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Showing posts with label hygrometer. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Reviewing Ten Effective Ways To Reduce High Home Humidity

If you feel that the humidity in your home is high or you know for certain as you have used hygrometers to check, there are some effective measures you can take to reduce it.

High humidity is generally considered to be above 60%. In most homes the aim is to have humidity at a healthy level or 40-50%.

Humidity that is too high is damaging to our health and the fabric of our homes so it is very important to address it.

Some Of The Indicators Of High Humidity Are:-

Visible mould around windows, in corners and behind furniture
Visible mildew which may be white , green or black
Peeling wallpaper or peeling bubbling paint
Walls that feel damp or wet to the touch or where you can see damp areas with colour discolouration on walls.
Black mould
Windows that are dripping with water or have condensation, we frequently had this occur in our home before we took measures
A muggy feel to the air. We did sometimes experince this.
A damp smell in your home
Wooden furniture or flooring that is warping or in the case of floors a squeaky floorboard or two.
Signs of pest activity or seeing the pests themselves as creatures like silverfish love humid environments
Clothes that feel damp when you take them out the wardrobe or draws
Anyone in the house who starts developing typical allergy symptoms- coughing, sneezing, skin rash - as it may be a dust mite allergy. Dust mites thrive in humid conditions and love to live in mattresses, carpets, rugs, sofas and curtains and even clothes. My husband started to develop these allergic symptoms.
You have a hygrometer to measure humidity and it is consistently showing above 60% humidity. Once we bought a hygrometer it showed that we were living in humidity generally between 55% to 75% depending on the room, so it was too high.
I reviewed hygrometers in my previous article Reviewing The Benefits Of A Home Hygrometer To Monitor Humidity

Risk Factors For High Humidity

You dry wet washing in your home on an airer or over a radiator. This was a big issue for us as from November to March there are few days when i can get washing out on the line in the garden. I don't like running a tumble dryer very often as it is incredibly expensive, so indoor drying was the only option. I never dried over a radiator as I knew that heavily contributed to the central heating needing to work harder, but we did use an airer frequently.

You don't put the heating on much or at all. This was another issue for us, since the cost of energy has become significantly more expensive we do try to put the heating on for only short periods at key times for example before going for baths or showers and first thing in the morning when the house is often cold down to 12-14 degrees in winter.

You close off some rooms in your home and do not heat them. We don't do this as I think it just makes matters worse, but we do know many people who do.

You rarely open windows or have extractor fans on. We don't have extractor fans but every morning that it is not raining or snowing we open the windows in all rooms for a minimum of 10 minutes, longer if possible without allowing the house to get too cold.

You have a naturally humid home like ours with solid brick walls and double glazing

You live in a humid climate either at particular seasons or year round

Measures You Can Take To Reduce Humidity.

1. When cooking cover pots and pans with lids, use an extractor fan or open a window for a during and after cooking. We do cover pans with lids and always have a window open unless it is blowing a gale or heavy driving rain.

2. Showers. When showering keep the bathroom door closed and the extractor fan on or open a window during and for a while afterwards, at least 10 minutes, to allow steam to escape outside. We always do this to prevent steam from escaping into the rest of the house.

3.Open windows. On days it is not raining open the windows for a while, even 10 minutes helps to circulate fresh air. I was raised to do this, even in freezing cold days i recall my parents going around opening all the windows to let stale air out and fresh air in and I have continued that practice.

4.Trickle vents. If possible it is useful to install trickle vents on air bricks to improve the flow of air

5.Seal any leaks or gaps around windows and doors. This was more of an issue for us before we installed double glazed doors which have solved that problem. If you suspect any roof issues get a reputable company to check your roof for any leaks and if so have them fixed. Keep guttering clean and free from debris and check downpipes are working well.

6. Buy passive moisture-absorbing materials like silica gel or baking soda. I have found that these do not make a huge difference in bigger rooms but can be more effective in smaller spaces, cupboards and wardrobes. We have them in smaller spaces and understairs cupboards where we cant use a dehumidifyer.

