Many homes deal with high levels of humidity throughout the year, especially in the summer. Dampness in your house can make you feel fuzzy and uncomfortable. Besides the unpleasant feeling that it can cause, humidity can lead to serious health issues.
If you are tired of damp spots around your house and the musty smell of the mold, then you are in the right place. I offer you special tips for reducing humidity even without a dehumidifier.
How Bad Is Humidity for You and Your Home?
Even though high humidity happens more often in the summer because the air tends to be drier in the winter, this problem can occur at any time of the year. If you notice condensation, foggy windows, and damp spots around your house, you can be almost certain that you have a problem with humidity.
The excess moisture and condensation can cause mold on your walls. Mold can have serious negative effects on your health. It can lead to long-term troubles with breathing, allergies, chronic cough, and even asthma attacks.
A higher level of dampness in the air can cause excessive sweating and problems with blood circulation. The possible outcomes of exposing yourself to conditions of high humidity for some time are dehydration, fatigue, loss of energy,
fainting, and heat stroke.
So, it is crucial to take the necessary steps in order to keep humidity in your home on a recommended level. A great tool for measuring the level of moisture in the air is the hygrometer.
Ideal humidity levels for your house are under 60% in the summer, and 40% in the winter, so make sure to do everything you can to keep the dampness below these percentages.
11 Effective Ways to Reduce Humidity Without a Dehumidifier
Now that you know how dangerous high humidity can be, do not panic. There are many things that you can do in order to maintain dampness in your home at the recommended level without using a dehumidifier. I present to you some very useful tips for reducing humidity.
1. Use Ventilation and Exhaust Fans
Ventilation and exhaust fans are your allies for reducing humidity in the house. If you do not have fans in your home, I recommend you to install them as soon as possible.
Everyday tasks, such as cooking and showering, increase the level of moisture in the room. So, it is important that you install fans in the kitchen and in your bathroom. You should make sure that you turn on the fans while you do these tasks. You can also leave them on for an hour or two after you finish, in order to ventilate rooms better.
In addition, dryers and washing machines can also cause an increase in dampness. So, do not forget to put ventilation fans in your laundry room.
2. Be Mindful When You Cook
As I mentioned before, cooking will increase moisture in your home. Besides using ventilation fans, a great way to avoid humidity is to use slow cookers.
3. Reduce Steam While Showering
By reducing steam, you will also reduce humidity. That is why it is important to lower the temperature of the water while you are showering. Also, you can use a shower head with a lower flow in order to prevent the additional steam from creating.
4. Use Air Conditioner
Air conditioners contribute to the lower level of humidity because they replace warm air with cooler, drier air. Air conditioning is not a cheap option, but it is a very effective one. You just need to make sure that you change the filter of your conditioner on a regular basis. So, the air conditioner will cool the air and reduce humidity quickly.
5. Fix Your Pipes
In order to prevent any additional moisture in your home, you need to regularly check if there are any leaking pipes. You should fix leaking pipes immediately. In addition, you can avoid condensation if you insulate all the pipes that are exposed.
6. Move Your Plants
House plants can increase the amount of humidity in your house because they release moisture vapor. If you want to prevent this, you should keep your plants outside. If you do not have this option, place them in one room that you will ventilate regularly.
7. Hang Your Laundry Outside
Another way to prevent humidity is to hang your laundry outside of your house. Wet clothes will increase dampness.
In case you do not have the option to dry your clothes outside, you can limit the level of moisture if you purchase a dehumidifier. I will cover the topic of dehumidifiers later in the article.
8. Clean Your Rain Gutters
Keeping your gutters clean will prevent possible indoor water leaks and excess moisture. In addition, you should make sure that your downpipe is long enough and not directed towards your home.
9. Open Your Window
Opening a window seems like an obvious answer. Even though it is not the most effective and long-term solution to your problem, it can help you to temporarily reduce humidity in your home.
10. Change Your Carpet
Carpets can withhold moisture. If you tried to reduce humidity in your house and failed, there is a chance that your carpet is the problem. So, you should change it and see if the situation improves.
11. Use Charcoal
Charcoal has great absorbing properties. It is not the most effective solution for dampness, but you can combine it with another tip from this list.
You only need to put charcoal briquettes in one box or basket and place it in a room. Charcoal briquettes will help reduce the moisture of the air.
Should You Just Purchase a Dehumidifier?
Dehumidifiers are the most effective option for reducing humidity in your home. Also, using this product will decrease the need for air conditioning, which will save you some money on bills.
It is best to put dehumidifiers in your basement or in any room without windows, in order to prevent direct contact with the sun. It is important not to place them near furniture or walls, so the circulation of air can flow better.
Types of Dehumidifiers
There are several types of dehumidifiers. Before you start searching for the right product, it is important to know what you need from it and choose the type that suits you best.
The most common type is a refrigerant or mechanical dehumidifier. This appliance takes in the air from a room, cools it, and then releases the dehumidified air back into the room. However, since it needs to cool the air in order to work, a refrigerant dehumidifier is not suited for lower temperatures.
You should check out Inofia and their 30-Pint Dehumidifier with Intelligent Humidity Control, or the Energy Star 70-pint Dehumidifier with Effortless Humidity Control.
Another type is the desiccant dehumidifier. In order to absorb moisture, it uses materials such as silica gel. They are great for sub-zero temperatures. Check out EcoSeb DD322EA-SIMPLE Desiccant Dehumidifier if you are in need of a good product for lower temperatures.
The Difference in Areas That They Can Cover
Dehumidifiers can be used for one room or for the whole house. If you need something that can be placed anywhere in a room, then you can opt for portable or mini dehumidifiers. They are very simple to use and set up. The downside is that you can only use them to reduce humidity in smaller areas.
If this type of dehumidifier is what you need, you can check out the New and Improved Eva-dry E-333 Renewable Mini Dehumidifier. It is 100% renewable. Also, hOmeLabs portable dehumidifier has good reviews, and it is great for larger rooms and basements.
For those who have significant humidity problems, whole house dehumidifiers are the best solution. They are not easy to set up, so you will probably need the help of a professional in order to install them. You should check out Aprilaire 1850 Whole Home Pro Dehumidifier. But, since buying a whole house dehumidifier is a big investment, it is important to research your options thoroughly.
Final Thoughts
High humidity can not only ruin your home, but it can also cause serious health issues for you and your family. So, it is crucial that you reduce dampness in your house to the recommended level.
Reducing humidity in your home can be easy and you don’t even have to use a dehumidifier. You can decrease the level of moisture just by opening your windows or drying the laundry outside. Another easy way to prevent moisture is to leave ventilation and exhaust fans on for a little longer after you finish cooking or showering. In addition, you can move plants outside, change your carpet or put charcoal briquettes in your room in order to make your home a safer place for your family.
However, if you have a long-term problem with high humidity, you will need to take more serious steps. Buying air conditioners or dehumidifiers are pricey, but very effective solutions for the problem.
So, it is important to measure the level of humidity in your home and take the necessary steps in order to avoid having serious issues in the future.
