Everyone enjoys the shine and warmth of the summer season, but nobody likes the humidity that comes with it. The reason is understandable- high moisture is likely to cause undue perspiration, icky-ness, trouble sleeping, frizzy hair, breathing problems, and skin allergies. It can also lead to and mold growth and damage your property in ways you might not have ever imagined. And you wouldn’t want that, would you?
Fortunately, you can do plenty of things to control indoor humidity and manage everything from mold to sweat. Listed below are a few tips that will help:
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Fix the central air conditioning
If you live in a hot and humid state, such as Florida, it’s best to ensure that your home’s HAVC system works properly. It will help you maintain a cool atmosphere in your home and decrease the humidity. Ensure the air filters are clean and circulating fresh air. If you still notice excessive humidity building up inside, there’s probably a technical glitch. In that case, call your service provider for help. Unfortunately, air conditioning units overwork and become faulty while struggling to combat humidity. In that case, either replace your system with a new one or repair the existing one.
Allow ventilation
Allowing natural air to flow through wet and humid parts of your home is one of the simplest things you can do to deal with the issue. Open your windows to allow some fresh air to pass through your home. Fans naturally circulate air and accelerate evaporation. This helps reduce indoor moisture and prevent mold growth in areas such as the kitchen, toilets, and basement. However, if you still see mold growing because of excess humidity, call a professional mold removal service before it becomes a menace. Homeowners in Orlando can visit https://www.removemoldorlando.com/mold-inspection/ to schedule a professional mold removal service to get rid of it. Residents in other cities can also run a quick internet search to shortlist some trusty options. Ensure to read up on reviews and testimonials before hiring a service.
Wipe Water From The Floor
Do you leave water on the kitchen floor after doing the dishes? Or do you leave the bathroom wet after a hot shower? Wrong! Doing so merely adds to the problem. It would be best to wipe floors and counters dry to prevent the water droplets from evaporating and increasing humidity inside your home. This also prevents incurring additional water damage to the floors, counters, and walls.
Leave The Firewood Outside
In the summertime, place the firewood outside your house, especially if it is freshly cut. Firewood holds plenty of water, and when you bring it indoors, the moisture evaporates and adds extra moisture to the atmosphere. Besides, since you wouldn’t need to light up the fireplace, the wood will only add clutter indoors. Therefore, it’s best to keep it outside or store it someplace dry.
Limit Your Indoor Plants
As much as indoor plants help improve air quality, too many of them can drastically increase the humidity. We’re not saying that you remove all of them, but keep only a few and that too in airy and sunny areas. It would be best to reorganize them or distribute them all over your home. Another effective way to control the air’s moisture level is by covering up the soil. It will reduce the extent of humidity, and since the water won evaporate as much, you won’t need to water the plants as often either. You can also place plants that absorb moisture, such as Cactus and Peace Lily. This can reduce humidity of your home.
Change The Carpet
Carpets can hold moisture. Moreover, dust mites also appreciate the dampness within your carpets and can wreak havoc if left unchecked. If your carpet is the source of excess humidity in your house, it might be time to replace it. However, switching carpets can be costly, especially if it covers most of your flooring. You might even have to repair what the carpet’s been hiding all along. Though, if you have the budget, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Waterproof Basement Walls
Waterproofing your home’s basement is extremely important, especially if it’s poorly insulated and you keep your washer and dryer downstairs. Because the basement gets little to no ventilation, moisture can quickly spread through your entire house and cause long-term damage. Therefore, ensure that it is waterproofed and well-insulated.
Get a Dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers can do wonders for lowering indoor humidity and keeping the air in your home breathable. You can eliminate the moisture in your house without having to cool it off with an air conditioner. So, if you like your hair to catch less humidity and don’t want a cool room as well, then a dehumidifier is ideal for you. You can browse on shop for them online. Ensure to read up on product reviews before making a purchase.
Insulate Your Home
Last but not least, get proper insulation done for your home. It is a costly investment, but you’ll benefit in the long run. Adequate insulation helps to reduce humidity levels and loss of cooling to the external environment. You’ll be maximizing the usage of your humidifier and HAVC systems. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you can decrease your energy bills by around 15 % by properly insulating your house. Again, this may be a costly endeavour, so plan accordingly.
Conclusion
A healthy indoor atmosphere requires maintaining nominal moisture levels. Little humidity is ok, but a lot of it is terrible. By establishing a balance, you can enhance your health and maintain a refreshing environment and able to reduce humidity. There are countless valuable approaches to dehumidify your home. This article went over a few methods. These include fixing the AC, installing a dehumidifier, checking your insulation, removing the carpet, wiping spilt water, etc. You can also open the windows to let some natural air flow in and dry up some moisture. Follow the tips mentioned above to ensure your home stays free of humidity and the potential damage it may cause.
