The humidity in your house can cause a number of issues. Dehumidifiers are very helpful in fighting against it, but how to reduce humidity in house without dehumidifier?
How Do You Get Rid Of Humidity Naturally?
If you can’t afford, or do not want, a dehumidifier, there are ways to reduce the humidity of your house naturally, without resorting to machines.
- Ventilate your house. This means opening widows, installing a fan, and generally creating an air flow through your house t=so that the heat doesn’t gather and mix with moisture, causing the humidity that we all know and (don’t) love.
- Use Calcium Chloride. If you place pots of this powder around your home, it should absorb the excess moisture.
- Shower quicker. The main culprit for causing excess moisture is when we shower – the steam can cause mould growth surprisingly quickly. You need to either shower more quickly, or leave the doors open while you shower.
- Use a dry heat source. Central heating is great, and very easy and convenient to use – but it can contribute towards excess moisture in your home. If you can, think about switching to a wood burner or space heater, both of which will keep you warm but not add to moisture levels.
This link explains a little more about humidity, and what you can do about it.
What Draws Moisture Out Of The Air?
Rock salt is highly effective at drawing moisture out of the air. You can make your very own dehumidifier by drilling some holes in the bottom of a bucket, then placing around 1kg of rock salt into this bucket. Place a second bucket under the first, and check it daily, emptying out the water and replacing the salt as necessary.
Calcium Chloride is another effective remover of moisture; it will literally suck the water vapour from the air! You can place it in small dishes around your house, or you can buy a specialist product containing these things.
Baking soda, that well known store cupboard staple,is actually very helpful at removing moisture form the air. All you need to do is leave a little dish (or three) in areas that suffer with moisture problems, and the soda will absorb the excess humidity.
What Will Absorb Moisture In A Room?
It may surprise you that growing certain plants can help reduce the humidity in your house. Some ferns can absorb moisture from the air, so have a little Google and discover the best plants to remove humidity.
If you can’t be bothered to Google, here is a little video that tells you the best plants you can buy.
You can hang bags filled with Silica gel – like those little packets you find in certain foodstuffs – around your house. These are very good at absorbing moisture, and it is a cheap and easy solution that does not require a dehumidifier.
Baking soda is a natural dehumidifier. You can place a small dish of this common substance around the dampest areas of your house, and it will absorb the moisture. You have to remember to change the powder about once a week though.
Have you heard about putting a mobile phone that has fallen in a puddle into a bowl filled with rice? This is because dry rice is good at absorbing moisture. Placing a bowl or two of rice about the place can really help with sucking out unwanted moisture.
Do you have a bathroom fan? If you do, try turning it on throughout the day with the bathroom door open. This type of fan is designed to remove moisture from the air, and it is much cheaper and more convenient than a dehumidifier.
What Can I Use Instead Of A Dehumidifier?
- A fan. This, although it is designed to cool a room, can also move the air around enough that it is not sitting in one place, breeding moisture and contributing to your humidity problem.
- Open the windows. Getting air to move about the place is key in the fight to stop humidity building up in your house, so if you can encourage air flow then so much the better!
- A wood stove, rather than a gas heater or central heating, is an excellent way of drying out the air in your living space.
- Dessicants. These are materials that are useful at drawing out moisture, and include things like salt, baking soda and silica.
Can You Use Salt As A Dehumidifier?
In a word, yes! But you probably shouldn’t just sprinkle your table salt all over the house and hope for the best.
Rock salt is what you want. It is highly effective at dehumidifying, and it can both collect and store water, thanks to its cellular make up.
All you need is 1kg of rock salt,and two buckets. Drill a few holes in the bottom of one of the buckets, then place the salt into this bucket. Place this bucket on top of the other one.
You will need to empty the bucket underneath fairly regularly, as the moisture will build up and gather in the bottom of the bucket underneath.
