Properly Ventilate to Reduce Humidity in the Home
The first step when dehumidifying your home is to make sure that you have proper ventilation. In the kitchen, ventilation fans can remove excess humidity from steaming pots and hot ovens. In the bathroom, turn the ventilation fan on when you take a shower or bath. Also, a ventilation fan near your washer and dryer can help get rid of the heat and moisture that builds when you do laundry. If you don’t have ventilation fans that vent to the outdoors, have them installed.
Change Your Habits
There are also several personal habits you can change to help reduce humidity in the home. For example, taking a long shower creates more steam that lingers in your bathroom. That steam increases the humidity in your home. Taking shorter, slightly cooler showers can reduce humidity, or you can crack a window in the bathroom to let the steam escape. Boiling water on the stove also increases humidity. Instead of cooking inside, use your outdoor grill more often.
Sources of Humidity in the Home
If you’re a plant lover who has greenery in every room, your plants could be making the house more humid. Water from soil evaporates into the indoor air. To reduce humidity, move your plants outside, or choose plants that don’t require much water.
Your windows and doors might need some updating. Old windows let drafts and moisture in. Old doors can also let in outdoor humidity. By replacing or weather-proofing these entry points, your home will be more energy-efficient and less humid.
Invest in a Dehumidifier
Perhaps the best way to reduce humidity in the home is to invest in a good dehumidifier. There are several types of dehumidifiers available, including whole-house dehumidifiers that can attach right to your HVAC system and pull moisture out of the air. There are also convenient, portable units that can be moved around the house, depending on which room has the most humidity.
Reducing humidity in your home is easily achievable by adjusting some of your habits and making a few home improvements.
Carolina Homechek provides inspection services to Mecklenburg and the surrounding counties in North Carolina. Contact us to schedule an inspection.