Showering or bathing can produce lots of steam and moisture. When looking for how to stop condensation on walls and ceilings in the rest of the house be sure to keep the door of the bathroom closed and open your bathroom window when showering.

If extractor fans aren't cutting it, the next thing to consider is a dehumidifier, which will draw moisture out of the air. These can be particularly useful if you often dry clothes inside the house – another common source of excess humidity. There are different types and brands available, so read up on how to buy the best dehumidifier to find one that does the job.For information about improving your insulation, see our expert guides on loft insulation costs and savings and cavity wall insulation costs and savings.

Extendable pole: A few models on our list come with, or are compatible with, telescopic or multi-section poles to help you reach high windows and skylights without wobbling up a ladder. On the downside, a pole can make the vac hard to control, especially if it’s heavy. Nonetheless, condensation and water build up continues to be a problem in many British homes where dated building materials and poorly built extensions trap water within building skeletons. Most dehumidifiers have their noise levels listed in their specifications, although in practice we didn't find that much variation between models, with most falling somewhere between 35 and 45dB. Contents in a home left empty for long periods can easily be damaged if they absorb and hold excess moisture from the air. The same applies to properties that feel permanently damp, due to their location, (perhaps built against the side of a hill) or age.We select top-selling window vacs from leading UK retailers and put them through a string of tough tests to find out which are the best. Reduce the amount of moisture produced in the first place by keeping lids on pans when cooking, drying clothes outside when possible, and if you use a tumble dryer, making sure it’s vented to the outside. However, to help give an overview, here are some key facts it's useful to know before searching for the best dehumidifier for the task in hand. If you’re looking for a small dehumidifier, then the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G Portable Dehumidifier is about as compact as it gets, measuring just H22 x W14 x D14cm and weighing in at 0.9kg. LED charge indicator: Useful for revealing how much longer the battery will last before it needs a recharge.

The unit isn't the lightest or most compact we've tested, but then we wouldn't expect that from a machine this powerful. However, built-in wheels, a retractable carry handle, and cable tidy make it easier to move around the house and store neatly away when it's not in use. Dehumidifiers vastly improve damp and condensation problems in a home because they reduce moisture levels. They’re most useful in rooms where there’s a lot of humidity. For example, a kitchen or bathroom. A room where clothes are dried. Or in a bedroom where condensation builds up from the heat caused by breathing. Overall, if you can put up with its increased noise volume and absorb the higher running costs, we think thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Modeis a good buy. It's definitely the best dehumidifier for drying clothes that we've tested, and anything that makes wet-weather laundry days easier is a win in our books. The EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 Dehumidifier can extract up to 7.5 litres of moisture per day in cold temperatures as low as 1ºc, so it's a very useful option for conservatorys, basements or garages that don't have dedicated heating, as well as unheated rooms in the home during winter months. Most of the dehumidifiers in our round-up feature automatic shut-off functions that mean they automatically switch off and sound an alarm or activate a warning light once the tank is full. However, a small capacity tank potentially increases the amount of time the dehumidifier will be out of operation before you notice and empty the tank.

You may find that having your heating on a constant low heat is better for damp (and for your air temperature) than having it frequently swing between hot and cold. If you do decide to install more insulation or double-glazed windows, this should be balanced with good ventilation in your home (as mentioned above), or all the extra energy-saving measures could cause damp problems to re-occur. Clearing condensation However, using steam on mould will not kill an ongoing mould issue, as it does not get to the root of the issue. To prevent future mould problems, you should consider draught proofing and other jobs which will prevent moisture from entering your home.' What kind of damp do I have? Just like the MeacoDry Arete One, as well as an impressive extraction rate the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L dehumidifier has some great features, including an easy-to-read LED screen that displays current humidity levels and a useful Smart mode that monitors the humidity levels for you, turning the dehumidifier on and off as soon as it rises above the recommended home humidity range between 45%~55% for more economical (and hassle-free) use. There's also auto-shut off functionality when the water tank is full. Anything involving heat will help kill off any bacteria,' advises cleaning expert, Matthew Harrison from Price Your Job. 'Therefore using a steam cleaner is an effective way to kill mould that is present, as it will penetrate the surface and kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria and germs.'