16 Pack Moisture Absorbers, 10.5 OZ Humidity Absorber BucketCheck Price

7. Houseplants including the beautiful peace lily and easy to care for spider plant. I have read the claims that these plants can help to naturally absorb water thus helping with high humidity. However it is important not to overwater houseplants as otherwise the standing excess water will only contribute to raise humidity. We have both these plants in our home. I cannot tell how much direct influence they have on our humidity levels but they are lovely plants and we are happy to have them. I would not however, rely on houseplants to lower humidity. Do be aware that many houseplants contribute to humidity levels though. I still love them in our home.

8. When washing clothes run them through an additional spin cycle appropriate to the clothing, to squeeze out a little more water before drying in an airer inside. This can make a surprising difference to how damp they come out of the machine. If you can get them outside on the line for a while, or can afford to run the dryer for 10-20 minutes that too will help.

9. Buy an air conditioner.

If humidity is an issue in warmer months an air conditioner may help. We don't have an air conditioner so I can't comment how effective it is, but if you have one it would be worth testing running it with a hygrometer in the same room to see how it affects humidity levels.

10. Buy a Dehumidifier

To be fair if you have consistent high humidity in your home the most effective method is to buy a dehumidifier or even two depending on the size and layout of your home. A dehumidifier actively takes moisture out of the room thus combatting the source of the problem. In our home we do all the measures, but the dehumidifier is the one that made the most significant difference and fairly quickly. We have one upstairs and one downstairs. We have two large dessicant dehumidifiers and a small thermo electric one, which suits us as they can still operate in lower temperatures and meet our laundry and home needs. We find the smaller one is good for small rooms or for maintaining a humidity level though not quite as powerful at brining the level down. There are also compressor dehumidifiers. These machines are available in different sizes and powers for different needs. It is important to research carefully the one that will suit your home and needs.

Here are just two examples of dehumidifiers

VINBERG DEHUMIDIFIERCheck Price Onsekin DehumidifierCheck Price

When we first started using the dehumidifiers the water container filled up very quickly and we would need to empty it several times a day. At first the hygrometer showed that the machine was doing its work and brought down the humidity , but when we stopped using it for a few hours, the humidity rose again.

After a few weeks we noted we did not need to empty it so often and that the machine brought that humidity down and it did not rise again so fast. I think this is because we had extracted the deeper levels of moisture that was likely in the mattress, sofas and curtains.

Now we can have them on a lower power setting and they still keep the rooms to humidity 40-50% humidity and fairly stable at that which is about right for us and our home.

So in our experience anyway if you do have high humidity your dehumidifier will need to work hard at first and you may need to empty it more often and keep it on for longer with the humidity up and down a bit. However, over time this will settle and you may be able to operate the dehumidifier for longer without needing to empty and on a more lower power maintenance level.

View of control panel on a digital dehumidifier

The exception to this of course is when drying laundry. We put our clothes on an airer and place the dehumidifier nearby and always on "Laundry mode" in a closed room. It is important to keep clothes well spaced out on the airer to allow airflow. I find with our more powerful machine, that I can mostly dry damp clothes overnight on a good laundry mode setting.

It is important to close windows when using a dehumidifier as otherwise your machine will be working hard to dehumidify the world !

When we bought a hygrometer our dehumidifying efforts were much more effective, as we then knew which areas and rooms to target to lower humidity. So I would recommend buying at least one hygrometer.

If you would like to learn more about them please read my article Reviewing The Benefits Of A Home Hygrometer To Monitor Humidity

So from my experience the most effective way to deal with a home that has too high humidity is to do small simple measures like keep the shower or bathroom door closed when taking a shower, cover pans when cooking , make sure there is good ventilation, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. Let fresh air in every day it is not raining or blowing gale, use a hygrometer so that you know your humidity and use a dehumidifier.

I have to say that buying our dehumidifiers was the best thing we did as our home is now so much more comfortable, clean air, no condensation on the windows, no damp and my husbands allergic reactions have ceased completely.

