High levels of humidity in your house can be hazardous and uncomfortable. The dampness and excess moisture can lead to mold, mildew, or other bacteria and cause several diseases. That’s the reason why you might need to know how to dehumidify a room from time to time.
The easiest method would be to use a dehumidifier. However, if you don’t wish to use that machine, you can dehumidify your room naturally as well. There are several time-tested, effective methods to lower your house’s humidity and create a comfortable environment.
How to Dehumidify a Room Naturally
Here are few such do-it-yourself remedies which you can employ to dehumidify a room naturally.
Rock Salt
Rock salt (NaCl) is a hygroscopic material that absorbs moisture naturally and stores it. It is completely non-toxic, readily available, quite affordable, and requires no electricity. The only disadvantage of using rock salt is that it’s short-term.
You can make your own rock salt dehumidifier at home by using two buckets stacked together.
Here are the three simple steps to follow:
Drill:
Drill holes into the bottom and around the sides of the top bucket.
Add Salt:
Place the drilled bucket into a bottom and add the rock salt.
Place:
Find a suitable spot to place your home-made dehumidifier so that it can absorb maximum moisture from your room.
DampRid
DampRid is a product designed to arrest high humidity. It can remove extra moisture from small areas such as a bedroom or a greenhouse. It is available in hanging packets, spreadable powers, and buckets.
It uses Calcium Chloride to remove moisture from the air. The white or colorless crystals absorb the moisture, harden, and become solid masses. They might “rust” slightly with time.
DampRid is incredibly affordable, user-friendly, creates no mess, non-toxic, and maintenance-free. The hanging packets are great for pantries and closets, while the buckets can be used to cover large areas. You can simply follow the guidelines and use them accordingly. It certainly helps if you wanna know how to dehumidify a room naturally.
However, the disadvantage of using DampRid is that it is not reusable and requires refills or replacements.
Dri-Z-Air
Dri-Z-Air is another product that can control the moisture in a room. It, too, uses Calcium Chloride as its main ingredient to absorb the moisture from a room. It comes in the form of crystals in a large container. As the crystals absorb the moisture, they disappear.
Dri-Z-Air is cost-effective, easy to use, non-toxic, and doesn’t obviously require electricity! However, it might require refills from time to time.
Here are the steps to use it:
Step 1:
Buy a container made up of recycled plastic.
Step 2:
Empty the crystals into the container.
Step 3:
Keep it somewhere, unobtrusive, from where it can absorb the moisture.
Step 4:
Dump it into the toilet or sewer once all the crystals have liquefied.
Step 5:
Replenish the container with more crystals if necessary.
Baking Soda
Another homemade method to dehumidify your room naturally is to use baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate). It is easily accessible and comes handy during a humid-emergency.
It is easy to use, cheap, energy-free, non-toxic, and absorbs odor as well. However, it only works for small rooms or enclosed places like closets, cupboards, cabinets, or bathroom.
Simply put some baking soda in a bowl and place it in the humid area. It will slowly absorb the moisture. Occasionally stir the powder around when it clumps while absorbing moisture.
Charcoal Briquettes
Charcoal briquettes also have absorption properties. They can also help to dehumidify your home naturally. It can also remove odors from the air. It can last for 2-3 months and has high adsorption power.
It is pocket-friendly, non-toxic, and easy to use. Just buy a bag of charcoal and fill it in a basket. Keep it in the rooms that do not receive much airflow like the attic or basement.
However, it may not completely prevent mold from growing.
Daily Habits to Dehumidify Your Room
There are also certain daily habits that you can adopt if you are serious about knowing how to dehumidify a room naturally. Let’s explore all of them here.
Take Shorter Showers:
If you have a high humidity level in your bathroom, try reducing your showering time. Hot showers leave moisture in the air. A quick shower with warm water might help to dehumidify your bathroom.
Reduce Steam while Cooking:
The stream from cooking can raise the humidity level of your room. Covering your food while cooking will reduce steam. Also, turn on your exhaust fans while cooking to remove steam from the air.
Open your Windows:
Avoiding keeping your windows closed all the time. Open your windows when the humidity level is low outside to air out your home.
Use Vent Fans:
Install vent fans in your kitchen and bathrooms. Turn them on while you cook or take a shower. They will help to reduce the humidity level.
Ventilate your Home:
Find ways to improve the ventilation of your house. Install vents and fans in proper areas to allow proper circulation of air.
Remove Indoor Plants:
Plants release moisture into the air. It can directly affect the humidity level. So, if you keep plants indoors, move them outside into the garden or balcony.
Add Humidity Absorbing Plants:
Certain plants absorb moisture from the air, rather than from the soil. Adding such plants to your home environment will help reduce the humidity level to a great extent.
Air Drying Clothes:
Avoid hanging wet clothes indoors to dry. The water evaporating from the clothes would increase the moisture in your room. So, it’s best to line-dry your clothes outdoors.
Fix Water Leakage:
Water leakage can sometimes cause an increase in humidity levels. So, check if there are any signs of water damage and get it fixed immediately.
Repair your Walls:
Moisture from the outside air may enter through the holes in your wall. This can increase the humidity of your house. So, if you notice any cracks in your wall, fix it right away.
Redirect Downspouts:
If your downspouts drain the water close to your house, it may raise the humidity level. So, redirecting downspouts to drain the water a few feet away from your home is a better idea.
High levels of humidity can adversely affect your health. Thankfully, dehumidifying your room is made simpler and cheaper with these natural methods.
Alternatively, changing certain daily activities can also contribute to reducing the humidity level of your home. Adopting the above techniques will definitely help you learn how to dehumidify a room naturally. If you still find it difficult, feel free to ask in the comments section below.