Korean Job Discussion Forums

Caesar1313 · Joined: 03 Apr 2008

My apartment has one big window. I usually always leave it open when I go out for air to get in and circulate. The problem is when it's cold, I'm constantly heating my apartment, then letting the heat out then reheating it etc. Last year I stopped opening the windows when I went out and ended up getting mold. My landlord had to pay some guys to come in and remove a bunch of mold. I don't want that to happen again, but boiling water and taking a shower obviously adds a lot of humidity to the air. Does anyone have a similar problem? Are dehumidifiers expensive? My air con has a an option with a rain drop, I think that might be humidity, does anyone know about that?

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

get a dehumidifier .I got one last winter. You can get a decent sized one for around 150-170K.

Quack Addict · Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Location: Seoul

tardisrider · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

Leave the window cracked while you take a shower or boil water?

I find that the ondol makes the apartment very dry anyway, so having a bit of humidity added to the room can be a good thing. Of course, if you're getting mold, then it's too much humidity--but the slightly opened window might help you find a happy medium between too much and too little.

Sector7G · Joined: 24 May 2008

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

I wonder where you are living to get that much humidity. I lived in Kyoto for 3.5 years and that is a really humid city. However, in winter it always got dry. In Korea, the same thing and it was dry well before winter.

You must be treating your apartment like a sauna if you are getting humidity. Warm your apartment before you shower. You won't need to turn the shower on so hot then.

After you shower and get dressed, open the windows and close them before you leave.

The reason why you are getting so much mold is that your apartment is dirty, giving mold a place a grow. By leaving the windows open when you leave, you are allowing more dirt to enter your apartment. Then your apartment warms up when you get home, and it's like an incubator.

Also, make sure you have a curtain or something to cover your window. The sunlight is actually not going to help your situation.

nathanrutledge · Joined: 01 May 2008 Location: Marakesh

Yeah, my place is really dry and I take showers with no water, just steam shooting straight from hell itself. How does your place get so wet?!?

Personally, I keep the window in my bathroom open during the day. Definitely a cold incentive to not take hour long deuces... BUT, it's nice and dry after about an hour from my last shower. My kitchen is in a separate, sliding door room with the laundry stuff, so I keep that window open to dry the laundry.

I guess it really depends on the layout of your apartment. The biggest thing I can think of is don't leave your bathroom door open and run your exhaust fans to remove the steam from cooking and showering. You really shouldn't NEED a dehumidifier, but I did have one in my old place. Made drying laundry a whole lot faster. If you get one, spring for the bigger model. It's a waste of time to get a small model that takes forever.

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

Some places are not good at getting rid of humidity. My place regularly runs around 70% or higher. The only way I can get it down is if I open the big window in the exterior laundry hallway and open the big window in the living room and even then it still will only go down to about 45% or so if I'm lucky.

I don't overheat.

In the winter the exterior walls can get moisture on them very easily as they're not insulated well. It's not even the humidity so much as it's that. They're cold on the outside warm on the inside. Moisture builds up quickly.

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

I usually jsut crack my window. Just enough so I know the air will move, and I won't be losing much heat.

nobbyken · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Location: Yongin ^^

Leave spaces between stuff for air to circulate and don't close any inside doors.

alwaysbeclosing100 · Joined: 07 Feb 2009

my 17000 won electric ceramic space heater will do it in 1-2 hours

Scamps · Joined: 01 Feb 2008

I'm from New Orleans, one of most humid cities in America and never had a problem with mold. I've been in Korea for almost 5 years now and my current apartment is very new and large but I think it's not well insulated. I leave the heat at 18 C during the day but crank it up to 26 at night. I got a bad case of mold going down a corner of my bedroom wall. It doesn't even feel humid in there. I used some oxyclean and it made a difference but then it grew back quickly. I told my landlord and all they could say was use bleach and open the window often. How did you guys get rid of it? I have a humidifier. It only spits out cold steam. Would it help? I will buy some bleach today but it seems like a job for professionals.

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

Scamps · Joined: 01 Feb 2008

Thanks, but how about bleach and opening the windows? Will that put a stop to it? Do I need professional help?

nobbyken · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Location: Yongin ^^

Wipe the area with vinegar and let it air for a few hours.
I've used that method a few times over the years with good results.
A damp cloth to remove the main stuff, then a cloth dampened with vinegar.
Wipe until the vinegar has totally soaked into the area. If it's a paintable surface, you may want to give it a lick of paint when dry, but isn't neccessary if the colouring hasn't been affected too much or the area looks like it will sprout more growth.