Humans need some humidity to function optimally, but excessive humidity is a problem. While too little humidity can cause some discomfort issues such as chapped lips and cracks in wooden furniture, the reverse—too much moisture—can make your home a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
A dehumidifier can help you remedy excess moisture problems.
Read on to learn more about the signs that you have too much humidity in your home, the benefits of using a dehumidifier, and the ideal moisture level for most people.
Benefits Of Using A Dehumidifier
- Improving comfort by eliminating sticky, moist air in a room
- Reducing the incidence of allergies for people sensitive to mold, mildew, and dust mites
- Mitigating pests problems; spiders, roaches, silverfish, centipedes gravitate to humid environments
- Potentially lowers an energy bill if you use an air conditioner since it helps an air conditioner work more efficiently
- Cleaning your home becomes easier with a dehumidifier, too. Humidity makes surfaces moist, which causes dust to cling to objects, like ceiling fans. Reducing humidity will keep dust from clinging and building up.
Ideal Humidity Levels
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor relative humidity should remain below 60%—ideally between 30% and 50%.You can accurately measure your home’s humidity level with a hygrometer or humidity gauge and then take appropriate action to add humidity with a humidifier or remove moisture with a dehumidifier.
A hygrometer is a handy instrument for detecting home moisture, but people tend only to measure certain living areas, forgetting to check room corners where moisture problems can occur. And in some cases, the issue may only be localized to one room or area of the home (like basements, for example). Other homes may have moisture problems that only occur at certain times of the year, such as in spring when there is a lot of ground water runoff, while other residences need help to control moisture levels year-round.
If you detect excessive moisture, discontinue the use of humidifiers if you have them or try to remove the cause of the humidity. You should take further action to find the reason and remedy the situation.
