Unipol’s top tips for keeping your house mould free over the winter.

With the festive season fast approaching and the weather becoming colder and colder, it’s peak time for condensation to start building up around your house. Condensation is the lead cause of mould within student properties, so we want to share a few useful tips to help you manage the condensation in your home and prevent mould from growing in the first place.

Why condensation occurs

Condensation occurs when warm moist air meets a cold surface – like when a car window fogs up, or when you can’t see your reflection in the mirror after you’ve had a shower!

The risk of condensation in your house depends upon how moist the air is, and how cold the surfaces of the rooms are.

How to minimise condensation

Good ventilation:

Use an extractor fan and/or open a window in the kitchen when cooking

Open a window in the room if you’re drying clothes

Keep a window and/or extractor fan on when showering/bathing, and leave the window open for a short period after washing to let the warm wet air escape.

Adequate Heating:

Try to make sure that all rooms are at least partially heated.

It takes a long time for a cold building structure to warm up, so it is better to have a small amount of heat for a long period than a lot of heat for a short time.

Houses and flats left unoccupied and unheated during the day get very cold. Whenever possible, it is best to keep heating on, even if at a low level.

What to do if you find mould?

Using a mild detergent and damp cloth, gently wipe away mould spores on windows and walls and allow to dry before putting any furniture in front of the affected areas.

To prevent the mould from returning, it’s important to try the above tips as it’s likely that better ventilation and adequate heating will solve condensation problems.

For any further advice about student housing or any more serious problems you may have, please visit our website or feel free to contact us on 0113 243 0169.