Almost every night at this time of the year, my single-glazed windows invite the warm-air molecules to stay awhile as the temperature outside begins to plummet. In short, this leads to condensation.
With wooden windows (particularly those of which are neglected from regular maintenance), condensation can lead to a case of wet rot as this water runs down the glass and is absorbed by the horizontal surfaces. Regular maintenance (painting, putty, etc.) can prevent this but it won’t stop the condensation from forming.
Some time ago, I did a quick Google search on ‘how to stop condensation’ (or something to that effect) and apart from buying (and running) a dehumidifier, one comment I found suggested the use of Fairy liquid. It probably doesn’t have to be a particular brand; I imagine any washing up liquid soap should do.
What I did last Sunday, to test the theory, was to apply a neat (no water) solution of soap to each window pane, during the daytime and after having removed any existing moisture with another cloth or paper towel. I then worked a few drops of the soap until each surface of the glass was covered. It didn’t look pretty and gave my windows a blurry/1970s-action-film hue; but, I woke up the next morning to find no traces of water whatsoever!
It appears to work and I just wanted to share that with you. Looking at my windows right now, I can see a small range of water droplets beginning to form (still less than I’d become used to) so, it looks as though I’ll have to carry out this routine once a week until the summer comes.
If it’s no longer settling on the glass though, I do wonder where else this moisture might now be headed?
Thanks for reading and I hope this helps.
PS.
On a window-related note, I arrived home last Friday afternoon, wanting to allow more of the precious sunlight in to my home. So, I pulled on the cord to raise the blinds and, just as they locked in to the top position, I heard a snap, the tension was released and a shard of the plastic extrusion fixed to the ceiling came away in a flash!
I doubt this is repairable and I’m currently unable to lower my blinds. These were at least given to me for free so I could possibly find another set for similar value. If not, is there another option I should consider?
