Since too much moisture in the air isn’t desirable, you might wonder how to make a room less humid. While running an A/C and dehumidifier are two methods, there are plenty of simple, quick, and free or inexpensive ways to make a room less humid.
Run the AC
Running an air conditioner is one of the best ways to make a room less humid. An air conditioner appears to cool down a room by blowing cold air into it but that’s only partially true. An AC absorbs heat and humidity from within the room and sends them to the outside. All of that water dripping outside the house is actually humidity that was removed from inside the house.
Keep the Windows Closed at Night
Keeping the windows open at night is tempting, especially on those hot days and nights. But night is also the time of the greatest humidity. Relative humidity levels will always be highest in the early morning hours when the air temperature is the coolest.
Grow Plants That Absorb Humidity
One of the easiest, greenest, and most beautiful ways to make a room less humid is to grow plants that absorb humidity. Plants that gobble up room moisture include aloe vera, lilacs, tillandsia genus (air plants), peace lilies, spider plants, boston ferns, bamboo palms, and windmill palms.
Fix or Replace the Dryer Vent
Along with removing heat, a dryer vent’s main job is to remove moisture from the clothing and the dryer drum, sending it safely outside. If your laundry room feels damp, the dryer vent may have become detached from the back of the dryer or from the vent on the side of the house. If so, reattach the vent. If the dryer vent is broken or torn, remove it and replace it with a new dryer vent.
Use Exhaust Fans
Your house likely has two types of exhaust fans: one in the bathroom and another in the kitchen. Use both exhaust fans to eliminate humidity from bathing or from cooking. If your home doesn’t have fans, this is a good time to install a bathroom exhaust fan or a kitchen range hood fan.
Take Cooler Showers
Hot showers and baths can tax even the best bathroom exhaust fan. Avoid the challenge altogether by reducing the temperature of your showers and baths from hot to lukewarm or even cool. If you or others in the home aren’t voluntarily turning down the hot tap, adjust the water at the source: the water heater. Turn down the water heater from a scalding 140° F or 150° F to 120° F.
Make a Passive DIY Dehumidifier
Charcoal briquettes, baking soda, cat litter, calcium chloride, silica gel, or rock salt (sodium chloride) are absorbent materials that can help make a room less humid. Drilling holes in a 5-gallon bucket and filling it with rock salt will attract water. The water collects at the bottom and can be poured out when it gets high enough.
Use a Dehumidifier
Along with passive DIY dehumidifiers, an electric dehumidifier will definitely help make a room less humid. Pulling up to 50 pints of water out of the air per day, dehumidifiers are continuously on the job.
Fix Leaks
Water creates humidity. So, where is the water in your house? Besides the controlled sources of water—sinks, bathtubs, showers—you might have uncontrolled water; that is, leaks in the house. Check for leaks in or around:
Water heater Toilets Washing machines Dishwashers Hose bibs Drain pipes Faucets Gutters
Avoid Boiling or Steaming in the Kitchen
Rethink your menu if any food items require boiling water or steaming. Whether making tea, cooking soup, steaming vegetables, cooking pasta and rice, or stir-frying, all methods create steam that cannot be completely cleared out with the hood vent. Instead, eat meals that do not involve boiling or steaming: salads, fruit, barbecued chicken, grilled vegetables, cold soups like gazpacho, yogurts, sashimi, or smoked salmon.
