The £8 item you’d find in an unusual aisle for tackling condensation & mould in your home – you can use it again & again
AN £8 item found down an unusual aisle could help tackle condensation and mould in your home.
The nifty cold-weather essential can also be used again and again making it a bargain investment.
The Simply Reusable Car Dehumidifier, from Halfords, is a portable and rechargeable dehumidifier to help absorb any moisture in your home.
It's designed to be used in a car to clear up windscreens on cold mornings but can be used anywhere.
Dehumidifiers can be the answer to a whole range of problems, such as damp, condensation, mould and mildew.
These issues can crop up in particular when the weather is colder and there's excess moisture in the air.
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Leaving clothes to dry on radiators, cooking without ventilation and failing to open windows can all create excess moisture in the air.
It means that pesky mould and condensation builds up.
The main signs are a musty smell, pools of water around windows, black spots on the walls or discoloured patches coming through the paintwork.
And if you spot any of these signs it's really important to take action, as not only can it damage the fabric of your home, it's not good for your health either.
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One of the best ways to protect your home is to invest in a dehumidifier that will keep your home moisture-free.
Usually, these items are electric and plug into the wall, they can be pretty big too.
They also tend to cost around 4p an hour to run, but that's still 4p more than Halfords' gadget.
It works to continuously absorb excess moisture from the air and you simply recharge it in the microwave.
It doesn’t take up much space as it only measures at 200mm tall by 115mm wide and 35mm deep.
You'd typically find the pouch-like gadget down a motoring aisle or in an auto retailer like Halfords.
The description on the Halfords website says: "Our portable reusable dehumidifier is ideal to use all year round in cars, caravans or motorhomes, continuously absorbing excess moisture from the air.
"You can even use it indoors at home or at work close to a window you want to demist."
So it could be a great addition to your windowsill, especially if your house is prone to condensation or mould.
If you're trying to save some cash using a heated airer or a regular clothes horse, it can also help speed up your drying time too.
That's because it sucks the moisture out of the air, helping dry your clothes faster.
It's filled with approximately 350g of activated Silica Gel that can absorb up to 40% of its weight in moisture, according to Halfords.
A heat-sensitive indicator will change from pink (hot) to blue (cold) to indicate when it needs to be recharged back in a microwave.
It's microwaveable at 600W or less but make sure you don't put it on for any longer than six minutes.
Shoppers can pick it up in Halfords for just £7.99.
You can find your nearest branch by using the handy store locator tool on the chain's website.
If you don't fancy leaving the house, you can also have it delivered to your home but do bear in mind delivery costs.
There are other portable dehumidifiers you could try too, it's always important to compare prices.
We tested five different mini dehumifiers including plug-in models and similar ones to Halfords.
The winner costs £10.99 from Robert Dyas but it only lasts three months so you will need to buy refill tablets.
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Meanwhile, we also tried a heated airer and a dehumidifier for drying clothes without heating.
Plus, we've tried five popular tricks to get rid of condensation and mould.
You can also join our new Sun Money to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.