This article has all been about what measures to take if your home has high humidity. If however you have low humidity and the air in your home is too dry you may like to take a look at my friends article The Best Ultrasonic Humidifier: Ultra Quiet, Easy to Clean & Fill by Margaret Schindel.

Reviewing The Benefits Of A Home Hygrometer To Monitor Humidity

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Reviewing The Benefits Of A Home Hygrometer to Monitor Humidity

What Is a Hygrometer?

A hygrometer is a small device, they vary in size, but for many maybe a bit larger than a credit card in most cases, that measures the amount of moisture or humidity in the air. They can hang on a wall or be placed on a surface, some are even magnetic.

They are available in both digital and analogue types. There is a wide range of options to choose, from the most basic to the most advanced depending on your needs. For example some digital options offer temperature readings, clear low, comfort and high indicators and humidity ranges over 24 hours

Why Use A Hygrometer?

We bought a few hygrometers as we realised our home was showing some signs of high humidity and wanted to know what we were dealing with. We already had a dehumidifier but it didn't show humidity readings. Some dehumidifiers do.

I didn't realise at that stage that high humidity in a house can cause long term issues if not addressed for our health and the house. When we got our hydrometer, It felt good to know which rooms needed attention and where to target our efforts and now we are in control of the humidity in the house. I will warn you though it can become a slight obsession knowing what the humidity is everywhere !

A home that has humidity too high can become an uncomfortable and even an unhealthy environment. A hygrometer is a good aid to easily monitor humidity before the various unwelcome visitors like mould, mildew, dust mites, bacteria, moisture loving pests like slugs, and even silverfish become a problem.

These are some of the main effects a house and the people who live there can experience if humidity is not tracked and regulated. Our house is an older property built of very thick solid brick and is susceptible to high humidity, especially now it is all double glazed.

Mould and Mildew

I hate to see mould anywhere but it is common in bathrooms and kitchens especially. Ours gets very humid after showing and cooking even with keeping windows open. High humidity of around 70% creates ideal conditions for the growth of mould. If we can get humidity to 50-60% conditions are less favourable but mould can still survive especially in corners, behind furniture and in poorly ventilated areas.

We could aim for a home humidity of between 30 to 50% which makes it much harder for mould to grow and thrive. At below 30% the air is far too dry for mould to grow, however it is also not healthy for us.

A humidity level of between 40-50% is about ideal for our health and the house health. So monitoring our kitchen and bathroom is a good thing for us to do to check humidity is not going too high. We must expect spikes in humidity after showers and cooking but the aim is that it goes back down.

Dust Mites

These are tiny creatures, invisible to the human eye who live in our homes. Out in nature they do a good job of breaking down matter and eating it. However in our homes they are not so valuable. They prefer to set up home in mattresses, clothing, carpets and rugs, heavy curtains, cushions and sofas and in particular they love humid environments.

Dust mites are not necessarily harmful directly and do not live on people, but they feed on our discarded skin cells. We shed a surprising amount of skin every day and night so they will generally have plenty to live on ! They also love our pets dead skin cells and dander.

Most of us don't know they are even there, we cannot see them and will not suffer any ill effects from them or their droppings, but if anyone in the household is allergic to them the symptoms can be uncomfortable, even debilitating. These vary from coughing, sneezing, runny sore eyes and even skin rashes.

I have to say I was not all that aware of them until my husband developed an allergy to them and now we make major efforts to keep numbers as low as possible. Now I know a lot more about dust mites, I also personally do not like the thought of them in my mattress and sofas and am now a little obsessed with keeping their numbers down!

Dust mites especially love humidity around 70% or above, it is perfect for their needs and breeding capabilities. However they can still survive at around 40 to 50% humidity, although breeding rates do slow down. It takes humidity below 40% for a prolonged length of time to kill off or seriously reduce their populations. We aim for our home to be just around 40 to 50% which is a reasonable balance for health and house health and along with other anti dust mite measures is acceptable for control.

Some dust mites may still survive deep inside mattresses or sofas, where if the humidity rises again they can start a new population, they are very adaptable and amazingly resistant mites! I do admire them, even if I don't really want to share my bed and sofas with them!

