Damp in my shoe cupboard under the stairs

[falalalalal]

We renovated our house and have this cupboard which is next to the small toilet. There is a pipe (to help the toilet flush I believe) in the cupboard and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it.

I've had to throw away shoes several times and this is with using one of those damp remover things that lasts for several weeks.

There's nowhere we could plug in a small low watt heater (and there's not a bulb in the cupboard. Has anyone else had this issue?

Is your staircase next to an outside wall? Mine is, plus its an east facing wall , with a high fence plus the neighbours house , so it doesn't get much light or warmth from the sun. Therefore our understairs cupboard is exactly like yours, and smells mildly of damp so not a lot we can do about it. We use it for things that won't be affected by it, such as pots of paint, brushes, clothes airer etc.

No it's adjacent to our neighbour (; It's an ideal spot for shoes. I wish we had thought about putting a socket in there when we renovated but had no idea there would be a chance of damp. It's a well insulated house.

You may find that a pipe has a hairline crack in it that's not immediately noticeable. Can you put kitchen roll underneath the pipe to see where any dampness is coming from?

I will try that @LadyOfTheCanyon although there are tiles and I think I would notice any leaks (maybe not).

My friend has her house in uproar at present.

A leak from her cloakroom pipe has been leaking for 3 years? It has soaked far and wide beyond the cloakroom. All flooring is coming up throughout ground floor but the “heave” of the laminate has only just been noticed where it’s at it worst.

Get pipes checked. Who knows what’s going on unseen! Only needs to be a seep.

Things to try:
Wrap pipe in insulation.
Cheap carpet.
Large tray of the cat litter that absorbs moisture/lots of damp boxes - you can buy refills from Amazon.
Keep the shoes in the see through plastic boxes with lids.

Also do you have to throw the shoes?
Could you wash them with vinegar?

Also - tape a sheet of plastic or cellophane to the wall, which will tell you if the damp is coming from the wall itself ( condensation will form inside the plastic - or outside where it will form on the outside of the sheet)

Thanks all. Scared at what your friend is experiencing @Oldthyme especially as we have tiling.

Lots of good advice, really appreciated.