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How to Prevent Molds

April 7, 2013

“Dehumidifiers changed my life” is exactly what my best friend, Jenn, told me after I recommended them to her. No more moldy/peeling bags and shoes and no more moldy closets! It’s definitely something we need in places like Manila and Jakarta, where humidity is high. You especially need this if you live beside a canal in Jakarta. More info after the jump!

BERLIN UPDATE: I brought about 20 pcs of these to Berlin and they are also useful here because during cold weather condensation forms between my 2 window and I use this to stop this from happening so that I don’t need to repair condensation caused damage. I also want to avoid having molds in the bathrooms where hot moist air meets cold air so I have dehumidifiers in there too. They are also inside our closets.

Bagus Serapair heavy duty dehumidifier

 

The brand I use in Jakarta is Bagus Serapair Heavy Duty Dehumidifier in Bamboo Charcoal. There are other colors, but this one has no fragrance. I dislike the popular pink colored ones, because the floral scent is so strong and I try not to have any artificial scents in my home. These tubs are quite cheap, about IDR 8,500 – 10.000 per piece in ACE Hardware of GrandLucky Superstore.

In Manila, there are many different brands available. Usually I buy them in bulk in True Value or Ace Hardware.

I usually buy a lot because each closet and cabinet in my home has one. I also make sure to put inside each toilet cabinet.  This prevents…

  • molds from growing in bags/shoes/closets
  • peeling bags and shoes (while stored inside closets that have no ventilation)
  • damp clothes (Jakarta is very humid)
  • cracking of my wooden furniture

I replace them regularly. Once the water has reached the maximum level, it’s time to refill or replace. They have refills in the floral scent, though I really wish they had it in the charcoal variant.
Bagus Serapair heavy duty dehumidifier-001

HOW TO USE:
Bagus Serapair heavy duty dehumidifier-002 Bagus Serapair heavy duty dehumidifier-003 Bagus Serapair heavy duty dehumidifier-004

Place inside closets, cabinets, boxes and other containers in your home, to prevent dampness, molds, etc.! Personally I prefer these to dehumidifying machines, because it doesn’t consume electricity and so far it’s been very effective.

I remember before, I always had problems with peeling shoes and bags or having molds inside them – especially when they don’t get used often. Now I don’t experience this anymore

Related Reads:

  • How I Store My Bags

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9 Comments · Diplo Tips, jakarta good to know

Comments

  1. Duckses says

    April 7, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    They are great – used them a lot at my old place with mold problems. But I hope you never have to clean up a dehumidifier spill behind a closet. The liquid is awful a be sticky and it never dries! How do you dispose of your dehumidifier liquid?

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      April 7, 2013 at 2:06 PM

      OMG I hear you about dehumidify liquid… they are practically impossible to clean! We flush it down the toilet… how do you dispose?

      Reply
      • ice pajarillaga says

        August 31, 2013 at 11:48 PM

        whats the most effective brand that can be found in manila? thanks. Your article is a life saver! lol, i just move to new place and my cabinet and my room always feels damp 🙁

        Reply
        • diplomaticwife says

          September 2, 2013 at 7:34 PM

          Hi Ice, I don’t really know the best brand in Manila, but I would just go to True Value Hardware and buy whatever they were selling there in the biggest tubs possible – usually I buy in bulk. The bigger the tubs, the less often you have to change. Also look for the ones with refill, so you don’t need to spend as much on new tubs. Just buy cheaper refills. They also have the same thing in Ace. I don’t really care about the brand, the cheaper and bigger the tub the better! I’m glad you found this post helpful! Lemme know how it goes!

          Reply
  2. MH says

    May 10, 2014 at 3:49 PM

    My dehumidifier spilled. Is there really no way to clean it up? It’s on some of my soft toys from childhood… 🙁

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      May 12, 2014 at 11:50 AM

      I am sorry to hear that MH. If it spilled on something that is washable, then I recommend you to try washing them. I hope it works!

      Reply
      • MH says

        May 12, 2014 at 4:04 PM

        Thanks very much. I will try. Someone also told me to use turpentine, thinner etc solvent. For your info. 🙂 thanks anyway

        Reply
  3. Sophie Tellier says

    May 11, 2016 at 9:48 PM

    excellent tips, thanksè

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      August 19, 2016 at 9:13 AM

      You’re welcome Sophie!

      Reply

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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One of the things people love about the Philippine One of the things people love about the Philippines is the warmth & heartfelt friendships of the Filipino people.

And was reminded about that when @pattylaurel & her wonderful family took the time to meet up with us on their last day in Geneva.

Though we’ve only seen each other in person once before… lifetimes ago when I was handling marketing for @beautybarph and she was our gracious model for Dashing Diva, hanging out with them felts so warm & natural. 

Even @diplobaby was so happy to have such quick friends and playmates.

