Keeping beds dry in damp house--ideas?

[Cuddleczar]

Hello all, new to this particular forum! But I can see I will be spending some time on here to pick up tips...

My problem is we are currently staying in our holiday home in Brittany, which is a tiny house with a tiny kitchen, not much bigger than a caravan, so eg any cooking I do, the moisture goes out in the air into the bedrooms and then when the house cools down at night we get massive condensation. Add to that the moisture-laden sea air and it sometimes gets very difficult to get anything dry. I avoid drying clothes in the house and we are having lovely weather right now, but I still feel clammy at night in bed. What do you think is the best way round this? This year, I bought those chemical blocks that sit in a bowl and suck moisture out of the air and it has helped a huge amount, but things could still be better. I have wondered about buying electrical dehumidifiers; buying electric blankets which would be used during the day, not at night; but not keen on large expenditure. I know the French do this thing of putting their bedding out the window but our place is not sunny till the afternoon (when we are normally out) and if you leave anything out till early evening, you risk the damp air coming down. Any ideas anyone?

Hiya,

Oh I feel your pain!

Right first thing in the morning get up and sort out the bottom sheet of you bed,

If using duvet or sheets and blankets turn them back so they are folded over right at the bottom of the bed. Put you pillows on top.

1/2 hour befor you go to bed put a hot water bottle in the bed and then fold the duvet back over it putting the pillow back in bed. Lovely toastie warm bed!

whenever possible air you bedding out. even if it is only for half an hour in the sun it will make a difference.

bowls of salt on the window sills and keeping windows open make a difference

Can you shut the kitchen off from the rest of the house? Even if it is with curtains it will help to keep the steam at bay.

Yes Electric dehumidifiers do work and work very well (used them when plastering etc) you don´t need to run the constantly but you would have to play around with the timmings and positioning to see what works best in your house.

Finally possibly the best options is to change how you cook. Ie use bbq´s in the summer a small gas one with a griddle will let you cook almost anything and a slow cooker in the winter will help keep steam and condensation at bay. Cook with the back door open and if necessary a fan to keep the air circulating the in the kitchen and out of a window or door.

HTH

electric blanket.

open windows (or loft hatch, if you have one)

If the house and its content are warmer than the air, you will not get condensation.

If they are colder than the air, you will.

If you are by the sea, salt spray will impregnate things and absorb moisture. Washing, and drying away from spray, will remove the salt.

I would buy a small dehumidifier as that will help solve the damp issue and air the house as much as you can.

Another vote for a dehumidifier. Easy way to solve the problem. I use one for drying our laundry.

Another vote for a dehumidifier. Worth every penny.

If/when you get one, you will probably find it runs constantly for a while (days) until it has got rid of the accumulated damp. Then it settles down to coming on as needed.

Thank you all, that's really helpful. inneedofrain, I used to try the airing beds thing but found that it actually made the problem worse! (especially if I forgot to close the windows before the sun went down as the damp air seemed to fall early evening). But it sounds like a dehumidifier would be worth getting. Every year, I think, I must get one of those for next year and then by the time next summer comes, I have forgotten how unpleasant this problem is and I don't give it priority. Maybe I should do that as soon as I get back to the UK. Any recommendations for a model/brand? Our place here is really tiny: kitchen/diner, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. Would we need more than one?

You will only need one. I'll look up our model later. We only use 1 for four bedroomed house. I need to move it occasionally. I can't leave it in the utility room all the time as my friend in a smaller house can hers, but it is fine.

If you want to air the rooms just put a reminder on your phone to close the windows at a set time.

Thank you everyone!