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Getting rid of mould inside your home is one of the biggest lifestyle challenges.
The fungus form occurs due to a build up of condensation and can grow on walls and windows, often generating behind your furniture or in the corners of certain rooms.
If it’s not treated or cleaned – or indeed the damp and humid conditions you live in are not changed – the mould will only get worse.
But there’s one alteration you could make to your living arrangement that might help the issue – and it’s free.
The hack, derived in Germany, is completely free – and only lasts for five minutes. It’s called “stoffluften”, which is translated as “shock ventilation” – the act of opening the windows in your house for five to 10 minutes everyday in the winter.
The ventilation will improve the airflow, meaning it will lower the build up of mould.
In the summer, you should open your windows for no less than 30 minutes and in spring and autumn, 15 minutes. For better results, you should open windows on opposite sides of your house.
An expert from MyHammer said of “stoffluften”: Airing your house regularly not only helps prevent condensation, and therefore mould, but is also reported to bring many health benefits.
“Millions of households in Germany use this method – it’s free, beneficial to your home and health – so why not give it a try?”
Experts state that the optimum time to open the windows is after cooking or bathing and showering due to the warm air that can occur after each activity. This humidity carries moisture onto surfaces that will then turn into mould – which you should clean off whenever you discover it.
Edward Jonkler from Remora Cleaning previously told The Independent that those with mould should invest in a dehumidifier, which should be used every day to collect accumulation of water in rooms including your bedroom or kitchen.
Also, in the colder months when using the radiator, it’s advised that you should keep your heating on a low temperature.
From October, landlords will have to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould within a set period of time and repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours.
The legislation, Awaab’s law, is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died as a direct result of exposure to mould in the social home his family rented in Rochdale in 2020.
It will be strengthened over time and, from 2027, it will require landlords to fix all dangerous hazards.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “We have a moral duty to ensure tragedies like the death of Awaab Ishak never happen again.
“Landlords cannot be allowed to rent out dangerous homes and shamelessly put the lives of their tenants at risk.
“Our new laws will force them to fix problems quickly, so that people are safe in their homes and can be proud to live in social housing.”
