Reduce Humidity In Your Home To Improve Your Health
Allergies exist in the world we live in. It is impossible to completely avoid all of the possible allergens that might make your family sick. However, you can protect your family’s health by learning how to reduce humidity levels indoors.
The perfect humidity level for your home will change according to the external temperatures and conditions. For instance, when the temperature outside is higher than 500 F you want the humidity levels inside your home to be 50% or less. The following table gives you some humidity guidelines:
| Outdoor Temperature | Optimum Indoor Humidity Levels |
|---|---|
| Over 500 F/ 100 C | 50% or less |
| Over 200 F | 40% or less |
| Between 100 & 200 F | 35% or less |
| Between 00 & 100 F | 30% or less |
| Between -100 & 00 F | 25% or less |
| Between -200 & -100 F | 20% or less |
| -200 F and lower | 15% or less |
One of the best ways to reduce humidity in your home is to buy a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier pulls the air in the room into it. Once inside the device, the air passes over a series of cooling coils. The humidity in the air attaches to those coils and the air that is then put back into the room has less moisture in it.
The lower amounts of humidity in your room air will retard the growth of mold and mildew. Mold and mildew both need moisture to be able to reproduce properly. They travel throughout your home by attaching to the moisture in the air. Therefore, lowering the moisture in the air stops the spread of mold spores.
By installing a dehumidifier you can also reduce the dust mites in your home. Dust mites make their homes in the cloth coverings of drapes, area rugs, carpets, and bedding. The mites do better when the humidity levels of a room are higher. So, when the humidity levels are reduced, the number of dust mites is reduced.
How To Determine If Your Humidity Levels Are Too High In Your Home
In order to find out what the humidity level is in your home, you can purchase a hygrometer. These devices will tell you the percentage of humidity they detect in your home. They are small and can be purchased at most drugstores or home improvement stores.
Before you go buy a hygrometer you can judge the amount of humidity in your home by looking for some of these common signs:
- A musty smell in the home, or in certain areas of the home. The basement is one of the frequent areas to find mold growth and musty odors
- The room may feel stuffy or simply uncomfortably warm, even though the thermometer says the temperature is not overly high
- You might notice boards inside the home beginning to rot
- Your windows may have condensation on them
- You may notice stains on your walls and ceilings that look like the area has been wet. These wet stains may grow over periods of time
- Your furniture coverings may feel damp to the touch
- Evidence of mold growth on closet ceilings or walls
- Your family suffers from frequent colds and viruses
- Members of your family sneeze frequently when inside the home, or you notice family members wheezing
- Family members complain of itchy eyes or eyes that water
- Your family members complain of stuffy noses.
Tips On Choosing The Right Dehumidifier To Reduce Humidity
If you determine that you have an excess of humidity in your home, then you need to consider using a dehumidifier. To choose the right devices consider the following things:
- If the area that needs a humidity reduction is small like a bathroom. If your humidity levels are high primarily in one room of the home then you can purchase a small dehumidifier. These devices are usually portable so you can move them from room to room.
- If the room has high humidity is a large room, like the basement. A larger room will require a dehumidifier that is a large capacity device. These devices are often portable like the smaller capacity versions, but they are large enough to remove the moisture from basements, living rooms, dens, or laundry rooms. See some options here.
- If the levels are high in your entire home. There are dehumidifiers that are designed to handle the entire home. These dehumidifiers are often not portable and are generally designed into the heating and air conditioning systems of the home. See some humidity control options here.
Conclusion
The health of your family is one of the most important things to you. We do everything we can to reduce germs, eliminate bacteria, and maintain a clean environment.
If you can reduce humidity levels in our homes, it may be the best way to improve our family’s health. Consequentially, controlling the humidity may also make us happier, because we will feel more comfortable.