How To Decrease Humidity In The Home Without A Dehumidifier

Too much humidity in the home is not a desirable quality. It can make you extra hot, sweaty, and sticky in the summer months. It can also cause mold and mildew, which can show up in your bathroom, on your ceilings, and even on your clothes. A dehumidifier is an easy, but often expensive solution. If you don’t have a dehumidifier, there are still many ways to decrease the humidity in your home.

To lower the humidity in your home without a dehumidifier, turn on your air conditioner and see if it has a humidity control setting. When showering or cooking, use your home’s built-in vents, and dry your towels outside. Open up your windows and let the fresh dry air in on cool and breezy days. Consider using natural dehumidifiers including rock salt, baking soda, and even some house plants.

If your home is consistently humid but you can’t get a dehumidifier for one reason or another, don’t succumb to the sweaty misery. There are several easy and effective ways to decrease the humidity in your home. Additionally, it’s best to learn good habits, so you don’t introduce more moisture into the home unnecessarily. Below is a list of great ways to lower your home’s humidity without a dehumidifier.

10 Ways To Lower Your Home’s Humidity Without A Dehumidifier

1. Turn On Your Air Conditioner

Dehumidifiers are not yet a staple in the majority of households. Air conditioners, on the other hand, are found in the majority of homes where high temperatures exist. Air conditioners not only lower the temperature in your home, but most of them are quite effective at lowering your home’s humidity as well.

More technologically advanced air conditioners even have moisture control settings. This allows your air conditioner to essentially double as a dehumidifier. The key is to understand how your particular air conditioner works and also to not over-use this device. Running an air conditioner constantly is very expensive, and not good for the machine.

2. Utilize Your Bathroom And Kitchen Vents

Humidity often gets trapped in the home when we perform everyday tasks that involve water. Cooking (in particular boiling water), and showering are two ways to quickly boost humidity levels. Sure, sometimes increasing the humidity in your home is desirable, but other times moisture is the last thing you want. This is why bathroom and kitchen vents exist.

If you have a bathroom fan, make sure you use it whenever you shower, and keep it on until the moisture has gone out of the room. The best rule of thumb is to leave the vent on until your mirror is no longer fogged up, and nothing is wet to the touch.

3. Open Up Windows On Cool Breezy Days

If your home seems to trap humidity, there is a chance it is just sealed tight and well-insulated. If this is the case, one great way to get rid of unwanted humidity is to open up your windows on cool, breezy days or mornings. This will circulate fresh, dry air into the home.

The key here is to check the weather and make sure the humidity is indeed low outside. Next, make sure you seal the house back up before the humidity begins to peak again.

4. Buy Some Baking Soda Or Rock Salt

Believe it or not, there are common household products you can place throughout the home that will naturally suck moisture out of the air. Baking soda is not only great at removing smells from your fridge or taking stains out of clothing, but it can also help lower humidity in your home.

Place baking soda with a thin sheet of cheesecloth in a bowl in various problem areas. The baking soda will start sucking up the extra moisture. Once it is caked up and solid, swap it out for fresh baking soda. You can also use rock salt if you are worried that baking soda will make a mess. Place it in various bowls and use the same method.

5. Take Cooler And Shorter Showers

One of the main ways humidity rises in your home is due to the steam from daily hot showers. Showering is important, and you shouldn’t stop showering because your house is humid. You can, however, change the way you shower.

Try taking shorter showers. This will decrease the amount of steam each shower produces. Alternatively, you can lower the temperature and take lukewarm showers. Cooler water does not steam much, or at all. This will help keep your humidity down, and it will also help lower your electric bill.

6. Use Ceiling Fans To Circulate The Air

Ceiling fans are a great asset to have in the home. They are fantastic at circulating air, which can help cool down your home and even lower the humidity. Keeping air moving throughout the home helps push the hot and humid air outwards, instead of letting it stay stagnant. Keep in mind this works best when the humidity outside is lower than the humidity in your home.

7. Get Houseplants That Decrease Humidity

Did you know several types of houseplants can lower the humidity in your home? Plants are not nearly as effective as a dehumidifier, but they do absorb some of the moisture from the air and use it to grow.

Some of the best houseplants to use to absorb extra moisture in the home include Boston ferns, peace lilies, spider plants, and snake plants. Best of all, most of these plants are very low maintenance and don’t require much direct sunlight to thrive.

8. Make Sure Your Home Has No Leaks

Sometimes, the root cause of your humidity is some type of leak. This can be a leaking pipe, a crack in your foundation, or a leak in your roof. Regardless of the location of the leak, a place where water is leaking (or can sneak in through) is going to cause damage.

You must address any leak or crack in the home, as humidity is only one small problem compared to the vast damage these leaks and cracks can cause. A sealed home is a happy (and less humid) home.

9. Hang Wet Laundry And Towels Outdoors

If you air-dry clothing after hand washing it or have one or more wet towels after you shower, be mindful of where you let them dry. Sure, it might be easy to hang your wet towel up in your room or the bathroom. It is also convenient to hang laundry inside. Be aware, however, that as your clothing dries, the moisture is absorbed into the air in your home. This increases the humidity in your home.

To help lower your home’s humidity, try to dry wet items outside whenever possible. Or use your dryer, as it has an exhaust that leads outdoors.

10. Purchase Moisture Absorbers From The Hardware Store

Lastly, if you are in a bind, and need a quick or localized fix to your humidity problem, try one of the many moisture-absorbing options available at home improvement stores. These packets work great when you are packing up a seasonal wardrobe, or placing things in storage, as it prevents the risk of mold and mildew. They can also work great in any closet, especially when you live in a wet climate.

Summing Up Lowering Your Home’s Humidity Without A Dehumidifier

A humid home can be a sticky and uncomfortable problem. Humidity makes you feel hotter, and it can lead to several problems in the home. Mold and mildew can quickly spread in a very humid home, which is why keeping your humidity under control is so important. If you don’t have a dehumidifier, you can lower your home’s humidity using your air conditioner, or by opening windows on a cool and dry day. Use your bathroom and kitchen fans to suck out steam, and consider buying houseplants that absorb moisture from the air.

Related Guides:

• Air Conditioner Vs. Dehumidifier: What Are The Major Differences?
• How Do I Lower The Humidity In My Home?
• Why Is My House So Humid With The AC On?