Expert shares why people should keep a bowl of salt by their window sill during winter

Sometimes a simple household hack can make a big difference, saving time, money, and even preventing expensive repairs. As winter approaches, one expert is advising people to place a bowl of salt on their window sills—and there's a good reason for it, according to The Mirror. This easy trick can help avoid unnecessary repairs as the weather turns colder and wetter.

As condensation is one of the most common problems during the winter months, the bowl of salt can prove to be a very useful hack to combat it. In turn, it prevents mold from forming and causing health problems. The home and garden experts at Posh.co.uk told the outlet that the salt helps absorb moisture and makes the room drier, thus preventing mold or any other such problems. Condensation happens when the air outside comes in contact with the glass, when the air indoors has less moisture, the chances of condensation on the glass reduce as well. Andy Ellis, a home and garden expert from Posh.co.uk, shared, "A constant build-up of condensation in the home isn’t great and in some cases, it can cause mold growth, which can be dangerous for your family."

"Salt has the ability to naturally absorb moisture from the air and essentially dries it out so that when it does come in contact with the glass, there are fewer droplets of condensation that will form," Ellis further added. "It’s a really easy trick that requires no effort at all. Simply fill a shallow bowl or a small jar with some salt - this can be table salt or rock salt." He continued, "The amount you use will vary depending on the size of the window you’re placing it next to. Of course, generally speaking, the larger the window, the more salt you’ll need, though usually one small bowl should be fine."

"The same bowl of salt should last you a couple of days. You’ll know when it’s time to replace it because the salt will appear damp and will begin to clump together," the expert suggested. Through the Star UK, Nazia Safa found out that putting a bowl of salt overnight really does the trick. She had first tried to use washing-up liquid to control the condensation, but the water from the product ended up on her window sill. Also, another benefit of using salt is that it comes in cheap at the market, as per Safa. "I think the salt absorbs the moisture. You just put a little bit of salt in a bowl and leave it overnight," the 30-year-old said.

"You can see that the salt has moisture in it the next day. It’s very simple. Condensation is a common problem in lots of homes," the woman highlighted. "Being a busy mum, you want to try and avoid spending lots of time cleaning. I try to focus on preventive measures to avoid it." Another useful trick, according to her, is to open the windows for a couple of hours and wipe down the sills to stop condensation and mold.