WITH rising costs and colder weather, many of us will be looking for cheap ways to protect our homes from mould and condensation.
Temperatures have dramatically dropped in recent weeks but high energy bills means households won’t wanting to be keeping the heating on for long.
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As a result, it might be harder to tackle mould and condensation which is usually more rife in the winter.
If left untreated, mould can pose a risk to vulnerable Brits with existing health problems like eczema or asthma.
But there are cheap tricks people can do to reduce any mould and condensation in the home.
Here’s what we suggest.
B&M’s Astonish Mould and Mildew Blaster – £1
This 750ml bottle is a popular item used by many households to tackle mould in the house.
By spraying it onto affected areas, leaving for a short while and then wiping away, you should see any damage dramatically decrease.
The item is often used for clearing mould on bathroom tiles and around windows.
B&M is currently selling it online for just £1 – of course, prices may vary in store.
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Silica Gel packets from Amazon – £4.95
These are probably a lesser known damp remover.
The little sachets that come in shoes and clothes – could end up protecting your walls and window sills.
That’s because they’re designed to prevent moisture from damaging a product – so they’re ideal for keeping dampness at bay around your home.
You can currently get them on Amazon for £4.95 although they do come for free within packaging of certain products – so keep an eye out.
In the review section, one shopper said: “These are perfect for what I wanted them for.
“My cupboard, where I store all our shoes, is very cold and was starting to feel damp in places. I bought these to pop in the shoes.”
Bleach and toilet paper – 2p
One savvy cleaner, who had an unexpected leak in her house needed a quick way to remove mould.
According to the cleaning fan – and foodie – all you need is regular household bleach, some tissue paper and a splash of water.
Before you set off to transform the bathroom, make sure you’re wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin from any hash chemicals.
Start by lining sealant with pieces of toilet paper before wetting it with water.
Once done, pour over a generous amount of thick bleach and leave it do its magic overnight.
Depending on how much you use, and of course the brand of bleach and toilet roll, this trick could cost you a tiny 2p.
Salt, Sainsbury’s – £1.25
This might not be the strongest contender for tackling mould and condensation, but it could help.
Salt has the power to draw in moisture – and there’s plenty of internet folklore to suggest bowls of it around the house can dry out the air.
Place some rock salt in a bowl and leave around the house overnight – you may not be able to tell much of a difference but it’s worth doing.
A bag of rock salt from Sainsbury’s is currently going for £1.25 online, though prices may vary in store.
Wilkos Cillit Bang Black Mould Remover – £3
Similar to the spray from B&M, this popular item is renowned for getting rid of mould around the house.
This isn’t the cheapest spray out there, but it does have the best reviews so it might be worth investing.
On the Wilko’s website, one happy shopper said: “This is by far the best product I have found for combating any mould round baths, showers and on plastic bath mats.”
While another said: “This really is good for removing mould from any surface – have a bit of a problem in the bathroom and it cleans it down brilliantly.”
Dehumidifier packs – Asda, £4
Asda is currently selling dehumidifier packs for just £4.
These can be popped round the house and should help collecting any condensation.
You will need to replace them every three to six weeks, so prices could add up.
But they have been deemed pretty effective.
More tips
We tested out some top hacks for tackling mould to see how effective they are.
Dehumidifiers are a good idea to keep by windows to prevent condensation from collecting – shoppers have even spotted one that costs £50 from Argos.
And they don’t cost much to run either – according to experts at Uswitch, dehumidifiers normally use 185W – so they usually cost about 6p an hour to run.
You can read a full list of mould prevention hacks and our verdict in our test here.
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