Households across the UK are being urged to put bowls of salt behind their curtain this winter to prevent condensation.

The common ingredient is not only useful in the kitchen as it can also serve another important function around your home during the colder months, which can help fend off expensive problems like damp and mould. The UK experienced its first taste of winter last week when plummeting as low as -11C, with multiple snow and ice warnings in force across the country. While the weather has been milder this week, the Met Office said conditions will remain on the chilly side and as December approaches, more wintry conditions are expected.

The cold weather not only means having to wrap up warm, it means having to fend off wintry problems in the home too, including condensation.

Condensation is caused when warm air inside your home meets the cold surface of windows, forming water droplets on the glass as it cools, which can appear as fog or mist. If left unchecked it can soon lead to problems like black mould and mildew around your windows, or on your walls, which can be both damaging to your health and expensive to fix.

But according to experts, there is a cheap way to tackle the issue and all you need is a bowl of table salt. If you don’t have a fancy humidifier then you can make use of salt around your home to help absorb excess moisture in the air during the cold winter months.

Salt has excellent moisture-absorbing properties and can effectively soak up water vapour from the air, which in turn helps to prevent condensation from developing.

If placed strategically around your home it can be used to soak up water vapour from the air, keeping your windows free of condensation as a result.

Experts recommend placing a bowl of salt behind your curtains, as well as on and inside wardrobes, to help dry the air and reduce dampness in your home.

You can pick up a bottle of table salt for just 65p at Sainsbury’s Morrisons or Aldi, so it’s a very cheap and natural way to tackle condensation during the colder months.

DIY expert Glen Peskett from Saxton Blades said: “A 65p bag of salt can act as a natural dehumidifier. Salt pulls moisture out of the air.

“Leaving a small bowl on windowsills, especially overnight, can noticeably cut down condensation and stop mould before it starts.

“Fill a small ramekin, jar or dish with any cheap table or rock salt and place it:

  • on windowsills
  • behind curtains
  • inside wardrobes or cupboards prone to damp

“The salt absorbs moisture from the air and will gradually clump together as it becomes saturated, a sign that it’s working. It can be replaced cheaply whenever needed.”