow through the house that you would have normally.
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Use dehumidifiers
Heidi also recommends purchasing some scented dehumidifiers which can be placed near your windows.
She explained: “They are £1 in Poundstretcher, you can also get them in B&M and places like that.
“I’ll put these on the window sill. So you know when you wake up in the morning and the windows are dripping wet, put them on the window sill.
“Equally you can get hanging versions. They’re the same kind of thing, they have the silica gel crystals and that just fills up with water.”
Wipe away the moisture
Allowing excess moisture to build up on and around windows can also encourage mould to begin forming.
Heidi said: “Every morning when you wake up if you’ve got rooms that are really bad for the condensation wipe the window, wipe the condensation off, and wipe the sill with some kitchen roll swell.
“These are really, really cheap. [Depening] on the level of moisture in the air, that fills up and you can see.
“It does the trick and it keeps some of the damp out of the house. But the best remedy is to keep some of the airflow if you can.”
How to clean mould without chemicals
While there are numerous chemical-based products on the market which boast the ability to kill mould particles, they aren’t always the best for our health.
However, natural alternatives can work on certain types of household mould too.
A 2015 study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that vinegar consisting of around four percent acetic was effective at treating penicillium chrysogenum but not Aspergillus fumigatus, both of which are common household moulds.
- Begin by opening a window to ventilate the room.
- Next, fill a spray bottle with undiluted vinegar and spritz it directly onto the affected area.
- Let the vinegar sit for around one hour.
- Using a soft-bristled brush or scrubbing sponge, scrub the mouldy surface until it is clear of mould.
- Dry the area completely with a clean cloth and then throw away both the brush and cloth to avoid contamination.
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