Condensation is an issue in the bathroom particularly after a hot shower(Image: Tiffany Lo)

My house is so damp the paint come off the wall but my dehumidifier saves the day

The return of cold weather has turned my house into a swamp so it's time to dig out my trusted Swan dehumidifier to keep the mould and damp at bay

30 Sep 2024, 07:00 by Tiffany Lo · The Mirror

The cold, chilly weather sees the return of damp and mould in my home and it's going to be a huge problem if I don't tackle early on. And a recent Amazon find has been helping me.

Having relocated from a high-rise flat to a riverside house where condensation is a major concern, I've learned from last winter that the windows are constantly wet on the inside and the worst was seeing paint peeling off the wall. And while running the heaters helps mitigate condensation in the house, it's not a cost-effective solution in the long term.

I've since picked up the Swan 20L dehumidifier from Amazon to help me battle the rising damp. Anyone also in a bid to banish the rising moisture felt in many homes, as the temperatures drop, it's been reduced from £249 to £149.

The low-energy dehumidifier costs 7p per hour to operate and is capable of removing up to 20 litres of excess moisture from a room in 24 hours. Whether it's in a bathroom, living room, or kitchen.

The Swan 20L low energy dehumidifier costs about 7p an hour to run and comes with a 4l water tank( Image: Tiffany Lo)

My primary challenge is the bathroom. It lacks extraction fans and the windows are permanently sealed so it was no surprise to spot tiny mould spots on the ceiling and along the window sill.

I took out the Swan model and positioned it right by the shower and let it run for two hours on an automatic speed and see if it could reduce any condensation on the window. The LED display indicated the room's humidity level, which was a shocking 86%.

Ideally, a comfortable and safe humidity level should be between 40% and 60%. Anything above 60%, and you'll start to feel muggy and uncomfortable.

The kitchen has a bigger problem and the paint came off after kettle boiling and steaming

Swan's website boasts: "This handy dehumidifier will keep your home free from condensation, damp and mould caused by steamy showers, kettles boiling and laundry drying, removing excess moisture from the air, reducing mould spores and dust mites to improve air quality, ideal for those with respiratory problems and allergies."

I was surprised to see a noticeable change after 30 minutes - the window was no longer foggy as the water had been dried up by the dehumidifier and the humidity level indicated the room was at 66%.

Once the two-hour timer was up, the machine automatically shut off to conserve energy. After emptying the water tank, I gave it another go a few days later, this time letting it run for 3 hours. By the end of the week, the black mould patch on the ceiling had disappeared, along with the tiny black dots.

But it's quite noisy when the dehumidifer was running - which is not ideal. With no power socket in the bathroom, I found the cable slightly too short for me to plug it to the nearest socket and I had to use extension to do so.

Swan 20 Litre Low Energy Dehumidifier

But the Swan dehumidifier kept the room dry and brought the humidity to a normal 66% in two hours( Image: No credit)

I also tried it in the kitchen where the paint in the ceiling corner was peeling off - it's a temporary fix to stop it from going from bad to worse but ultimately, I might need something more powerful to deal with condensation from cooking.

The four-litre tank can fill up pretty fast if I keep it running for a day but compare this to other dehumidifers, it's quite a generous size.The Swan 20 Litre Low Energy Dehumidifier, which originally retailed at £249, has been discounted to £149 on Amazon, saving shoppers a whopping £100. I have seen it reduced to £193.99 but I beleive this is the lowest price ever.

For those in search of a non-electrical dehumidifier, the Unibond Aero 360 Moisture Absorber has proven very popular, particularly for use in wardrobes and guest toilets.