An expert has shared his top ten tips on how to stop mould in your home.
As the cold weather continues, many people may be experiencing damp and mould in their homes. With heating indoors mixed with the coldness outside, it creates a breeding ground for condensation which leads to damp and then mould.
Nicole Dutton says black mould and constant damp in her Widnes home are making her three young children ill. Similarly, Jessica Baines says she has lost 40 pounds as mouldy flat 'makes her ill' in Widnes.
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The ECHO has previously reported on several hacks that can help remove mould and resolve damp quickly and easily. Recently, fans of cleaning guru Mrs Hinch have praised a £1 item that gets rid of mould 'for good'. The unknown hack included using Original Listerine mouthwash which "stops mould re-growing".
But damp expert Richard Brown has said shared his top tips as he says the underlying reasons for mould need to be rectified, reports the MEN.
Richard said mould is a result of condensation, it is not the cause, as he added: "What is meant by that is something is occurring that is allowing the germination of the mould and it is that something that must be rectified, not the mould itself.
"If you just treat the mould, it will continue to return, as you have not got to the bottom of the root cause. Mould spores are present on all surfaces, and largely, these spores lie there, dormant, waiting for the elixir of life, water, to spring into life. So it is dealing with the water that offers the success in treating mould. Stop the water, stop the mould."
Richard went on to say that you are always going to have a certain amount of condensation on your windows in the morning, but he entire window being covered is "not normal". He said: "I would suggest, if there's that much water on the window, there is a problem not with ventilation but extraction."
Nine times out of 10, where the damp is occurring is not where the damp has been made. Here are Richard's top tips for stopping mould growth:
- Extract as much of the moisture you create as quickly as possible. This means using your extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom - but make sure your fan is actually working.
- Keep your property warm. Heated air can hold more moisture than cool air. Try and keep your air temperature at a low background heat of 18°C+.
- Don’t use the boost button on your boiler, it is inefficient and expensive. Keeping the air temperature consistent is cheaper and more comfortable - warm air holds more moisture.
- Use trickle vents at the top of the windows, and NOT wide open windows. For ventilation, open the little slit at the top of the window. This allows a certain amount of air into the property, whilst allowing the radiator to heat the air up.
- When showering, close the bathroom door, dry yourself in the bathroom, exit, close the door and let your extractor fans run for another 10 mins after you leave.
- If you are drying clothes in a room with an extractor fan, keep it running. Remember to keep the door closed and turn the heat on to a low constant setting of 18°C.
- Try drying your clothes at the warmest time of the day, when the natural air temperature is warmer than in the evening.
- When cooking, use the extractor fan and keep a lid on the boiling pots. This will lower the amount of moisture going into the atmosphere.
- When running a bath, run a little cold water first, just enough to line the bottom of the bath and then run the hot water. This will stop steam.
- Boil your kettle under the extractor fan that is running.
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