As the cost-of-living crisis continues to spill wildly out of control, and those of us who didn’t study maths up to the age of 18 struggling with the sums when it comes to adding up how finite funds will cover ever increasing energy costs, it’s time to take a moment to consider a fresh horror: damp.
Yes, with gas and leccy prices going through the ceiling like insulation never happened, more and more Brits are finding it simply too costly to keep out the cold and, as such, are holding back on the heating, alongside implementing other energy cost cutting measures. Yes, you can always put on another jumper (if you have another jumper) rather than the radiators, and, yes, tumble dryers do consume a huge amount of electricity, but not using your heating system or allowing freshly washed clothes to just ‘drip dry’ in your home could be exceptionally bad for your health.
You see, as your windows stay closed to jealously guard what little heat your money has managed to summon from escaping into the ice-cold January air, that lack of ventilation will mean that moisture will begin to build as your racked clothes take longer and longer to dry, leading to condensation, the unmistakable odour of wet dog, and the growth of potentially dangerous mould on walls, ceilings, sills and, indeed, any other susceptible surface. Affecting those with allergies and/or asthma, inflaming respiratory infection, and giving the immune system in old and young alike a solid knock, damp – like ‘moist’ – is not a word you want in your life.
Damp Busters
It all sounds very Victorian; and that’s because it is. But there are ways and means to keep energy costs down, while still stopping the lung-clogging horror that is black mould rapidly spreading its spores across your walls - and that involves reducing moisture to a minimum.
Now, there are practical ways to decrease the damp; but as I’m more your ‘throw some tech at it and see what happens’ kind, we took proper advice instead from Chris Michael, Managing Director of Meaco, the UK’s leading air purification specialist, who kindly shared with us his top five tips for managing moisture:
- Reduce moisture vapour - Many everyday tasks create moisture, often without us noticing. By putting lids on saucepans when boiling or steaming vegetables and using an extractor fan briefly or opening a window when using the bath or shower, homeowners can reduce moisture vapour in the air.
- Make air drying indoors efficient - Drying clothes inside is gentler on fabrics than tossing and tumbling in a dryer and prevents static cling. Before you take them out of the washing machine, use a rinse cycle to keep the amount of water left in the clothes to a minimum. Place a drying rack away from walls to prevent the moisture from being trapped. Hang items individually and with as much space in between them as possible so they will dry more quickly. Open windows to enable airflow.
- Warm up without central heating - Making the most of any natural sunlight can help to warm houses and dry out any damp air. Opening curtains and blinds in the day prevents moisture from being trapped around the windows and using rugs and mats on wooden and stone floors can make rooms feel warmer too.
- Let the air breathe - Encouraging air flow and removing opportunities for damp to spread reduces damage or removes opportunities for mould to form. Opening doors of built-in wardrobes that sit on outside walls and trying to keep furniture, clothes and shoes from touching outside walls can stop damp developing.
- Invest in an energy efficient dehumidifier - While all the above can help dry clothes indoors, the only way to fully remove moisture without opening windows and turning the heating right up is to use a dehumidifier, and there are ways to manage this extra cost too…
Which is where I come back in. With many thanks to Chris, now we turn to those aforementioned humidifiers and, in particular, the most humidity suckingly energy efficient options available.
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MeacoDry Arete One 20L Dehumidifier/Air Purifier
Best for: Laundry loving energy efficiency in four-bedroom abodes
There used to be an old idiom that ran “Too many cooks spoil the broth” which, for those of you too young to be bothered with old idioms, means that the more people who are involved in one project, the more like they are to completely mess things up. Think about the Airbus 380 project that used different teams across the world, all working with different CAD programs to create parts of a super-sized aircraft that ultimately didn’t fit together. But the exception that proves the general rule is the Arete One, a dehumidifier that, five years in development, utilised feedback from over 2000 existing Meaco customers to create perfection.
Indeed, the company’s quietest (40dB) and most energy efficient dehumidifier range yet, the big ol’ 20L model can suck the unwanted moisture out of even the dampest of domiciles, while costing from just 8p per hour to run, keeping your digs deliciously mould-free and helping to dry your free-hanging clothes more quickly, thus cutting condensation.
Cunningly, the MeacoDry Arete One was created with the British climate firmly in mind, so excels at its job of this constantly changeable island and, as such, once the wheel of seasons turns again into spring and summer, the One swaps out dehumidifying duties for that of an air purifier, thanks to a built-in medical grade H13 HEPA filter, that’ll keep you breathing easy all year long.
