mold/condensation

[chobb]

Hi need some advice, we have some mold in our bedroom on the walls ceiling and Windows and been trying to get rid of it, my partner thinks it's condensation but as its getting colder now we do not want to leave the Windows open, we share the room with my 1 yr and 2 yr old so we really need to nip this in the bud, theres also a lot of Orangeish,yellowish blotches we can't get rid of either it won't wash off I'd appreciate any ideas Ty all

Can you afford a dehumidifier?

Do you have heating in your bedroom? Condensation tends to be worse in rooms that are unheated.

Can you open them in the day? We have this issue in our house with condensation since we had double glazing put in, but just leaving them open a touch seems to really help, even if its just for a few hours. We close them in the afternoon/evening before the temperature drops too much & it soon warms up again once the heating is on.

Or second pp's suggestion to try a dehumidifier.

Bedrooms will get humid because you are all breathing in there. If you don't let the water out it will accumulate and get worse.

Leaving the door partly open overnight will allow the air to diffuse around the house.

If your window has a trickle vent or a ventilation setting, use it.

Every morning, after throwing back the bedclothes, open the window to dry out the room and air the moist bedding. A damp room is unhealthy, and will feel colder than a dry room.

Do not drape wet washing in or near any unventilated room. Water vapour is lighter than air so will go up to bedrooms from downstairs.

Do you have a working extractor in your bathroom and kitchen?

I would add that I have a kurcher window washer which I use to suck condensation off windows, as an addition to opening windows or on its own if really cold.

I figure it's better than that water evaporating back into the house as the sun warms the windows.

I'm obsessed and also do the shower screen - but that's just for me!

I use a dehumidifier - you wouldn't have to use it at night (leaving the door ajar is a good idea) but put it on in the room for a while each day. Each person exhales and sweats out a pound (average) of moisture each day - so 4 people is a lot of moisture.

The dehumidifier is also very useful if you dry clothes indoors like so many of us have to.

I have this one which is effective, well reviewed but not too expensive: www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-148110002-DEM10-Compact-Dehumidifier/dp/B000BP81DW/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1413457260&sr=8-7&keywords=dehumidifier

that should read - Each person exhales and sweats out a pound (average) of moisture each NIGHT (ie while we sleep)

Where abouts on the wall is it? Is it an outside wall and have you checked your guttering?

A dehumidifyer is a good idea. Also, don't dry clothes on your radiators and make sure the room is aired, so open the windows.

instead of leaving the windows open all the time you can also open them as wide as the go a couple of times a day for ten minutes or or. ideally have a window open opposite and of thd house the same time. even when it's raining, as long as it's colder outside than in it will reduce humidity a lot.
and heat the room.

simple physics: warm ajr is able to hold a lot of moisture. cold air not so much (that's why you get condensation on cold surfaces)

Great advice on here. You also need to get some mould killer to get rid of the mould entirely because mould spores aren't very healthy to breathe in.

Oh, and also look to see if there's an airbrick in your room and whether it's covered.

binky snap - not karcher though another (cheaper) make - and I 'do' the shower after use too...for the same reasons.
We have had problems with mould too over the last year or so - read something about the weather recently being bad for it.
We don't dry washing indoors, have a kitchen extractor and use it (bathroom one isn't working - so open window wide with door closed) used to have dodgy draughty double glazing (have done a lot of draught proofing) and was actually pleased to see condensation on the windows at first- now not so sure....
Also the house is unheated more as I try and reduce my energy bills/CO2 use...

I second opening the windows as much as possible.

A question: is the property yours OP or are you renting? because if you are renting, the landlord should be doing something about it. england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/health_and_safety/hhsrs

I use a dehumidifier in the winter, it makes for a healthier environment and dries the washing.

condensation is just water, and should be wiped up every day. Mould is the result of that water and needs to be removed.

even one person breathing overnight in a room generates quite a lot of moisture. So wipe up every morning and don't leave the wet cloth in the room. Get an air current through each morning to dry things off - it only takes about 10 minutes. Zero cost.

if it is a rental; condensation is your fault from your lifestyle and there's nothing the landlord can do. Damp is a building problem and is for the landlord to sort.

agree with special and if the damp is due to the condensation it's the house occupiers fault.

Leave the bedroom door open at night. And don't dry clothes on radiators.

Echoing above - I love my dehumidifier!

Wash the walls down using a bleach solution, 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Wear rubber gloves and old clothes to this.

