Dealing with excessive humidity in your home, especially in summer, can make you feel uncomfortable. It can make your living space feel warm, sticky, and just plain gross. However, there’s more danger behind it than just feeling bad. In fact, high humidity levels can pose an extreme threat to your property, including the structure, surfaces, and condition, as well as your health and lead to serious health problems.
In general, the ideal indoor humidity level is somewhere between 30-50% humidity. It’s in your best interest to follow that recommendation so you can improve your comfort and the air quality of your home.
If you need help achieving this, read our guide below and follow these tips on how to control indoor quality and keep your home comfortable during the warmer months of the year.
Use your air conditioner
If you live in a country like Canada, where the summers are hot and humid, you may want to use your air conditioner to control humidity. The AC naturally helps reduce indoor humidity by introducing cooler air while removing warm, humid air from your home. All you have to do is set your AC to cooling mode so you can reduce your home’s overall temperature and encourage humidity levels to drop.
If your living space feels damp when the AC is on, it could be a sign of a maintenance problem such as clogged filters. You can change the filters yourself or ask professionals to do the job for you.
If you live in Southern Ontario, look for the best air conditioning companies Barrie or the surrounding areas have to offer for professional maintenance.
Run the exhaust fans
Another effective way to control indoor humidity is to use exhaust fans. These fans are usually installed in kitchens and bathrooms where they can remove moisture from your indoor air to the outside of your home.
So, if you have a ventilation fan above your kitchen stove, you should use it while cooking. Heat and water vapor that is produced during cooking will be carried outside rather than recirculated indoors. Plus, the exhaust fan can also help eliminate cooking odors.
Exhaust fans are also necessary for bathrooms, especially if there are no windows. To prevent the steam from settling and causing mold in your home, turn the fan on when you take a bath or shower.
Get a dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is a good investment if your indoor humidity levels are above 65%. Dehumidification systems work by drawing in damp, humid air and cooling it to its dew point. This allows water vapor to condense to form water.
In general, the humidity setting you choose depends on where the dehumidifier is installed. A dehumidifier can regulate the humidity in rooms with high moisture levels, like basements, to prevent mold growth. It is crucial that you know the setting of your dehumidifier because if it isn’t set correctly, your room could become too dry or muggy.
When searching for a dehumidifier, you can opt for a portable one or buy a whole-home dehumidifier if you have the budget for it.
Grow indoor plants
Another great way to control indoor humidity is with houseplants. Plants‘ leaves absorb water vapor which then travels to the roots. This reduces the humidity and leaves the air around them cool.
Although all plants can absorb moisture from the atmosphere, some plants are more efficient than others.
For example, English Ivy plants love humid spaces, which means you can keep them in your bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen to achieve ideal humidity levels. They purify the air and remove mold that is common in hot, humid areas.
Other indoor plants that absorb humidity and enjoy warm weather are Bamboo Palms, TIllandsia, and Calathea.
Final thoughts
No matter where you live, summers can get really hot and humid sometimes, making it unbearable to live at home. Humid indoor air leads to many issues around your home including structural and foundation problems as well as serious health issues. That‘s why it is your responsibility as a homeowner to do your best to control humidity during the warmer months of the year.
If you need help to do this, be sure to refer to our post and follow the tips to help maintain ideal humidity in your home in the summer.