Obviously, with a 20-litre capacity, you can go some time between emptying the tank, while a surprisingly stylish design means it fits nicely into any room without being a savage poke in the eye for your décor.
Big on capacity, perfect in performance, and easy on the energy pocket, the MeacoDry Arete One may be the best a Brit can get.
Buy now £260.00, Meaco
UniBond Aero 360°
Best for: Managing moisture on a budget
Plummeting the price of condensation killers completely, the – much mentioned in the press of late – UniBond Aero 360 is an excellent solution when it comes to both rooms of up to 20m² and those on a budget. Costing just a tenner per unit, this non-leccy powered product uses (as our sharper readers may have guesses) a special 360° moisture absorber to efficiently drain the damp from the air and, with it, any accompanying musky smells.
The refill-based device uses tabs made of active moisture absorbing crystals with patented anti-odour agents that can last up to three months with fresh tabs costing a pittance.
Featuring a spout for ease of emptying, if a low-cost method of reducing condensation (and clearing the air of awful associated odour) is all you require, then the UniBond Aero 360 is an – ahem – all-round bargain! 360°, you see? Never mind…
Buy now £10.00, B&Q
Black + Decker BXEH60002GB
Best for: Moderate air moisture
A lovely little bit of kit for clearing you of condensation, the B+D BXAP62001GB not only comes comfortably in at under a ton, it’s also a dehumidifier with a 2-litre tank and the ability to absorb up to 500ml of air-going wall annoyance each 24-hours, which will be ample for more petite and bijou accommodation. But, what’s more, it’s also a 2-in-1 (yeah, for under £80) with a built-in air purifier that eliminates allergens like pollen and bacteria, while also clearing the air of any unpleasant odours.
Weighing just 2.2kg, the Black + Decker BXEH60002GB is easy to move from soggy room to soggy room, while energy efficient running costs will keep those bills well and truly down where they belong.
Buy now £79.00, Amazon
Honeywell Home TP-Small
Best for: Medium to large humidity-bothered homes
With an epic capacity of 3.3-litres, the Home TP-Small from industrial heavyweight Honeywell is just the air drying thing to suck the savage moisture out of the atmosphere in spaces that err on the medium-to-large size.
Relatively attractive, as these things go, the Honeywell can deal with up to 24-litres of airborne moisture per day, stopping your extensive pad from turning into an expensive-to-fix water-feature and drying any damp laundry fresh from the washing machine to the rack in a fraction of the time of other dehumidifiers, while also cutting the cost considerably on the alternate use of a tumble dryer.
Featuring a smart digital thermostat, the Home TP-Small automatically detects the humidity level of the room it sits in adjust to your pre-set level without you having to lift a nicely dry finger. Plus, boasting a dust filter too, once the air around you has had the moisture sucked right out of it, dust is then removed too, purifying it for even greater home- and health-boosting benefit.
Buy now £240.00, Amazon
ProBreeze 500ml Mini Dehumidifier
Best for: Small spaces
Got a diminutive damp-filled space that needs something with a little more oomph than the UniBond Aero 360°? Perhaps something that’s compact and portable enough to handle humidity all over the house and even beyond, should you have a caravan or motorhome too? Then get your hands on the ProBreeze 500ml Mini Dehumidifier, a totally totable option for more compact confines that can rid you of up to 250ml of unwanted air-water per day into its 500ml tank.
Energy efficient to the point that its low power consumption costs a piffling 1p per hour to run, the ProBreeze also comes packing ‘Whisper Technology’ which, rather than spreading ugly rumours behind your back, means you can rest easy in your bed free from whirring interruption thanks to mouse-quiet running.
With an auto shut-off that downs tools when the tank is full (complete with alert to the fact it needs emptying), the ProBreeze 500ml Mini Dehumidifier maybe mini in form but it’s massive in function.
Buy now £49.99, ProBreeze
Verdict
Naturally, the dehumidifier you need very much depends on the size of your space and the dampness degree of your situation. But in each of the options looked at here, you’ll find an excellent route to energy efficient air-drying that will keep your digs clear of condensation and the illness-bringing effects of black mould.
Also, if damp laundry is your main cause of moisture, it may also be worth considering adding a heated clothes airer to your bill-beating arsenal, as not only will it speed up your drying time considerably, they’re also far cheaper to run than a tumble dryer and – as an added bonus – far kinder on your clothes, helping them last longer.
