For the last 3 months, it has been an on-again, off-again battle between the walls in my bedroom and mold. The inconsistent weather has also been no help – one day it was sweltering hot then the next day it was cool which makes it a breeding ground for mold.

What has helped is if I keep my room cool no matter what. Of course, when it’s already cold outside, the last thing I want to be is cold in my room but it does help to keep the mold from spreading. I have been using two options to keep my bedroom cool by day and night: the air conditioner and an oscillating fan.

Air Conditioner by Day

I can’t keep my air conditioner on overnight – it gives me a headache and it just makes me too cold so I’ll let it run all day while I’m at work. The auto thermostat checks the temperature and will adjust itself accordingly. When I get home in the evenings, my room is cool and I can now turn it off now that the heat of the day has passed.

Oscillating Fan by Night

Before you laugh them off and think they’re old-fashioned, think again. Oscillating fans continue to do the work of an air conditioner by keeping your room cool but they use less energy to do so which means your electricity bill should be less. The gentle breeze of the fan blowing is something I can deal with during the night because the air is cool and not freezing. It also does a good job of circulating the air in my room.