ROAD TEST: The dehumidifier that dries your clothes better than most Hills Hoists would.

City dwelling can be a challenge. The traffic is never ending, the population of people is forever growing and the cost of living is steadily rising.

My family and I, just like so many we know, have been living in apartments and town houses for years now so as to live a comfortable, affordable life. As much as we would love our own home with a big backyard, grass and a spinning washing line (#HillsHoistDream), it is quite simply outside of our means.

Living near the ocean like we do, humidity is inevitable and from that grows a list of issues – mould, bacteria, dust mites and a host of allergy spikes for my seven-year-old daughter. Once winter hits, we ‘shut up shop’ and the condensation on our windows peaks – and suddenly, we’re battling to dry our clothes indoors. It can literally take days.

Keen to relieve my little family of the dampness and a raft of possible health problems, I jumped at the chance to try a De’Longhi dehumidifier.

It couldn't have come any sooner. The temperature's dropping and the heavens have opened up, bringing a full assault of rain, meaning closed windows and less ventilation.

Unlike my hubby, I am the one who needs to read all of the pamphlets and all of the information. I need to know the whys, the whats and the hows around new home gadgets.

After doing my research and putting De'Longhi's dehumidifier to good use, here is what you should know too:

THE WHY: Humidity can be super bad for your health.
I absolutely adore humidity…when I'm at the beach and getting some colour. Turns out though, that humidity within the home can actually cause a whole host of health issues. A humid environment can encourage bacteria, fungi and mould to flourish, all of which can wreak havoc on our respiratory systems and can cause skin issues. Now it completely makes sense as to why my daughter and I sneeze and scratch so much, we have created the perfect home for a circus of dust mites and asthma-induced living!

THE WHAT: The De'Longhi dehumidifier removes excess moisture, reducing the above issues
I personally had no idea what dehumidifying meant or why it was needed, so the information provided within the manual was incredibly helpful. A nicely designed home appliance, the De'Longhi dehumidifier draws moisture from the air, ultimately reducing humidity levels and helping to eradicate all of the above issues that can be present in the home. It is super easy to unbox and even easier to operate, taking just one hour to settle and be ready to switch on.

THE HOW(S):

1. You can take the humidity out of your home...and put the health back in.
As they say, many hands make light work and De'Longhi's dehumidifer doesn't just help out, it does it for you. I put the unit onto dehumidifying mode, which lets me select a pre-determined level of ideal humidity. Once it hits that level, it stops, only starting again if the humidity increases. This mode, used in the necessary rooms in the home, can assist with mould and bacteria growth, reduce allergies as well as stop that dreaded green dusty stuff from forming on your mint condition, season-old leather boots at the bottom of your wardrobe.

2. You can use it to dry your clothes without the cost of a dryer.
I have always wanted a dryer but could never bring myself to initially buy one and see the toll it would take on our energy consumption (and bill!). By activating the laundry function, the De'Longhi dehumidifier assists in drying your clothes by reducing the dampness in the air.

No more clothes hanging on your clothes rack for days, sagging with freezing sadness, collecting ice crystals and smelling funky. I literally placed the unit about two metres away from our wet clothes, flicked the switch, and it efficiently went to work.

3. You can remove dust from the air.
My daughter gets terrible hayfever and allergies, and at the turn of the season, her asthma will often play up. So anything that removes dust from the air is positive. The De'Longhi dehumidifier has a fan mode which activates the silver ion filter - an antibacterial filter that collects dust particles from the air. The unit also features a timer so you can choose how long you wish it to be functioning too, which is great for when you want it to work into the night but not overnight.

4. Bedroom, bathroom and laundry, oh my!
Easy to move with base wheels and moulded handles, the unit can be used across each room in the household. It's designed to fit nicely in any environment, reducing mould in your bathroom and dust mites in the play room – room by room it reduces the moisture and creates harmony throughout the home.

5. It's the sensitive choice
Recognised by the Sensitive Choice program, developed by the National Asthma Council Australia, the De'Longhi dehumidifier joins a host of products that assist those with asthma and allergies. After using it for just a few days, I absolutely noticed a change in my daughter's sniffing and sneezing. Some may call it coincidence, but I am confident that it is because I set up the dehumidifier just outside of her bedroom door before she goes to bed (and have since put in her room on some nights).

6. You can literally SEE the moisture.
I typically won't believe anything unless I see it, and being told there was quite a lot of moisture in the air had my 'yeah right' alarm bells ringing hard. Lo and behold, there actually was moisture in the air of our home – I got to see it!

With an easy-to-empty water tray, you can pull out the front and see the amount of moisture that De'Longhi's dehumidifier has actually sucked out of your home, proving that it actually does the job it says on the box. Too much moisture can cause severe mould issues among other things so I definitely feel like I am doing my family and home a great service.

The health and wellbeing of my family is paramount and with the De'Longhi dehumidifier I can now see just how friendly the air in our home is. To eradicate the many challenges we face, I am keeping this baby running!

Have you used a dehumidifier before? What's it like? Did it blitz your mould? We want to know - share below!

This content was created with our brand partner DeLonghi.