We’re going away over Xmas and New Year and I’m worried about mould! At the moment we keep it at bay by wiping the windows etc. if we miss a day you can see the mould appearing! Any constructive advise would be appreciated so we don’t come back to a house full of mould!
***Thanks everyone. There’s some really useful advise here ***
21 comments
It’s poor ventilation paired with lack of enough insulation (although insulation is not always an option – it’s not in my flat).
Can anybody come in and open the windows once a day?
Do you have airbricks?
Remember though, most of the moisture in the air comes from us, so there will be less condensation when you are away anyway.
You could pre-clean the affected areas with bleach or a special mould spray. Also, crack a window if you can – most double-glazed windows will lock in a just-open state.
Mould spray and moisture absorber off Amazon.
Hopefully without people in the house there will be less condensation anyway; but maybe consider getting some dehumidifiers and placing them strategically? Get the disposable ones so you don’t have to worry about leaving anything running while you’re away.
Perhaps keep the heating on low? It’ll cost you, but will keep some of the damp away.
Condensation comes from you breathing inside the property. Running water, taking showers, general living. Without anyone in the house there’ll be a lot less moisture in the air. Maybe keep a window or two cracked for ventilation if it’s safe to do so.
Crack a few windows open to create a through draft
Not having people in there should help as well
When we were away in Australia for 6 weeks over Dec/Jan, we came home, no mould at all; and I think leaving the ch on at a very low level was the main factor, plus the fact that we weren’t in the house causing condensation [breathing, showers, etc etc].
It won’t add much to your energy bill to keep the house at a low level of heat.
However as you have a lot of problems with condensation and mould when you are in the house, you need to consider putting some ventilation bricks in, and also get a dehumidifier – also, having your windows open occasionally, even in winter, in living room and bedroom just a crack ie 1-2 millimetres, can prevent condensation buildup.
I think you will discover that you are the cause of the mould.
Probably useful to find out
Keep heating above 10° absolute minimum but ideally above 16° (yeah I know).
The ideal option although requires making a big-ish purchase: an electronic dehumidifier with a good sized tank set to come on just 1-2 hours a night. You might need someone to come in and empty it once or twice, not sure how long they take to fill up. Really nice thing to have even if you aren’t away, we use ours instead of the tumble dryer now, dries clothes really quickly when its near the clothes horse
Ventilate the house well before you go and lock the windows on the latch to allow cool air to circulate
Apparently cat litter in bowls by the window will absorb moisture as a cheap short term fix.
You can get these little dehumidifying crystals in tubs from some shops. They work pretty well.
There is some useful advise here but please do not leave windows open in winter especially with current temperatures.
Your house will be cold and damp on return. It will take ages to heat and you’ll have all the outside humidity wafting in.
As others have said you and your activities play a big role ( if not the main role) creating the humidity
Leave the heating on 10 or 12C. Maybe as low as 8 – just don’t want the house to become so cold that the humidity starts condensing everywhere.
Not to mention the security aspect – slightly cracked open windows are easier to break into and in case of a burglary your home insurance might ask why you didn’t close and lock the windows .
Wiping away mould wont do anything. Mould as an organism is much larger than the spots you see. It has roots that extend below the surface, and unless you kill those it will always come back. Mould killers bought from a store only kill surface mould. White vinegar gets drawn into the roots and kills the whole organism, altho it wont remove the black staining very well but you can wipe that off after it’s dead.
Kilrock Blast Away Mould Spray is the absolute best I’ve come across for dealing with mould. Spray a bit onto a surface that concerns you, spread it around with a cloth and let dry, do not rinse. In my experience it prevents mould from returning for months. It smells awful so please ventilate while using it, and don’t get it on your clothes.
I just read to use Listerine mouthwash one that kills 99.9% of all bacteria in news article about 20mins ago funnily enough. “They said: “Original Listerine mouthwash stops it re-growing. Leave the window open a little for airflow a few times a week.”
Here’s the link
https://www-dailyrecord-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/property/tip-remove-mould-mrs-hinch-28688607.amp?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16706750840848&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailyrecord.co.uk%2Flifestyle%2Fproperty%2Ftip-remove-mould-mrs-hinch-28688607
With an internet enabled controller for your home heating you can see humidity and turn your heating on remotely.
Tado / Nest / etc are well worth the cost. They’ll save you a lot of money and stress in the long run.
Keep humidity below 65% and you won’t get mold.
Cat littler in bowls, or fill socks. Put them where the mould usually appears.
Before you leave, air out the rooms. Like 15 mins and after two or three hours again. And I mean right before you leave. Temperature should not be below 16 C while you are gone. If you have a room where you had issues before, set down a dehumidifier (or more than one). For those few days a moisture absorber (https://www.amazon.co.uk/CUQOO-Premium-500ml-Dehumidifiers-Home/dp/B09JD4T3PW) should be sufficient.
Get some fungicide spray and spray it on window frames etc. Nothing near food/kitchen