I put 4 viral hacks to banish condensation this winter to the test – from a 69p kitchen essential to using baking faves
LIKE millions of frustrated Brits, I too am sick and tired of waking up to my windows dripping wet with condensation.
Although some experts tell you to simply open your windows, I may as well be pouring my money down the drain – with heating bills as high as they are right now.
Whether that’s testing out cheep and cheerful heating hacks to keep toasty this winter or seeing whether I can banish mice without calling a pest expert, I’m always up for purse-friendly solutions for just about anything.
And condensation – which is water droplets that form on a window when moist air comes into contact with a cold surface – is no exception.
From using a kitchen essential to a baking favourite, thrifty Brits have been swearing by several bargains to banish condensation – but are they really worth the hype?
I tried them all so you don’t have to. Here’s how it went…
69p dish must-have
Although snapping up a dehumidifier is often hailed as the ultimate solution for fixing the dampness in your home, another trick I’ve seen over and over again is using washing-up liquid.
The kitchen essential, which shoppers can find at Aldi for a mere 69p, is said to create a thin film on the window, which lowers the surface tension and prevents water droplets from forming.
As instructed by several fans of the cleanfluencer Mrs Hinch, I poured a small amount of the liquid onto a microfiber cloth and applied it directly onto the glass.
Although at first I was concerned that I’d wake up to streaky marks left on the window, there was no need to worry – and what’s even better, there was no sign of condensation.
However, if you are keen to give this cost-effective hack a go, it’s worth noting that this is a temporary solution, with some warning that the method could even make matters worse.
According to some cleaning whizzes, using washing-up liquid to tackle the common issue will only ”push the condensation elsewhere” – which I haven’t yet observed.
10p savoury hack
Another fan favourite I’ve come across on several occasions is using salt – and any regular table salt is said to work just fine.
In theory, cleaning fans claimed, by placing bowls of regular table salt near the affected areas, it will help to absorb moisture and dehumidify your house.
It’s cheap, as you can find salt for around 70p at most supermarkets, working out to approximately 10p per use.
Unfortunately, as hyped as this affordable hack may be, I found that it didn’t do much – or anything – to my dripping wet windows.
It is worth adding that as we had run out of table salt, I had to sacrifice my rock salt – so perhaps the granules were too hard and chunky to soak up the excessive moisture properly.
What is condensation?
Condensation is water droplets that form on a window when moist air comes into contact with a cold surface.
Condensation occurs when:
Air cools
Warmer air can hold more moisture than cooler air. When moist air touches a cold surface, like a window, the water vapour in the air turns into liquid water droplets.
Windows are colder than walls
Windows are often colder than insulated walls, so condensation is more likely to occur on them.
Windows are poorly insulated
Poorly insulated windows can lead to condensation, especially if they are made of aluminium, which conducts heat quickly. If left untreated, it can lead to mould and other serious problems.
Baking favourite
The third tip involves using baking soda – also known as bicarbonate of soda.
Just like the 10p savoury hack, baking soda acts as a natural dehumidifier, absorbing excess moisture from the air and helping to reduce condensation build-up when placed on the windowsill.
For some reason I had high hopes for this hack, as in theory it all made perfect sense.
But sadly, when I woke up the next morning my bedroom window was drenched in condensation, and the bowl of baking soda was practically dry.
Hanging sock
The final rather bizarre way to cure a damp home I put to test was making my own DIY dehumidifier, using nothing but a sock or a pair of old tights filled with uncooked rice.
Although I was sceptical this trick would work and would be just as much of a flop as the baking soda hack, I was proved wrong.
After waking up to head to the office, I opened the blinds – and to my surprise, the rice-filled sock had soaked up quite a bit of moisture, not just around the area it was hanging but pretty much on the whole window surface.
Shoppers can snap up the dinner essential for as little as 52p from ASDA when buying the retailer’s Just Essential range – which works out to around 10p per cup.
Out of all the hacks I put to test, the ones I’ll be sticking to are using washing-up liquid, as well as hanging the rice sock – although it didn’t quite fit the aesthetic, this trick worked great.