Thank you Patty for letting me use your photos. You & @patrickfilart take such amazing ones! Perfect combo of influencer & IG husband 🤪🤪🤪

And thank you for bringing the warmth of the Philippines 🇵🇭 & the Filipino people with you. ✨🤍✨ sobrang saya!

We had such a beautiful day together… the kids (and us) didn’t want it to end so we went from playground/dinner to a walk about in our neighborhood Château & even to the house! 😂

Thank you for the epic day Patty, Patrick, Theo & Astrid. Till we meet again! More adventures in Switzerland I hope!

#udwingeneva #pattylaurel #diplofriends #diplobaby #diplofamily
TOOL FREE BIDET INSTALL One of the things we miss TOOL FREE BIDET INSTALL

One of the things we miss about living in the Philippines & Indonesia is having a bidet in our bathrooms.

Here we have a MUJI TABO & TOTO PORTABLE BIDETS (dm for link if you want), but nothing beats the water pressure & convenience of a handheld bidet that’s connected to your plumbing IMO.

When I was in @jumbo.schweiz recently I saw a bidet that can be installed with the sink.

It only works if your sink is near your toilet so sadly it won’t work on our master’s bathroom.

I wasn’t sure our faucet was the correct size but I took a risk for CHF20.

Today I finally had the time to install it. I was # #mariomama again LOL!

The only time you might need a tool (pliers) is if you can’t loosen the AERATOR to remove it from your faucet.

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As a renter, I want to avoid making holes in the walls whenever I can. Even if I weren’t a renter I don’t recommend putting holes on tiles coz they might crack.

So I used the strongest @tesa_de  double sided tape on the bidet holder. You can see how I did it step by step on the video. Be sure to use Teflon scissors so they don’t get damaged by the adhesive. Clear monster tape will also work well for this.

*** Amazon affiliate links on my bio under BIDET HACKS ****

WHY CANT YOU INSTALL IT IN YOUR TOILET

The toilets here are all built in. There are no exposed tubes to connect bidets to like in Asia. 

That’s why this hack is a God send! No plumbing experience or tools needed! YAY!

WHERE TO BUY

https://undiplomaticwife.com/bidet-install-hack/

Feel free to dm me if you have any questions!

#DiploHome #diplohomegeneva #diy #bidet #bidetlife #expatlife #expatliving #genevaexpats #genevaexpat #genevaexpatwomen #expatinswitzerland
HUMIDIFIER HACK Did you know that each home shoul HUMIDIFIER HACK

Did you know that each home should have humidifiers whether it’s in winter or summer?

Yes! It should be in
- closets
- caves
- storage lockers
- basements
- attics
- bathrooms
- any other area that doesn’t have through air or air conditioner 

To prevent molds from damaging your property!

Here’s the hack: Don’t throw the container because you can buy refills. 

DM me on where to buy wherever you are!

#diplohome #homehacks
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The concern going to Rovaniemi is that it’s too cold 🥶 I’ve heard of people going in winter & didn’t enjoy it coz they felt like frozen popsicles. You have 2 options:

1. Go in SPRING like us so prices are lower, no long lines/crowds & no need for super thick snow suits, but low chance of seeing Aurora Borealis & some places might be closed/melted. 

3. A friend who lived in Scandinavia told us for Aurora Borealis, the best time is SEPTEMBER coz it’s not too cold yet. Though some resorts might only be opening in OCTOBER like @glass_resort.

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 ❄️ bring waterproof shoes/boots so you don’t get sick if melted snow gets in. 

❄️ If you will touch snow/have snowball fights, waterproof gloves are a must

❄️ Ask hotel if sleds are free to borrow

❄️ Bring SPF coz snow reflects sun

❄️ As you can see in the reel on our first day it was winter wonderland. The day after things started melting. On our last day things were starting to puddle. After I imagine rivers!

❄️ there was this gigantic snowman & I was too tired to take a pic. It disappeared the next day to my disappointment.

❄️ The SNOWMAN WORLD was already closed when we arrived. It would have been so cool to see the ice resto/bar, slides & disco!

❄️ We found out that the day we were leaving was also the last full day of our hotel. So though Santa Claus Office is open 365 days a year, check with the hotels to see which ones are open.

☀️ Summer activities are different. For example the huskies pull sleds with wheels.

🌈 BONUS TIP: If you pick a resort inside @santaclausvillage_rovaniemi, 3 days is enough. Because of the perfect location of @glass_resort we were able to make SO many wonderful memories in such a short time.

#udwinsantaclausvillage
PARTIES & PLUMBING #diplolife + OUR FIRST TIME TO PARTIES & PLUMBING #diplolife

+ OUR FIRST TIME TO HOST AMBASSADORS IN OUR SWISS #DIPLOHOME
(Except for my FIL of course)

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We had pork adobo with mango, tomato & cilantro salad. And our fave spaghetti bolognese. I bought small cakes from our favorite boulangerie in the little French town next door. 

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This is #diplolife guys… PARTIES AND PLUMBING! LOL!!!

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