Dry clothes without 'condensation smell' using £1.40 natural item

It's a constant problem as soon as the colder autumn weather rolls around, but a £1.40 item could stop condensation forming in your home when drying your clothes.

Getting laundry dry is a constant problem in autumn and winter. Unless you have an expensive tumble dryer which costs the earth to run, you can find yourself struggling with damp rooms laden with stale washing, leading to mouldy window frames and condensation.

Running a dehumidifier is the best way to get rid of excess moisture in your home, say experts, whether that's a big ticket unit or a cheap manual dehumidifier, which is basically salt in a box. Whichever one you choose though, they can still leave behind musty smells especially as they start to fill up.

But according to cleaning expert Louise Watts, from storage firm Pink Storage, there is a very cheap way to neuter compensation and banish that moist clothes drying smell from your dehumidifier.

She said: "We all know the smell, it's musky and hits you as soon as you enter the room.

"Even if you empty your dehumidifier daily, your unit and home will smell at one point, and this is because of the moisture build up inside the unit. Dehumidifiers pull in damp air, and because of this, they create the perfect conditions for these musky odours to form.

"If you're using an electric dehumidifier, then replacing it isn't an option and even portable dehumidifiers can smell before they've reached the end of their lifespan.

"If you don't want to waste money and don't want to put up with the smell, a simple household item can help.

"Bicarbonate of soda is one of the most effective natural cleaners you can use at home, and one of its best uses outside of cooking is to remove odours.

"The chemicals inside the bicarb are alkaline, and when they come into contact with acidic odours, they react to neutralise the smell. If you do find that your dehumidifier does smell over the next few months, then all you need to do is add two tablespoons of bicarb to the water in your machine around half an hour before you empty it."

First, check to see if your unit is safe to add bicarbonate of soda to, which you can find for as little as £1.40 to £2 from various retailers. You can do this by checking the manufacturer's handbook. Next, add your two tablespoons of bicarb to the tank of water while the unit is off and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.

Once the 30 minutes are up, you can gently scrub the inside of the dehumidifier with a soft brush.

Finally, rinse thoroughly multiple times to make sure no residual bicarb is left.

Louise adds: "This is a low-chemical, affordable option for removing musky odours from your dehumidifier, and it works great. However, it isn't a full disinfection routine, so you should still stick to the manufacturer's guidelines when it comes to cleaning your unit."