As the weather turns cold and wet, people are keeping windows shut and drying clothes indoors, and this is helping mould grow in UK homes.

What this means for you

Experts say one small change to how you use your extractor fan can stop litres of water from building up in the air in your home. This site exists to explain things like this in plain words, because you should never need a dictionary to understand news about your own home.

Ruth MacEachern, a ventilation expert at Envirovent, says most people make one key mistake. They turn off their extractor fan as soon as they finish showering or cooking. But that does not clear out the moisture that is still floating in the air.

Ruth explains that everyday tasks like cooking, showering, and boiling the kettle add a lot of moisture to your home. She says four people living in a three-bedroom house can produce up to 112 pints of moisture a week just from breathing, cooking, showering, and boiling water.

Her fix is simple. Keep your extractor fan running for at least 15 minutes after you finish in the kitchen or bathroom. This gives the fan time to pull out the extra moisture before it turns into damp or mould.

Ruth also shared six more tips to help lower moisture in your home:

1. Cover pots and pans while boiling water.
2. Wait until the dishwasher cools down before opening it.
3. Avoid opening the oven door too often while cooking.
4. Bathe with slightly cooler water.
5. Keep the bathroom door shut during and after a shower or bath.
6. Do not leave a full bath sitting for too long after use.

Drying clothes indoors is another big source of damp, especially if you do not have a tumble dryer or outdoor space to hang washing. Ruth suggests using your bathroom as a drying room instead. Turn on the towel rail for heat and switch on the extractor fan to pull moisture out.

She also says to leave space between drying racks so air can move freely. This helps clothes dry faster and stops the musty smell that often comes with indoor drying.

Try running your extractor fan for 15 extra minutes after your next shower and see if it makes a difference in how damp your bathroom feels.

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