What to do if…
your windows are fogging up and indoor dampness and mould are appearing

What to do now

1. Make the wettest room less wet first.
   Open a window briefly if it is safe, use trickle vents if you have them, and shut the door to stop moist air spreading through the home. Keep the room gently warm if you can do that safely.

2. Stop the moisture spike at the source.
   Turn on bathroom and kitchen extractor fans. After showers or cooking, keep the fan running for a while if it works. Cover pans when cooking. If laundry is drying indoors, keep it in one room with the door shut, ventilate that room, and use a dehumidifier if you have one.

3. Remove standing condensation.
   Wipe water from windows, sills, frames, tiles, and any wet hard surfaces. Wring cloths into a sink, then dry the cloths away from the damp room if possible.

4. Check quickly for a leak or overflow.
   Look under sinks, around the toilet and cistern, behind or under the washing machine, around radiators and valves, and below any new ceiling stain. If you find a drip you can safely reach, put a bowl underneath and towels around it. If you know the correct isolating valve and can use it safely, turn it off.

5. Keep away from electrical risk.
   If water is near sockets, light fittings, appliances, or a fuse box, keep people away from that area. Use your landlord’s emergency repair route, an emergency plumber, or an electrician as appropriate.

6. If the mould is only a small new patch on a hard surface, clean cautiously.
   Ventilate first, keep the door shut, wear gloves and a mask if you have one, and wet-wipe rather than dry-brush. Use household detergent or soapy water on hard surfaces, then dry the area fully. Stop and get help if the patch is large, keeps returning, is on soft furnishings or porous material, or anyone feels wheezy or unwell.

7. If you rent, report it in writing and keep simple evidence.
   Take clear photos of fogged windows, wet patches, mould spots, broken fans, blocked vents, and suspected leak points. Send them to your landlord or agent and ask for the cause to be checked, not just the surface mould removed.

8. If you are in social housing in England, mention urgent damp and mould risk.
   Awaab’s Law applies to the social rented sector in England. Damp and mould that may present a significant risk of harm should be investigated and made safe within fixed legal timeframes, so use your landlord’s repairs route and ask for an inspection.

9. Escalate earlier if someone is more vulnerable.
   If there is a baby, child, older person, pregnancy, asthma, COPD, immune problems, or worsening breathing, skin, or eye symptoms, treat the damp and mould as time-sensitive. Seek medical advice through a GP or NHS 111 where available; use emergency help for severe breathing symptoms.