August 24, 2017
Lowering the humidity in the home will help you feel more comfortable and keep your home from developing mold problems that can cause health problems and high costs of mold remediation.
If you want to avoid frizzy hair, muggy air, difficulties sleeping, mold problems, and distorted wood, learn how to keep your humidity levels within the ideal range of 30-50%.
Here are the best natural ways to reduce humidity levels in the home:
Fans can help circulate the air and remove humidity from the home. In addition to running fans, it’s a good idea to open a window or two for around 10-15 minutes every day.
This helps circulate air from the outdoors inside and vice versa. Not only is this good for balancing humidity levels, it can also help refresh the air inside your home, which is probably more polluted and contaminated than the air outdoors.
Good ventilation systems are vital for a healthy and comfortable home. If you don’t know if you have working ventilation fans in these rooms, contact an HVAC expert to diagnose your home for proper ventilation. Consider adding a fan to the air ducts that lead to the outdoors in your kitchen(s), bathroom(s), and laundry room(s).
Learn more about improving indoor air quality here.
If you have a lot of houseplants in the home, it’s a good idea to cover the soil. The moisture that’s in the soil can release moisture vapor into the air through the process of evaporation.
The best and prettiest way to cover the soil of your indoor plants is with a layer of small stones. Covering your houseplants will also help reduce the need for watering. You can also try moving the plants outside for a few hours after watering them.
Houseplants can also help balance your indoor humidity levels. Here are some houseplants, researched by NASA, that can help purify the air and balance indoor humidity levels:
Long, steamy showers are one of the most common causes for mold problems in the home. You can solve this issue by taking shorter and colder showers, and by installing low-flow showerheads, which will deliver the same performance with much less water (if it’s a good brand). If you don’t have a low-flow showerhead, consider not fully opening the taps so that less water is being used per second.
In addition to reducing humidity levels in the home, cold showers have been proven to have a number of amazing health benefits for your mind, body, and soul. Some side benefits of cold showers include: lower stress levels, youthful skin and hair, improved immunity levels, a better night’s sleep, and more energy during the day.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 10% of U.S. homes have water leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. One way to check if you have plumbing leaks in the home is by locating your water meter (usually in an underground box near your front curb) and checking if the leak detection dial is moving or not.
If you don’t have a leak detection dial or want to confirm if you have a leak in your home, check your water meter before and after a 2-hour period. Make sure you don’t use any water during that two-hour period. If the water meter reads a higher amount after 2 hours of no water usage, then you probably have a leak in the home.
Leaks in the home are not only costly and bad for the environment, they can also contribute to humidity problems and mold development in the home.
In addition to checking for leaks around the home, check if you have condensation on your hot and cold water pipes. We recommend insulating your hot and cold water pipes with insulation sleeves which you can find at your local home improvement store. They are very cheap and simple to install.
HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning. Contact a professional HVAC technician for ventilation and humidification solutions, such as whole-home humidification. They will be able to make modifications to your existing central air system, so you never have to worry about the negative effects of high humidity again.
Service Champions is known for trustworthy, on-time home service throughout the East Bay, South Bay, and Sacramento areas.
For more tips on reducing humidity levels in the home, don’t hesitate to contact the Champions.