Your home’s humidity level plays an important role in your comfort and health. A high level of humidity makes the body less efficient at releasing heat and staying cool. High humidity creates a breeding ground for harmful mold, mildew, rot, allergens, and dust mites. Long-term mold exposure can cause headaches, trouble focusing, muscle and joint pain, allergies, fatigue, and respiratory problems like asthma. The average humidity of a home should fall between 30 and 50 percent.

There are several signs that there are high levels of humidity in your home. Mold growth and mildew spots in the corners of walls and on the ceilings are a sign of too much moisture in the air. Condensation, especially on windows, is another obvious sign of excessive humidity. Musty odors, excessive and sudden wood rot, and water stains are also signs that you have a high indoor humidity level.

Vent Your Home

An affordable and effective way to significantly reduce the humidity level in your home is to improve your ventilation. Keeping doors and windows open as often as possible allows for fresh air to flow through the home. Placing fans in areas with poor ventilation helps keep the air circulating. It’s a good idea to install exhaust fans in rooms prone to high humidity levels such as the attic, the bathroom, and the laundry room.

Your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is responsible for creating warm air while keeping cold air out and vice versa. Maintaining your HVAC system ensures it runs at peak performance while keeping your energy bills in check. The professionals at Radlee Heating and Cooling have years of experience providing homeowners with expert heating and air conditioning services and quality energy star-rated HVAC products. They offer indoor air quality solutions for lowering humidity levels in your home including air cleaners and air purifiers, air humidifiers, whole-house dehumidifiers, and energy recovery ventilators.

Fix Leaks and Seepage

An effective way to control excess moisture is to fix water leaks and seepage. Basement leaks can result from a lack of debris-free gutters or a slope that allows water to flow toward the house. Leaks in pipes, bathtubs, and sinks create the perfect humid climate for biological pollutants to grow. Leaks under the floor can also be a cause of high humidity levels. Water stains, mildew, or mold growth on the ceiling could be an indicator that there’s a leak from the attic, roof, or gutters.

High humidity can harm your wardrobe. The laundry room is notorious for humid air, especially when drying clothes. Moist air makes it difficult to completely dry your clothes. Putting damp clothing in your closet will result in moisture buildup that can damage your clothing. Properly venting the laundry room or drying clothes outside is an effective way to ensure that humidity doesn’t destroy your favorite petite tops and blouses. WHBM offers a versatile collection of women’s petite tops that ensure a perfect fit in hems and sleeves. The women’s store also carries petite sizes in tees, leggings, tunics, and pullovers. Controlling the indoor humidity level helps protect your clothes so they last for years to come.

Take Shorter Showers

The steam generated from a hot shower quickly increases the moisture level. Using exhaust fans in the bathroom removes moisture from the exterior of your home. Taking shorter showers helps reduce the amount of moisture created. Always have some form of ventilation fan running when showering, and leave the windows and door open for at least 30 minutes afterward. The less excess moisture you create and release into the home, the lower the humidity levels.

Properly venting your home, fixing leaks and seepage, and reducing the amount of moisture you create are all effective ways to reduce your home’s humidity levels.