As winter sets in, now is the time of year many Scots will see condensation on their windows and while it's quite common, it could end up damaging your home.
The water droplets from when hot, moist air meets a cool surface and gathers on some households windows during the colder seasons, when warmth from the heating hits a window's cool surface.
If left unattended, this moisture can gather and dampen surfaces and this is especially seen on older windows that are single glazed. More concerningly, this damp could develop into dangerous mould that can cause health issues like asthma, eczema and bronchitis, reports the Irish Mirror.
Now, cleaning enthusiasts have shared their top tips for banishing dripping windows, after one homeowner took to the internet for advice. Writing on the popular Facebook group Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips, Julie Huitson posted an image of a window covered in condensation and asked: “Hi this is my daughter's bedroom window it's dripping, any ideas on how to stop it. Thanks. xx.”
According to Mrs Hinch fans, there are three things to do to combat condensation - improve ventilation, reduce moisture and upgrade windows to double or triple glazing. Also, if you don’t fancy opening windows while it’s cold outside, consider reducing moisture inside the house.
Here are three tips to keep condensation at bay this winter.
Cat Litter
Hardeep Grewal said: “I’ve heard cat litter in a sock? We have a similar issue with all our upstairs window. It is to do with the moisture in ur home.”
Sue Garner commented: “A sock full of cat litter on the window sill helps.”
Rosaleen French agreed: “Kitty litter, put it in a few odd socks, set it on the window absorbs the moisture and then refill as needed.. cheapest option out there and smells nice. Also I keep a couple smaller ones in my car to stop the windows steaming up as I call it...works a treat..”
Cat litter pellets are designed to absorb pet excretions, so they will also absorb moisture from the air. Place a couple of handfuls into an old pair of socks before tying the top of the sock.
Place the sock on windowsills around the home and leave them to absorb any excess moisture. It’s advisable to change the socks monthly as they will become damp and can smell unpleasant.
Salt
Caroline Mayne uses salt “in a bowl” for her “caravan in winter” and it’s “works a treat”. Wendy Everitt replied to Caroline: “I agree we tried on our patio doors worked a treat.”
Nims Mc wondered: “How much salt do you need to use? I tried a little in a candle tea holder and it didn’t work?” Wendy explained: “We used a ramakin dish and filled half way.”
Judy McKay revealed: “My son's window is like this. I put a couple of tablespoons of salt on a small plate as suggested on this website and it worked. Took about one day to work but no condensation anymore.”
One replied: “Thank you ever so much who said to put a plate of salt on the windowsill for condensation. I was shocked. It really does work. No more wiping windows in the morning.”
Salt is one of the most absorbent natural products available, helping to combat moisture around the home. Using salt is the most basic method when trying to make a homemade dehumidifier.
Experts say once the salt has blackened or becomes wet, it means it has reached its maximum level of saturation and should be changed.
Moisture absorbers
Julie Fletcher suggested: “The disposable dehumidifiers are really good / just place one in the corner of the windowsill - pound shop or poundstretcher sell them.”
Sandra Cirino second this: “Buy from Amazon some cartons with a substance in that absorbs the moisture, keep checking them though because they fill up quickly.”
Moisture absorbers, also known as disposable dehumidifiers, are very simple devices.
They typically come as a plastic container that holds some kind of crystalized desiccant or absorbent chemical. The crystals naturally absorb water from the surrounding air, this causes a chemical reaction that causes the crystals to liquefy and drip into the water container.
According to Indoor Air Solutions, Ansio 500ml pack of five is “the best-selling disposable dehumidifier on amazon”. Not only are they great value”, but they also consume no electricity and are small and discrete. If you have a room suffering from some mild damp problems, five of these scattered around will help get rid of the problem.
In the meantime, it’s advisable to wipe down the water each morning. Cleaning enthusiasts recommend using a shower squeegee and an old cleaning cloth or towel.
If your purse can stretch a little further, Karcher has a handheld window cleaner that sucks water into the container.
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