Condensation/Dampness

The white powder we use at our holiday home in the Ribble Valley UK is very effective.  It is called salt.  I put bowls of it all over the place, lounge bedrooms etc.

It is also cheap enough to use once & throw away.  In Lancashire we use it to grit the footpath after it has done it's work on the damp but not much call for that in Spain.

Yes, salt is very good.  However, if you go to a local ferret shop (ironmonger, ferreteria) in Spain and tell them you have humedad/molde (damp/mould) they will give you a crystalline type powder which is excellent for keeping the humidity out.  It comes loose and we put it tupperware containers.

Also, when you leave your home, make sure the furniture is away from the walls as this allows the air to circulate around and keeps the mould away. We find we get a more musty smell in the house when we are away during the summer rather than in the winter.  The crystals from the ferreteria work like magic and soaks up all the moisture, it is also (believe it not as we live in South Costa Blanca near the huge salt lakes) cheaper than salt.

We also put clothes in plastic hanging bags one year and, when we came back three months later, they had green mould growing on them so we won't do that again in a hurry.

Hi, thanks for the replies everyone.

Can I just ask, are we talking about normal household salt here?

I will also check the ironmongers (if I can find one that is!) re. the other substance.

I'm assuming the salt will do the job for at least a couple of months if an open tub is left in each room??

Thanks

Sharon

The white powder sounds like silica gel. This is the substance found in the little packets packed in various things. Silica gel will not get soggy like salt will so might be worth locating as it lasts longer.

I don't know if this will work on a large scale or not but I always put some grains of rice in the salt to absorb the moisture and stop the salt becoming damp. Works a treat on a small scale, gotta be worth trying. Good luck.

Hi,

Thanks again everyone, I just thought about silica gel packets and wonder if that's what the ironmongers are selling?

Anyway I've since been told by the good people on our own thread that there is an ironmongers on the square next to where we have purchased our flat, so think I'll try there first, although our flat isn't ready until end January 2008!!

I'm just trying to sort out little details that I can think of before we actually holiday there!!!

Would never have thought of all these mad questions that everyone asks if it wasn't for this website, it's been the greatest dicovery made and a great help even before we purchased anything for information etc. so a big thank you again to all the Eye on Spain team and of course to everyone who is so helpful and friendly all the time!!

Sharon

It is good and forgive my ignorance on matters such as this but where can i get one from?

regards

Hi JC1

Here's the link to where I got mine from, they have brilliant ones on there!

http://avatars.jurko.net/

By the way, I sent your tax guide last night, did you get it yet?

Regards

P.S. Just noticed that it's your birthday today Justin - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Have been reading this site for a while - it's quite compulsive now! Congratulations!