So Ideally to heavily reduce dust mite populations, a range of 30 to 50% humidity is good. However it is not healthy for us or our homes to have humidity too low and certainly not below 30% for any length of time. So a hygrometer will help us to know if we live in an environment suitable for sustaining dust mites or not.

Health Issues

If our homes are too humid it is not only dust mites that are the issue for our health as overly humid air can make asthma worse and exacerbate any existing allergies.

On the other hand air that is too dry is just as bad as it can irritate the respiratory system and can cause dry itchy skin and eyes which is very unpleasant and uncomfortable.

So in these cases tracking to keep humidity at around 40 to 50% is much more comfortable for most people. A home with a balanced and more stable humidity, especially in bedrooms, will help to contribute to a healthier more comfortable sleeping environment as well.

Items In The Home.

We work hard for our things and want to keep them in good condition. It is heart breaking if treasured, useful, beautiful or sentimental items become damaged.

Wooden furniture, books, special year diaries, musical instruments, and electronics and some artwork and photographs are all sensitive and reactive to excess moisture which can cause warping, decay and corrosion if humidity is too high. Wallpaper can peel away and Clothes can also smell musty and become damp in a too humid atmosphere.

So knowing the humidity in your home and keeping it balanced helps to keep all these precious items in a good state at a stable level.

Plant Care In Homes And Greenhouses

Of course I had to mention my beloved plants! Those kept inside are always in an artificial environment and we control their food, water and humidity needs.

For houseplants to thrive we need to understand and replicate as much as possible their native conditions. So once we know our indoor plants needs, a hygrometer will assist us to know what the levels are and if they need increasing or decreasing ensuring the best conditions for plants to thrive in our homes, conservatories, orangeries or greenhouses.

The Main Points to Consider When Choosing a Hygrometer

Display Screen?

Decide if you would like smaller or bigger numbers to read. Some have larger, clearer displays than others. Some also use smiley faces to sad faces or coloured bands, often in red, green and blue, to show low humidity, comfort and high humidity or dew drops to show different levels of humidity which can be useful.

Humidity And Temperature Monitoring?

Hygrometers measure humidity but many also can measure temperature. I think this is useful to give an overall picture of your home environment. Some also display the humidity range and/or temperature range that the house or room has gone through in a 24 hour period which is useful to know.

How To Display In The Home?

Would you like to wall mount, use its own stand, have magnetic capability or have two or three of these features for flexibility?

Accuracy?

Ideally the Accuracy range should be within plus 2 to minus 3 to give a reasonable picture.

Simple device or smart features?

Some are simple open the box and ready to go, others have app integration and alerts for high or low humidity which can be useful in humidity sensitive environments or if you enjoy more advanced technology.

Battery or Power sources?

Consider if you would like batteries and what type is used and how easy they are to replace. Do you need or would like a low battery indicator? Also consider if USB rechargeable is a feature you need or would like.

Where do you need it?

Do you need just indoor hygrometers for your home, or might you want to use it in a greenhouse, garage or outside room

Price Points

Prices vary a lot from very reasonable for very basic models to more expensive for those with lots of smart features. Build quality and longevity are also factors to look for. I look for long lasting durability.

Here Are A Selection Of Hygrometers

6-Pack Mini Hygrometer Indoor Humidity MeterCheck Price SECRUI Hygrometer ThermometerCheck Price Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Wireless with 3 SensorsCheck Price Digital Hygrometer with Max and Min RecordsCheck Price

6 Pack Mini Hygrometer

SECRUI hygrometer temperature

Indoor/Outdoor Thermoneter hygrometer

Digital Hygrometer Max min

Hygrometers - Easy and Quick Way To Measure Humidity

So for a small price a hygrometer can tell you quickly and easily what the humidity levels are in each of your rooms and in any greenhouses you may have.

Knowing your humidity levels is the first step to managing humidity to take care of your health and your home. If you are getting readings of 40-50% you are doing well.

Thank you for reading. In my next article I will discuss what to do if your humidity levels are too high.