High humidity can cause several problems in the home. Apart from soaking you in sweat, the moisture can encourage mold and mildew growth and wreak havoc on your furniture, wallpaper, paintwork, and brickwork. So how can you deal with high humidity in the home?
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Here are ways to keep low humidity in the house:
- Use an air conditioner to cool your home.
- Use exhaust and ventilation fans.
- Take cool showers.
- Fix leaking pipes.
- Dry laundry outside your home.
- Replace house plants with plants that absorb humidity.
- Make a do-it-yourself dehumidifier.
- Keep a window open.
- Replace your carpet.
- Perform weatherstripping.
- Consider caulking.
- Invest in a dehumidifier.
Keep reading to find out how these tips can help you with high humidity in the home. By lowering your home’s humidity, you can avoid damage to your home’s interior and mitigate the risks of mold and mildew growth.
1. Use an Air Conditioner To Cool Your Home
Air conditioners cool down your home and remove moisture and humidity from the air. However, your air conditioner must be fitted for the size of your home. Air conditioners with a capacity too high for the size of your home can become ineffective in managing humidity.
An air conditioning system that is too big for your property will constantly cool down to save energy. This disrupts the dehumidifying action of the air conditioner.
Read: Does Furnace Reduce Humidity?
2. Use Exhaust and Ventilation Fans
Poorly ventilated areas tend to retain moisture. When humidity readings are high on your hygrometer, it’s time to put those exhaust and ventilation fans on full blast. Proper ventilation helps to blow out vapor-rich air from the room before it can condense and cause damage to your home’s interior.
3. Take Cool Showers
It makes little sense to take a hot bath in humid weather, but it’s worth mentioning that warm baths add more steam to the air. This increases humidity. If the idea is to decrease humidity, you should avoid warm baths.
Boiling water in humid water follows the same logic and should also be avoided if possible.
Read: What Is Proper Humidity For Your House And Why?
4. Fix Leaking Pipes
Leaking pipes introduce moisture to the air. If you detect any leaks in your pipes, it’s best to enlist the expertise of a professional to get the problem fixed as soon as possible. Exposed pipes should also be insulated to prevent condensation, which helps to collect moisture as well. Look out for the signs of leaky pipes, such as:
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- Stained drywall: If there are water stains on your drywall, it should alert you to the presence of a leak. This will need to be addressed to prevent further damage that may compromise the integrity of the structure and the safety of your home.
- Wet spots: Another telltale sign of a leak are wet spots. When you see wet spots anywhere in your home, it should prompt you to investigate the cause. If you’re unsure how to do this, call a professional for help.
- Irregular water bills: Irregular water bills are also red flags that point to the problem of leaking pipes. If your bill is higher than usual when you haven’t increased your water consumption in the home, that should clue you in on the possibility of a pipe leak.
Read: Why Is The Humidity In My House So High After It Rains?
5. Dry Laundry Outside Your Home
While indoor drying racks are convenient in the colder seasons, it isn’t recommended to use them in the summer. The moisture in the clothes adds moisture to the air, which can increase humidity.
To avoid this, don’t use indoor drying racks. Instead, opt to hang your clothes outside where they can dry without creating a humidity increase in the home—drying your clothes indoors when humid may also cause them to smell dank. And doesn’t that defeat the purpose of even doing laundry?
It also won’t be doing the environment any favors when you have to do a load of laundry all over again—this means more water and energy consumption.
6. Replace House Plants With Plants That Absorb Humidity
While houseplants brighten up the place, it’s best to move them out of the house in humid weather because they add moisture to the air. If you’re not thrilled by the idea of moving plants out every time the weather turns, consider replacing your indoor plants with plants that help to combat humidity.
The Boston Fern is a popular option as it helps draw moisture out of the air. So not only does it add to your home’s aesthetic, it helps manage humidity while helping the environment by also drawing out carbon dioxide and replacing it with oxygen. If you like variety, here are some other plants that do a good job of dehumidifying while improving the quality of air in the home.
- Peperomia
- Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
- English Ivy
- Aloe Vera
- Spider Plant
- Lilac
- Peace Lily
- Purple Waffle Flower
- Windmill Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
- Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
- Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
- Air Plant (Tillandsia)
Read: Signs Of High Humidity In Your Home
7. Make a Do-It-Yourself Dehumidifier
DIY dehumidifiers may be a great idea for targeting specific humid areas in the home. If you don’t have the budget for a whole-home dehumidifier, you can make affordable DIY dehumidifiers on your own at home using charcoal briquettes or calcium chloride.
Charcoal Briquettes Will Work for 3 Months
Have you ever seen a basket of charcoal briquettes in a restaurant restroom and thought they looked out of place? I don’t blame you, but they’re there for a good reason.
Charcoal turns out to be a good dehumidifier. It’s pretty absorbent and sucks the moisture out of the air. However, make sure that you replace them every 2 to 3 months.
Calcium Chloride Is Great for the Bathroom or the Basement
Calcium chloride is another great DIY dehumidifier that works in a reasonably large room. This makes it ideal for either the bathroom or the basement. Making your own budget dehumidifier using calcium chloride is relatively easy. Just follow these simple steps:
- Take an old sock and stuff it with calcium chloride.
- String the opening of the sock to seal it and hang it in an area that you want to be dehumidified.
- Place a bowl over your dangling dehumidifier to collect the moisture.
You may need to replace the content of your sock as the calcium chloride inside will become depleted as it absorbs moisture.
Keep in mind that DIY dehumidifiers are short-term solutions for when you’re experiencing more moisture than usual. In areas that are humid for most of the year, DIY humidifiers aren’t going to cut it for big rooms. They might be helpful in closet spaces, but they are no substitute for a store-bought dehumidifier when the goal is to make a room feel less humid.
8. Keep a Window Open
Keeping a window open helps with ventilation. Ventilation is crucial in preventing humid air from condensing by circulating the air in the room. It also helps to keep the room from feeling stuffy by bringing in fresher air.
However, let me add that you shouldn’t keep a window open with the air conditioner as doing so is energy-wasting and can lead to a hike in your electric bill.
9. Replace Your Carpet
Carpets contribute to the visual appeal of your living space. Unfortunately, they can trap moisture and add to your home’s humidity. If you’ve already tried other dehumidifying measures without any improvement, your carpet may be the culprit.
It’s probably a good idea to remove the carpet and replace it if you suspect this is the case.
Read: Does Outdoor Humidity Affect Indoor Humidity?
10. Perform Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping is commonly done in warmer climates and is considered a necessity there. You may consider doing weatherstripping to lower your home’s humidity. It entails creating an airtight seal around windows and doors to keep out excess humid air.
11. Consider Caulking
Caulking is similar to weatherstripping; however, caulking involves sealing around faucets, sinks, toilets, and tubs. It is also used around windows and seams. This helps seal off the moisture collected around these areas that are constantly in contact with water.
12. Invest in a Dehumidifier
Arguably the most surefire way to manage humidity in your home is to get a dehumidifier. It decreases humidity by removing the moisture in the air. If your home’s humidity is constantly around 60%, it’s time to consider investing in a dehumidifier.
You can get the heavy-duty whole home ones that will need professional installation. Or, you can get a portable one to dehumidify specific areas of the home.
Conclusion
Home is somewhere you want to feel relaxed and comfortable. High humidity in the house can cause discomfort to you, your family, and your pets. It can also cause damage to your home’s interior.
Managing humidity is essential to prevent damage and mitigate the risks mold and mildew pose to the health of your household.