Clocks go back this weekend. Your commute to and from work will be darker.

You should also look out for health risks and ways to tackle them at home.

A ‘silent killer’ can harm your health and enter your home.

What is this silent killer?

You asked, and I’m happy to answer.

Mold is a fuzzy, unwanted decoration that can creep into your home at a particular time of year and start affecting things.

Mold can cause respiratory illnesses and allergies and make life harder for people with asthma.

It can kill you, but more likely just make your life unpleasant.

To prevent this ‘silent killer’ from spreading, you need to prevent your home from becoming damp. This means getting rid of condensation.

Why does condensation happen?

Condensation happens when the air on one side of a window is colder than the other.

It’s autumn, so you’d hope that’s the case inside your home. It’s time to think about turning on the heating.

Warm air hits a cold surface and cools down, releasing moisture that turns into droplets.

This liquid can run down and dampen things when mold grows.

Why use salt to stop condensation?

People used to think that salt could keep evil spirits away.

It’s not the same as using salt to stop mold, but it’s close.

Salt absorbs moisture from the air, so there is less room for moisture to collect on windows and cause dampness and mold.

One of their experts said: “It’s easy and requires no effort. Fill a small bowl or jar with salt. You can use table salt or rock salt.

The bigger the window, the bigger the bowl of salt you need, but it’s still tiny.

You’ll need to replace the salt after it has absorbed enough moisture. You’ll know when this is required when the salt gets clumpy.

Change the salt when it gets damp. 

How can I get rid of condensation?

Experts from Household Quotes have some other advice.

Joshua suggested opening your windows for a couple of hours a day to let the air in.

Keeping your home warm enough can prevent condensation from forming. Open your windows in the morning and then turn on the heating.

He also suggested using a dehumidifier and avoiding drying clothes indoors or boiling water without lids on pots.

If you have a bathroom extractor fan, use it for half an hour after showering. This is probably the dampest room in your house.