The 10-minute rule to clear homes of all damp - and Germans love it

The 10-minute rule to clear homes of all damp - and Germans love it One resident added 'This was a HUGE help when I was renting a flat with a major damp problem' Experts have said that people can use the ‘German 10-minute rule’ to banish dampness from their house this autumn and winter. At this time of year, people are plagued with damp and condensation. It can get worse when you’re cooking or having showers. And there is also the issue of how to get your clothes dry - with many people draping them over radiators. But according to consumer champions Which? there is a method which can do the trick - but it does require ‘gloves and a warm jacket’. It's throwing your windows wide open for 10 minutes a day - in two five-minute bursts! Which? said in a post on Instagram: “Have you got a damp house? Well, this is what the Germans would do about it, and it’s basically free. Some ways of conquering damp can be expensive or require a fair bit of DIY. The Germans have a great habit that anyone can get into. “Literally shock ventilation. Wrap up warm. Run around the house and open all your windows wide for 5 minutes twice a day. Yes, even in the freezing cold. The warm, damp air in your home will quickly get replaced with cold, dry air. When you’re sealed back up again, the temperature should quickly get back to comfortable. But now, the Moisture in the air is banished and won’t be condensing in damp patches on your walls and windows.” Followers said they’d tried it with success. One said: “This was a HUGE help when I was renting a flat with a major damp problem. Highly recommend…just be ready with gloves and a warm jacket.” Ensure our latest property headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings Another added: ”Apart from the cost to re-heat the air its free. Still worth doing though as your house smells great.” On the heating issue one replied: ”The heat the air carries is quite low because it is not very dense. The new cold air is heated up very quickly by the solid objects in the home which retained nearly all their heat during the brief period the windows were open. You can try it and see.” One added: “Walls, floors and furniture retain all the heat, so the air will become warm quickly and not much energy is wasted. That’s why it has to be a quick ventilation shock.” Some wondered what would happen if the air was damp outside but a follower explained: “This was common in the UK (and probably many other countries too) - when I lived on a boat I’d do the same! For those thinking the outside air is damp in the UK it’s relative humidity - cold air holds much less water so its humidity level can be high but contain less water than warm air with low humidity.”