Just out of interest, where does everyone suggest we dry clothes in winter? There's no extraction fans in kitchen or bathroom, we don't have the space for a tumble dryer and the house is several hundred years old so isn't great for damp. As much as we wipe and try to ventilate, it still takes an entire week for washing to dry in the house and the mould is getting worse and worse.

Ok, I'm a landlord. Condensation mould is my pet peeve. I have tenants telling me the house is damp. I go and see and it's condensation due to lack of ventilation and drying clothes on radiators.

It's so difficult. I can't be blunt and tell them it's their fault. I have checked the house isn't damp, it really isn't.

It can be avoided if windows are opened in the mornings and wet clothes aren't hung on radiators causing humid air.

I spend £ on bleaching and re painting. Really it's damage, but I'd be very unpopular if I ever said that in RL.

It's not easy getting clothes dry in the winter is it?

If you can afford it, get a heated dryer - I believe Aldi have one for cheaps this week, or there is a more expensive Lakeland version. You can pile washing on it, and cover with something large like a wet duvet and it should dry more quickly. It will also smell fresher. Try to leave the dryer in a small room where you can have the window slightly open and close the door. Your clothes should dry in 24 hrs this way.

Dealing with mould is a three-stage process. First, you gotta kill the damn stuff off. Second, you need to have a military-style regime to get rid of as much moisture in the house as you can. Third, you gotta do whatever it takes to make the environment more hostile to it!

First, treat the mould with a spray - I use Blitz That Mould from Lakeland. Just wiping it may not get rid of the spores. Be aware that these sprays contain bleach, so be very careful around carpets and curtains (remove or cover) and wear old clothes. Make sure you get behind furniture, into corners etc. Also, have a look at books - in a very damp environment, they can become utterly mouldy and horrible.

Then remove the moisture. Religiously squeegee down all condensation off windows onto an old towel each morning (takes less long than you would think). Leave the windows open for a bit afterwards to get rid of any excess, then shut to keep the warmth in. If you use old white towels, you can pop them on a hot cycle in the washing machine every couple of weeks with some vinegar and clean your machine!

Squeegee down the walls and any shower screen as well. The more water you can remove from the environment the better. Consider using wrung out damp cloths to clean floors so that you don't have excess water hanging around, e.g. from a steam mop.

Consider ironing without a steam setting, and try to avoid having pots and pans steaming away for hours in the kitchen if you can.

Then prevention - when you repaint rooms in which you dry your washing, consider using a tougher and more wipeable/mould resistant paint like bathroom paint. Get extractor fans fitted when you can as well - this will make a world of difference.

I don't have a tumble dryer, although I do have outside space. I do washing on dry days with a breeze. Quite a lot has dried this morning before the rain.

if I really need something washed and dried on a damp day, I'll go to the laundrette.

just needs a few extra pair of knickers. Most people do far more washing than needed.

also fickle if it is your house, install some fans. If it is a rental, your landlord is nuts not to do so. But you are unloading a large amount of water into the air so no wonder the place is getting wrecked.

fickle you need a dehumidifier to put next to your clothes airer. I found it more effective than the Lakeland heated drying rack, and it deals with the moisture issues as well.

I also used an IKEA wall laundry rack above the bath where I can leave the window open (If I am home). I can get a small load on there if I use an octopus peg thing too and hang some items on hangers.

we have the same problem, we always leave the bedroom door completely open and have heating on, but it still happens on the window that is not next to the radiator.
So I was thinking of getting something like this and putting it at the bottom of the window (floor to ceiling windows).
www.amazon.co.uk/Hylite-HHT205-Slimline-Heater-thermostat/dp/B007W0WV1M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413471273&sr=8-2&keywords=window+heater
Not sure if this will work...?

Thanks for tips. The house is a listed building and was pretty wrecked when we moved in. The doors have mould running through the wood for example. Won't be living here much longer thankfully, but will have chance to remove as much mould as possible and repaint with anti mould stuff before we go.

Ventilate the rooms as much as you can. We have a property rented out with no history of damp, we even installed fans, but because it was not ventilated damp became a huge issue due to condensation. House had to be completely redecorated. :( I open windows daily even in winter in our bedrooms to freshen up our house. Our bath room has no windows and no probs. I do have washing on airers in winter but never on radiators. Occasional damp in conservatory I deal with using bleach on a cloth and wipe away. If places are too cluttered that doesn't help air circulate.
Best of luck