How to Deal with Indoor Humidity
When temperatures begin to climb, you might find that the humidity inside your house rises. The air might seem musty and your windows get foggy. You might also find yourself sweating while sitting in your house without exerting any excess energy. Or even worse, you might find damp spots on your walls or mold in your shower. So what can you do to prevent indoor humidity from affecting your home? Keep reading to learn about simple steps you can take to eliminate excessive humidity inside your home.
Purchase a Dehumidifier
Image via Flickr by verchmarco
If your indoor humidity levels hover around 65% or higher, you might want to consider purchasing a dehumidifier. A portable unit will work fine, but if you have the budget for a whole-house dehumidifier, you should have one installed. Dehumidifiers bring the moist air in through one side, move the air over ice-cold tubes, drip the particles into a bucket or tube, and push dry air out of the other side. This dry air mixes with the moist air and makes the overall air drier. Be sure to empty the bucket periodically if you have a portable unit.
Turn on the Air Conditioner
Running a high-quality air conditioning system can act as a dehumidifier and remove moisture from the air once it cools. This is typically the primary way to combat high humidity levels in your home. If you have an air conditioner and it doesn’t appear to function properly, you might need to replace the filter since clogged filters can stifle airflow. At a minimum, change the filter every three months. If you have pets, suffer from allergies, have a large family, or smoke, you should change it more frequently.
Ventilate Your Interior
Regular indoor activities, such as hot showers or boiling food on the stove, produce moisture and contribute to more humidity. Proper ventilation is essential to decreasing high humidity levels, and is easily achieved by opening windows and turning on ventilation fans. These fans are one of the best ways to combat humidity, and you might have them in your bathroom, kitchen, and laundry rooms.
Grow Plants That Absorb Humidity
Certain types of plants can remove moisture from the air. With these plants, not only will you reduce the humidity levels in your home, but you also help the environment by removing carbon dioxide and increasing oxygen levels. Some of the best plants to consider include the Boston fern, English ivy, peace lily, reed palm, and Tillandsia.
Hang Laundry Outside
Dryers have a tendency to increase humidity levels, even when the machine is ventilated to the outside. Hanging wet clothes to dry will increase humidity levels, too. To prevent your damp clothes from increasing the indoor humidity, hang them outside. That is, of course, if the weather permits.
Not only can lowering humidity levels decrease your home’s overall temperature, but you can gain health benefits as well. Higher humidity levels can trigger allergies to dust mites and mildew. Follow these steps to have a healthier and happier home.
