To ask how you keep mould away?

[Rudolphrum]

For those of you mumsnetters who live in older houses how the hell do you keep mould in the windows at bay?

We recently moved into a rental where all of the upstairs rooms are not double glazed. Every morning we wake up to a pool of water on each window which we try to wipe off. We now have mould on all the upstairs windows which I've been bleaching tonight.

This can't go on - surely there's a trick I am missing? A friend told me to sleep with Windows open but it's fucking freezing!!!!!

I use my window vacuum every morning to remove condensation and open the windows when it's not ridiculously cold outside.

Ours isn't anywhere near as bad, but we open all our windows for at least 20 minutes every morning, wipe off any condensation and run a dehumidifier over night

Dehumidifier, at least one window on each floor left open over night, wiping up any condensation every morning.

We have a wonderful combination of old house, fireplaces blocked with no air vents and to top it all aluminium frame double glazing. Our windows were swimming every morning! The dehumidifier in particular has made an amazing difference.

• anti mould paint on bad areas
• dehumidifiers (the big ones you plug in, not those plastic boxes you can get)
• not putting furniture against north facing walls

Our house used to be really bad but we've got it under control with these measures.

Bambamer when you say you run a dehumidifier do you have one in every room? They are bloody expensive to buy the ones I've seen and can't really afford 4 of them (3 bedrooms and bathroom)

The water is due to condensation - even with brand new double glazing you'd have the same issue.

Dehumidifier would help, and regular 'airing' helps, and not drying washing indoors, when cooking keep a window open (steam to escape) and using an extractor fan when showering etc...

it's a right pain in winter.

Koneko isn't your house freezing in the morning with a window open though? We don't have the heating on all night as we've got oil and I'm worried if I leave a window open it will be like ice in the morning

We have this. Redecorated bathroom with anti mould paint. Open windows when get up until go to work. Anti mould cleaning stuff every couple of months. No wet washing on radiators. Saving up like mad for double glazing.

Amorea, when you say don't dry washing indoors that's exactly what I do.... how do I get round that in this weather though?

Hot water
Bleach
Bicarbonate of soda
White vinegar

Mix it all up and wipe down mouldy areas. It gets rid of mould fast, almost instantly in front of your eyes.

It’s moisture in the house. Try to not dry clothes in the house unles you have the dehumidifier on. Like your friends I also have the windows slightly ajar. I do that when I closed the curtains.

OP, I pick my days to wash depending on the weather (even if it's cold weather it'll still dry outdoors in a breeze).

If there are no reasonable days for a while, I go to a laundrette to use their tumbledriers.

Definitely makes a difference!

I keep a window cracked open a couple of mm. It makes all the difference. Houses do need to breathe.

Can you dry your washing outside before bringing it in to continue drying? At least you’d get some of the water out. And open a window in the room it’s drying in.

If you tumble dry a load of laundry, lots of water is collected.

Dehumidifier and window vac, every day for half the year

We have 2 dehumidifers, one outside the bathroom downstairs and one pointing at the washing upstairs. They have a 'drying washing' setting which is very helpful.

Ventilate. Ventilate. Ventilate. Even when it’s cold 🥶

Another vote for ventilation- every single day no matter how cold outside. Wipe up every morning and remove as much moisture as possible, then crack a window open. Try to sleep with the window open as much as poss- as PP has said, even a few mil will help.

Blimey, just read you dry washing indoors! Really try to reduce this. Spin it really, really well in the machine then get it outside. Even when it's cold, get it on the line for a few hours then bring it in to a ventilated room to finish off. Don't put it near a radiator no matter how tempting.

I have double glazing. I ALWAYS have the windows open in bedrooms at night (and during the day unless I am out). At night I open our bedroom wide in summer and about 5cm in winter (however cold and however much DH complains), DC windows are on latch (so only tiny bit open) during cold spells, otherwise wider. Fresh air is good. I do dry wet washing inside, and don't have any condensation. House is 1930's, but a semi and retains warmth - don't use most of our radiators.

I have the plastic dehumidifiers in everyroom by the windows and then one normal plug in one because I can't afford lots of the plug in one's.

Then I have windows open as much as possible.

I also bought some hg anti-mould spray from Amazon and that keeps it at bay for quite a while (never came back as bad as the first time), use this regularly to keep at bay now.

I do dry washing inside with the proper dehumidifier on and windows open, but I don't dry it in the worst rooms, just stick to one room so I only have one mouldy room. I also keep all the doors open in the house during the day

We had a system fitted in the loft, best thing we ever did. Mould died in 2 days and has never come back, Windows no longer wet.

Cilit bang mould spray is brilliant. I found bleach still left the mould there. I also echo all the advice above, especially ventilation.

I feel your pain OP.
In the winter I cannot dry washing outdoors. I hang it on racks in the bathroom and the bathroom window is opened for around 20mins each morning after my shower. There is a dehumidifier outside the bathroom in the hallway. that runs during the day while everyone is out. It makes too much noise to run it at night.
The upstairs bedroom has the window cracked for much of the day with the door closed to stop the rest of the house freezing.
There is a dehumidifier in the living room that runs during the day most days.
My house is too small to not have furniture against outer walls but I do try and pull it away from walls.

Cats, what system was that?