When you can, always try to limit the amount of condensation produced in your home. Try to dry clothes outside rather than on radiators on sunny days and, if you don't have an extractor fan, open windows when cooking, washing up or showering. Find out more about how to improve your indoor air quality at home. 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. However, if you're looking for a dehumidifier for use in a cold climate, the EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 Dehumidifier's 1ºc operating temperature is hard to beat. 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.' Traditional windows were used to provide effective ventilation which was essential when most homes were heated by fossil fuels.

We judge how comfortable each window vac is to hold and empty. We also do this wearing Cambridge Simulation Gloves – a piece of kit that helps replicate the experience of users who suffer with limited hand movement. Suction power is excellent and you get oodles of extras in the box, including a smaller head and microfibre attachment. However, what pushes the Bosch behind the Karcher and Vileda in our list is its failure, reported by some users, to clean quite as well to the very edges of your windows.

How can condensation damage windows?

A refrigerant dehumidifier works by drawing air through a filter and over cold coils. Water condenses on the coils and drips into a water tank. This type of dehumidifier needs the air to be warm to work, so it’s best suited for use in heated rooms. 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. The more moisture there is in the air the more likely it is that you will get condensation', explains Chris Michael, Managing Director, Meaco. 'Moisture in the air comes from drying clothes in the house, boiling vegetables, putting the kettle on, bathing, showering, open flame gas style heating, damp clothing, breathing and the damp British weather.'

We spoke to EnviroVent, a Which? Trusted Trader that specialises in whole house ventilation systems and extractor fans for bathrooms and kitchens. EnviroVent recommend a system called Positive Input Ventilation. It draws fresh air from outside a building in and then distributes it into all rooms through a centralised system that is usually mounted in the loft. For information about improving your insulation, see our expert guides on loft insulation costs and savings and cavity wall insulation costs and savings. Try to avoid cold spots – if there’s a gap between your wall insulation and your loft insulation, for example, try to get this fixed as it will attract condensation and possibly mould.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. Your bathrooms and kitchen are responsible for most of the moisture in your home. If you don't have an extractor fan in your bathroom, you should consider having one installed and making use of it each time you shower or bathe. Research conducted by Rentokil found that roughly 5.8million British renters have experienced damp or condensation issues at some point in their tenancy. Consider adding more ventilation – this could be a new external vent in a problem corner, a new extractor fan, or even a whole house ventilation system if you need it.

Bay windows were designed to have two casement windows on either side to allow superior draw and ventilation. Condensation is caused when humid air meets cold surfaces like walls and windows. As the temperature goes down, the amount of moisture that the air can hold falls and the tiny drops of water form on the surface. None of that would matter if the Karcher didn’t clean windows brilliantly – and that’s where it really excels. Suction is strong and efficient right across the nozzle, so you can clean and dry into the silicone seal around your windows. The finish is about as streak-free as a window vac can achieve, although you may want to give your glass a final buff with a dry kitchen towel. There are also granules and moisture traps that can help you soak up moisture in harder to reach areas and that actively trap and absorb all of the moisture in the air. A good moisture absorber in cars or a dehumidifier bag for cars will ensure that you minimise the risk of condensation in the future. 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.

It's fair to say that most dehumidifiers aren't the most stylish of appliances, which is why the De'Longhi Tascuigo AriaDry Multi Dehumidifier is something of a breath of fresh air amidst the usual boxy white plastic designs. Whilst Kenwood positive pressure systems for houses operate on the same principle as the flats unit detailed above, these have the added advantage of concealing the control unit within the loft space, operating via a discreet grill installed in the ceiling, normally on the landing. How Can We Help With Condensation Control? Get the air circulating in the home – open windows and use fans to blow fresh air through and stale air out The unit extracts the humid air from inside the house and draws in ‘dry’ air from the outside. This exchange of air helps to maintain the humidity balance.

Cleaning extras: Many window vacs come with cleaning bottles, microfibre pads and even their own branded cleaning spray. While useful, these extras are unlikely to perform any better than the stuff you already have in your cleaning cupboard. The only real downside is the premium you pay for that design-led exterior, with the MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier & Air Purifier offering better value in terms of extraction and tank capacity for the price.

For more serious condensation problems, there are bigger systems available that claim to improve ventilation. As cleaning expert, Matthew Harrison from Price Your Job explains, if you house suffers from more serious damp issues, then 'to prevent future mould problems, you should consider draught-proofingand other jobs which will prevent moisture from entering your home in the first place'. Do dehumidifiers help to dry clothes? The air around us contains lots of microscopic droplets of water that we can’t see. When it’s more humid, the water content becomes more concentrated and more likely to ‘condense’ on surfaces.