Damp :(

[realitychick]

Finally have to admit we have it! I know we probably have to get something very expensive done to sort it out long term but in the mean time, does anyone know any clever ways of improving it short term? Especially that awful grubby smell it has. All I can think of is heating on full while windows are wide open, which DH won't tolerate for a minute.

buy or hire a dehumidifier?

Will google them. Thanks.

the flat i lived in before i moved to current home had the most awful damp/mould. unfortunately its really hard to deal with but this is what i did ; cleaned off the worst of it with damp cloth and used dettoll mould and mildew remover (it has very strong smell so you might want to do it then pop out for a bit),i moved the furniture so that it wasnt right up to the walls to allow air to circulate. you can buy special paint that can stop the mould coming back through.

i got a de humidifier and the landlord put in a vent/extractor system that seemed to help a bit. i did in the end do the heating up/windows open and it helped a bit, i had to in the end take all mine and kids clothes out of drawers and put into suitcases as they were going mouldy.

the thing i hated most was the damp cold bed every night so i would have to put hot water bottles in and hope for the best!

hope you get it sorted, i know how horrible it can be especially now the weather is getting colder.good luck

not heating and windows open.
"pumping" does work better. you yank up the heat for 20 min then turn it off and open all windows for 5 min as wide as they go. do it a few times a day and it will get better.
we open all windows wide for 10 min each morning, when we come home from work and just before going to bed. in the winter we heat before opening the windows (warm air can hold a lot of moisture, the cold air that comes in through the windows is much drier)
it is not more expensive to heat this way, because dryer air heats up more quickly than damp air.

If you're like me and a bit poorer I've found these to be good for getting moisture out of the air. We've been using them in the car to get rid of damp and they've worked a real treat.

Also I've been using dommestos mold and mildew remover with great success in my house of late.