Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask about dehumidifiers

75 replies

SemperTemper · 27/10/2017 22:15

Our windows are steaming up overnight and there's lots of condensation in the morning. We have a small baby so there's a lot of washing on two clothes airers which isn't helping. Will a dehumidifier resolve this? What size would we need for a two bedroom flat?

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 27/10/2017 23:16

This is well timed since I’m considering buying one.

Maverick66 · 27/10/2017 23:18

May I ask if they are expensive to use?

Doomhutch · 27/10/2017 23:18

I would definitely recommend one. Our flat would be properly damp if we didn't use one. A few of them also ha a clothes drying setting which dry clothes quicker, too.

anotherbloodycyclist · 27/10/2017 23:23

The meaco 20 litre low energy one (big enough for a 5 bed house) costs 3p an hour to run.

Original poster
SemperTemper · 27/10/2017 23:47

I'm definitely going to get one this weekend! Thanks, all.

OP posts:
bendyruler · 28/10/2017 01:26

Are they safe to leave on overnight? Can you leave them on when you go to work?

NanooCov · 28/10/2017 07:29

We have a 1930s house with lots of condensation that has in the past led to black mould so we have two - an Ecoair one upstairs that has a timer, a laundry drying function, etc. And an ancient unbranded one downstairs that still works well but with less bells and whistles. They’re both excellent. The filters just need rinsed occasionally.

SaucyJack · 28/10/2017 07:37

"Are they safe to leave on overnight? Can you leave them on when you go to work?"

No more or less safe than any other electrical product that you plug in to the wall, I can't imagine.

There's nothing unsafe about the process of dehumidifiying. They don't use chemicals or owt like that.

PurplePumpkinHead · 28/10/2017 07:41

Another vote for Ebac. I ordered mine through ao.com.

NanooCov · 28/10/2017 08:00

Our Ecoair one shuts off when it begs to target humidity but if I’m going out I tend to put on the timer function just in case.

NanooCov · 28/10/2017 08:01

*begs = gets

Snailo · 28/10/2017 08:14

Yes I would recommend one OP. It seems such a boring and annoying thing to spend money on but it's well worth it. We have the Meaco 10L one as well. It has a setting on it for drying washing, so you load up the airer, put it in the same room as the dehumidifier, and it gets the washing dry in a few hours. Also - I don't know if this is a factor for you or not - but I think it's made the house warmer because it's less damp. As a PP said, so much moisture comes out of one load of washing, and in winter when you can't dry outside as much, the Meaco is ace. I love mine!

HeteronormativeHaybales · 28/10/2017 08:40

We have a Trotec and it's the only way I manage to get washing dry at a decent rate (we have a rubbish washer dryer which washes fine but whose drying function I have practically given up on). We have a very big bathroom so our airers are in there - having the dehumidifier in there helps both with that and with steaming up after baths/showers. It was expensive - 200 or 300 euro IIRC - but worth it.

HeteronormativeHaybales · 28/10/2017 08:41

We sometimes leave ours on when we go out for a few hours. They're designed to be used continuously and in empty buildings (e.g. new builds drying out before/after decorating). Ours shuts off when the tank is full.

peachgreen · 28/10/2017 08:57

Dehumidifiers are amazing. When I’ve lived in flats without outside space I’ve used them to dry all my washing - I reckon it does it at least three times faster. I’ve had it running pretty much constantly day and night for at least five years now and it’s still going!

Mine has a filter that has to be cleaned every so often - not sure if that’s true of them all.

1DAD2KIDS · 28/10/2017 08:59

Is this really an AIBU question? Is there not one of the many other mumsnet categories this could fall into?

Giggorata · 28/10/2017 09:02

I have a small one which I use all over the house to reduce condensation and the damp feeling when it's been raining for days. I have one in our holiday cottage, which is invaluable to air everything if we haven't been there for a while.

PurpleDaisies · 28/10/2017 09:05

Who made you the thread police 1DAD? Biscuit

MrTrebus · 28/10/2017 09:05

Why would you get that when the issue is the washing, spend the money on a tumble dryer/condenser dryer instead.

Willowfrost · 28/10/2017 09:08

I have one that I leave on all the time. My house is damp and I also dry clothes on the airer in the winter. I wouldn't be without it. The air is so much lighter with it on.

borntobequiet · 28/10/2017 09:16

I wouldn't live in an older property and not have a dehumidifier - as said to me by an architect specialising in old buildings. Actually I wouldn't live in a newer one without one either.
Not everything can be tumble dried, and it's expensive. A dehumidifier doesn't damage clothes, costs less and warms the place (operates like a fridge compressor). I wouldn't be without mine, it's one of the best investments I've made.

LoniceraJaponica · 28/10/2017 09:25

And space might be an issue as well.

I use my tumble dryer for most things, but I do have some clothes that are not to be tumble dried, so I use the dehumidifier as well.

Mould spores from damp and condensation are not great for one's health.

CMOTDibbler · 28/10/2017 09:28

We've had a Mitsubishi one for 11 years now - we got it when ds was a baby and the house already had a damp problem, and have used it ever since to dry laundry. With careful loading of the airer (hang everything you can on hangers, maximise surface area) I can dry 3 big loads overnight, no restrictions on what gets dried, and no damage to the laundry. I'd never be without one

cricketballs3 · 28/10/2017 09:30

Anyone recommend one for one room? We only have one room that suffers and due to the dog we have to keep the door shut DS leaves far to many chewable items about

LoniceraJaponica · 28/10/2017 09:33

If you are at home can't you leave the window open?