5. Lower indoor air pollution by preventing condensation
If your property is too damp, it can seriously impact the air quality in your home and will encourage the growth of mould. Studies have shown that mould has a seriously negative impact on your health, causing wheezing, coughing, respiratory disorders and triggering or worsening asthma. You can develop issues with dampness if you live in a humid climate, or if your home is poorly ventilated and produces a lot of heat or steam – but it can also be caused by having areas where water pools, including from leaky roofs. Both dampness and high humidity can worsen the quality of indoor air and cause toxic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), to leach into the air.
Damp homes are dust mite, mould and bacteria magnets, as this unholy trio adores warmth and moisture, which is why they are so often found in bathrooms and kitchens. Make sure you keep bathrooms ventilated and if you spot any mould growing around taps or on the shower, remove it. To discourage bathroom and kitchen mould, close the door when you shower – and when you cook, keep lids on your pots and open up a window.
Wet laundry can encourage mould to proliferate too, so once you’ve taken your freshly washed clothes out of the machine, hang them outside to dry, instead of over radiators indoors. If steam build up is causing condensation in your home and you want to decrease levels, flip on an extractor fan to disperse it and clear the air.
To keep condensation levels at minimum, open up your windows, including in the room you sleep in at night. The build-up of your breath can worsen the problem, especially if your partner’s getting some shut eye in the same room too.
Some rooms in your home might be poorly insulated, with single glazing, or they may back onto an outer wall, and for these areas, you could think about purchasing a dehumidifier. Placing a dehumidifier in problem areas will help to discourage mould- and so will fixing leaks, as having water hanging around is a major mould trigger. If you’re on a quest to combat condensation, then there’s one more thing to consider and that’s indoor plants. Yes, we know they’re lovely and they can help to detoxify the air – but they are also mould magnets, so don’t go overboard!
