5 Ways to Reduce the Humidity in Your Home

While a certain level of humidity can help your skin, throat, and sinuses feel more comfortable, excess humidity in your home can lead to a number of problems, particularly mold and mildew growth. Not only can mold and mildew negatively affect the quality of the air you breath, but certain types of mold can even threaten your home’s structural integrity.

If you start to notice wet spots or stains on your walls or condensation on your windows, it's important to take steps to reduce your home’s moisture levels. Here are some ways to get excess humidity under control.

1. Use the exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom.

Your kitchen and bathroom tend to be areas where a lot of humidity can accumulate, so it’s important to keep these areas well-ventilated. Run your bathroom’s exhaust fan while you bathe or shower and for at least 30 minutes after you bathe or shower. Run your kitchen’s exhaust fan while you cook and for at least 30 minutes after you cook.

Running your kitchen fan for this additional time will also help it eliminate toxins from your air (such as carbon monoxide) that are produced by your oven or stove while cooking.

2. Cover your crawl space’s floor.

If your crawl space has a dirt floor, make sure the dirt is completely dry (you may need to use fans to dry it out completely), and then install a polyethylene cover over the floor. This will prevent moisture from entering your home through your crawl space.

3. Choose houseplants carefully.

Some houseplants transpire quite a bit and release a lot of moisture into the air as part of that process. You’ll want to avoid these types of plants or isolate them to areas of your home that are easier to control or ventilate. Other plants can be helpful when it comes to excess humidity, such as the Boston fern. This type of plant thrives in high-humidity environments and can help remove excess moisture from the air.

4. Run your air conditioner.

Your air conditioner removes moisture from the air it cools. When you run your air conditioner, you’re not only getting cooler air but air that contains less humidity. When you leave your home, set your air conditioner on a schedule so that it will still come on every so often to help keep humidity levels under control.

5. Invest in a dehumidifier.

A whole-home dehumidifier can monitor and control the humidity levels across your entire house, making it the best option to combat excess humidity. However, portable dehumidifiers tend to be a more affordable choice for most households.

What starts out as a small issue with humidity can turn into a much larger problem if left unchecked. If you suspect that your home has suffered water damage due to excess moisture, it’s vital to get the area in question inspected as soon as possible.

5 Reasons to Buy a Dehumidifier

We often hear about the benefits of keeping a humidifier in your home, but many people would actually benefit more from owning a dehumidifier. As its name implies, dehumidifiers help remove moisture from the air, and they come in different models and capacities--but what is it that they can really do for you?

Aside from removing the mugginess from your home’s air, here are 5 notable benefits that come with owning a good dehumidifier.

1. Your home will be less susceptible to mold and mildew.

Mold and mildew thrive in warm, moist environments. If your home is humid, that means it has a lot of moisture in the air, which can contribute to the mold and mildew growth. This growth can occur on walls, ceilings, curtains, furniture, and even clothing.

Mold spores release musty smell-gas, reduce your home’s indoor air quality, and can aggravate allergies, asthma, and other chronic respiratory illnesses. It’s much better to prevent mold in the first place than to fight to control it after it has spread. This makes a dehumidifier an anti-mold weapon that you definitely want in your arsenal.

2. You’re less likely to have issues with dust mites.

Just like mold spores, dust mites also thrive in environments that offer warmth and moisture. Contrary to what most think, people with “dust allergies” are, in fact, allergic to dust mites. Reducing the moisture in the air with a dehumidifier and frequently laundering your bedding in hot water can help prevent and combat a dust mite problem in your home.

3. You won’t have to work your conditioner as hard.

Humid air tends to retain heat more than dry air. Therefore, when the air is more humid in your home, your air conditioner has the task of cooling muggy air that wants to “hang onto” its heat. With a dehumidifier removing excess moisture from your home’s air, your air conditioner will be able to operate more efficiently and cool your home more quickly. That means that your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard and can last longer as a result.

4. Food won’t go bad as quickly.

Many foods tend to go stale and grow mold faster in a humid environment. This is especially true of bread, cereal, and many types of tree fruit. If you feel like you’re constantly throwing out food that has gone bad before you’ve had a chance to eat it, a dehumidifier might help!

5. Clothes will air-dry more quickly.

Using an outdoor clothesline can increase the amount of dust and pollen that get onto your clothes, so many people choose to air-dry their clothes indoors. However, if the air is humid in your home, it might seem like ages before your clothes dry all the way. Many people who purchase dehumidifiers find their laundry dries indoors much faster than before.

Has excess humidity created a mold problem in your air ducts, attic, or crawl space? Contact GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration for an earth-friendly approach to a cleaner, healthier home.

How to Keep Your Home's Humidity Levels in Check

Balancing the humidity in your home can be a difficult task to accomplish. Too much can lead to mold, while too little can cause dry eyes and skin, and even compromise your immune system. Here on Long Island, we suffer from extreme seasonal highs and lows, which can make it difficult to maintain an ideal humidity level in your home.

Luckily for you, the experts at GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration are here to offer their professional advice. Here are four ways you can keep your humidity levels in check:

1. Open your windows in the spring and fall: Ahh! Fresh air! During the spring and fall, you can easily regulate the humidity levels in your home by simply opening the windows. Take this a step further by opening two adjacent windows to create a cross breeze.

2. Invest in a dehumidifier for the summer months: With summer fast approaching, we recommend investing in a dehumidifier. This household item filters the air in your home and controls the amount of moisture present. Just choose your desired humidity level and let the appliance do the rest. You can truly set it and forget it, as long as you remember to empty the tank every so often.

3. Use a humidifier in the fall and winter: Ever get shocked when you touch the doorknob? This is a clear sign that your humidity levels are too low, something that frequently happens during the late fall and winter months. This can leave you susceptible to increased health risks, in addition to irritated skin and eyes.

4. Place plants around your home year-round: House plants are for more than decoration; they can actually help regulate the humidity levels in your home. Plants naturally clean the air, create oxygen, and balance humidity. Not all plants are created equal, though. Our top picks include:
• Peace Lilies
• Reed Palms
• English Ivy
• Boston Ferns
• Tillandsias
• Cactus Plants

As the temperatures rise, you may experience high humidity levels and mold in your home. If this happens to you, please DO NOT attempt to remove the mold yourself. Give the professionals at GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration a call. We serve all of Nassau and Suffolk County, Long Island; contact us online to learn more or dial (631) 940-8100.