How To Reduce Humidity at Home? Try These 6 Easy Ways

Perfect airflow is key to a clean and less stuffy home.

In Singapore, humidity is a year-round issue. Although humidity is good for your skin, too much moisture in the air, coupled with our hot climate can cause you to feel uncomfortably warm and sticky all-day.

Too much humidity can also result in:

• Clammy air or an unpleasant, musty odour
• Mould, mildew and dust mite growth that can cause respiratory problems
• Insects (e.g. spiders, drain flies and silverfish)
• Wet clothes taking a long time to dry
• Rotting wood, causing your floor and furniture to deteriorate
• Damaged drywall and exacerbate cracks, which is costly to repair over time
• Damaged certain electronics
• Wear and tear or discolouration of collectables (e.g. books, leather bags etc.)

If you experience any of these problems at home, your home could be too humid! Here are a few things you can do to minimise it and create a more comfortable indoor environment.

1. Invest in dehumidifying tools

Ideally, the ideal indoor humidity level should be between 40% to 50%. A surefire way to reduce indoor humidity is to get a dehumidifier.

For a small area like a cabinet or wardrobe, you can use a disposable dehumidifier or charcoal sachets and place them in your wardrobe to prevent your clothes from getting mould and mildew.

If you need to cover a large area, getting a dehumidifier machine is a no-brainer. Be sure to check the size of your unit and water tank capacity before investing in one.

2. Ventilate your home

One of the most effective ways to combat high humidity levels in your home is to make sure your home is well-ventilated. Simply open the windows or doors from opposite sides of the room for air from the outside to enter and the trapped air from the inside to escape. Ideally, you should let the windows open to let the cool breeze in and air to cross-ventilate.

3. Tweak your air-conditioning settings

Turning on your air conditioning not only cools down the room but also helps to reduce indoor humidity by replacing warm, humid air with cool dry air.

Simply change your A/C setting to Dry Mode (which is available in most air-conditioning units) and frequently wash your change your A/C filters. Anything that restricts airflow or causes your air-conditioner to stop working can restrict you from removing moisture-laden air from the room.

4. Install ceiling and exhaust fans in your home

It goes without saying that fans are great for reducing your indoor moisture levels. The breeze from the ceiling fan evaporates excess moisture and improves air circulation.

Cooking, cleaning and bathing are some of the daily activities that can generate a lot of additional heat and humidity. The heat and steam from boiling water or hot showers can cause humidity levels to rise.

Consider installing exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom. They help to remove odours from cooking and cleaning, both of which can affect your home’s indoor air quality.

5. Make some lifestyle changes

Moisture buildup tends to happen most in the bathrooms, which in turn causes humidity levels to rise. To counter this, consider lowering the temperature of your showers by just a few degrees so there’s less steam generated in the air.

If you have a shower cubicle, use a squeegee to wipe off excess water from your glass doors, walls and tiles. Remember to direct the excess water towards your bathroom floor trap and ensure that the water is properly drained.

6. Grow some indoor plants

Plant parents rejoice! Introducing houseplants into your space not only helps to reduce moisture levels, they also make your home look great.

Certain types of houseplants, such as Boston ferns, Aloe Vera, Ficus trees absorb excess moisture in the air, on top of improving your indoor air quality.

There you have it! You can now enjoy a cleaner, cooler and healthier home.

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