Brits are waking up to a winter wonderland inside their homes, but it’s not the festive kind. Condensation is clouding up windows across the nation, and if ignored, all that moisture can lead to unsightly and hazardous black mould.
It’s crucial to tackle this issue as soon as it appears to avoid more serious problems in your home, but it can be difficult to know where to start.
You can start by clearing the mist by ventilating your home, the same way you would demist a car windscreen. However, one savvy woman has revealed a quick fix to keep condensation away for those fed up with foggy glass on a regular basis.
Anita Birges showcased her lounge room windows, which were covered in condensation. She confessed: “This condensation problem is happening all over my home.”
Consumer champion Which? points out that poor ventilation is a prime culprit for condensation and subsequent mould growth in dwellings.
Condensation occurs “when humid air meets cold surfaces like walls and windows,” a common sight in British homes during the chillier months. As temperatures fall, the air’s capacity to hold moisture decreases, leading to water droplets forming on cold surfaces.
Condensation becomes even more of a problem when a property has poor ventilation, as the moist air caused inside homes by activities such as cooking, showering, and drying laundry has nowhere to escape.
This is why bedroom condensation is common, as moisture from our breath causes condensation to form on windows. So, how do we get rid of it?
Anita suggested using “dishwashing liquid and a dry microfibre cloth,” then “put a small amount” of the dishwashing liquid on the window. Now, all that’s left to do is “get to it”.
She explained: “Starting from the top, I want you to rub vigorously all over the window, including the frame. If your cloth is getting too wet, replace it with a dry one and keep on going”.
Moreover, she claimed: “The dishwashing liquid creates a barrier which stops condensation coming back.”
Anita said that she’d only tried the hack on one window because she wanted to show viewers the difference between them and there was no condensation on the window she’d cleaned. She said she’d be doing it “around the whole house now”.
Washing up liquid can be purchased for as little as 55p from Morrisons, and 69p from Tesco, so it’s a cheap and easy way to banish condensation.