Moisture in Your Home

Although you can’t see it there is always moisture in the air. Warm air holds much more water vapor than cold air. Modern homes are significant producers of water vapor. An average family of four through activities like washing, cooking and drying clothes can produce as much as 19 liters every 24 hours.

This damp can cause mold or toxic mold  to grow on walls, fabric and furniture which can eventually lead to rotting. It can cause paint to bubble and wallpaper to peel off.

It is very important to be aware of the water vapor produced inside your home and how to reduce its impact.

Water vapor can be produced by cooking, bathing, showers and doing laundry.

A damp atmosphere in a property can lead to mold or toxic mold growth, which is unsightly and unhealthy.

Mold or toxic mold gives off spores which float in the air and can make conditions such as asthma worse.

Ventilation is vital to replace moist, stale air with fresh clean air.

Cooking:

• If you have one, always use the stove extractor fan to help remove steam from boiling pans.
• If you do not have an extractor unit, then open a window in the kitchen whilst you are cooking.
• Keep the kitchen door shut whilst cooking.
• Use lids on saucepans.
• Don’t allow kettles and pans to boil for longer than necessary.

Bathrooms:

• Keep the door closed whilst using the bathroom for bathing or showering.
• If possible ventilate the bathroom whilst in the bath or shower.
• If you have an extractor fan in the bathroom make sure it is switched on when you are bathing.
• Always open the window after you have finished in the room to allow the moisture out.

Laundry:

• • Dry clothes outdoors is possible, which also saves you money on your fuel bill.
  • If you hang clothes out to dry indoors make sure you open a window, even just a small amount.
  • Ventilate your tumble dryer to the outside.
  • If your dryer is not self condensing make sure you put the hose outside the window to ensure the hot moisture filled air produced by the machine does not condense inside your home. Opening a nearby window is not enough.

If you have been unlucky enough to suffer flooding any resulting mold can be very difficult to deal with and may need treatment by specialized flood damage and mold removal specialists.