To see your peeling paint, the cracks in the ceiling, your peeling wallpaper, your worn metal objects or your windows covered with water condensation, there is no doubt that humidity is giving you trouble. And when mold gets involved, it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back! However, if the damage is clearly visible, it can also cause deeper damage. Indeed, your appliances age faster and a humid house consumes more energy. In addition, it can cause long-term health problems. On the one hand, this indeed promotes the development of dust mites and bacteria. And on the other hand, it dries up your mucous membranes, eyes, throat, etc., and makes you more prone to ailments. Here are some simple tips to combat this humidity in the house and restore good air quality.
1) Bet on natural tricks that absorb moisture
Here, we typically think of coarse salt or coal to be placed in the corners of the room! They have good moisture absorption to help dry indoor air. Alternatively, one can also use gum arabic which also has a absorbency in addition to perfuming and purifying the ambient air. In addition, one of these three solutions can also be used in cupboards or drawers. Finally, the easiest and most fun trick is to install tropical plants to deal with moisture problems. Indeed, they love humidity and play a role of natural dehumidification. To do this, you can, for example, try ficus, fuchsia, indoor ferns or even orchids. In addition, it will brighten up your little cocoon while making it healthier!
2) Let the air circulate well
In general, it is advisable to leave a few centimeters between the walls and the furniture. Indeed, this allows easier air circulation. And it is even more important when a wall communicates with the outside and is very cold. In addition to creating a thermal bridge, this will condense the humidity even more and give rise to the appearance of small moulds… Moreover, avoid coatings that are too waterproof which do not allow the walls to breathe. This applies to textiles as well as to paneling or vinyl wallpaper. Finally, ventilating your interior every day remains THE crucial action against humidity. After all, if we don’t want her to be with us, we have to evacuate her somewhere, right? Furthermore, 10 minutes is enough, so no excuses ! And don’t forget to fold down the duvet and pillows to ventilate the bed on the way.
3) Good heating and heat management
First of all, we advise you to do not create too many temperature differences in your rooms. Thus, never make variations of more than 4°C during the same day. Besides, neither too cold nor extreme heat will do you any favors, because this will definitely create condensation. The ideal will be to keep a average temperature of 19°C around to combine comfort and reasonable consumption! Also, never put damp clothes to dry on the radiator. As for cooking where temperatures rise quickly and humidity quickly builds up, there are also techniques. Cover the pans and we ventilate when necessary (opening the oven or dishwasher, jet of boiling water in the sink, etc.). Finally, use your hood well each time if you have one!
4) Against humidity in the bathroom (and wet rooms)
Installation and maintenance of a VMC play a very important role here, especially if this room has no window! Another important point: hunting for water sources. If in the whole house we will prevent standing water in the plant cups, a washing of the floors without airing afterwards or the dishes, it will be necessary to pay more attention to the leaks in the bathrooms. Indeed, these are insidious sources of moisture! So take a look at the drip from toilets and faucetsthen check the seals of all your pipes. Finally, we use our towel radiator if we are lucky enough to have one, but if a towel no longer dries completely, because it has become too soaked in water, we do not hesitate to put it in the wash.
5) We control the drying of laundry to perfection
As soon as possible, let your laundry dry outside! In fact, the moisture in the linen evaporates as it dries and has no no other choice but to colonize our interior if it is dried there. However, apart from rain, frost or snow, there is no contraindication to drying clothes outside. However, if you cannot do otherwise than dry indoors, prefer a well-ventilated closed room with a window ajar for at least five minutes so that the air can absorb moisture outwards like a sponge. In any case, leave space between clothes so that air can circulate and limit hand washes which offer poor spinning. Also, do not overfill your machine so that the clothes come out better wrung out. Finally, if the temperatures are negative, put your clothes outside to freeze ! They will dry very quickly thanks to the phenomenon of sublimation.
6) To effectively clean moisture and mold, how do you do it?
Once it’s there, you can’t leave it there. Airing out and trying the techniques mentioned above will help a little. But the textiles and other walls are now covered. That will therefore require a little cleaning effort. As a result, for fabrics, we will opt for a teaspoon of salt diluted in about 500 ml of lemon juice to rub on it. You can also rub this solution on bathroom or kitchen tiles. After a few minutes of installation, wipe with a dry cloth. For the musty, you can mix a dose of vinegar for two of water and let it act for 10 minutes before rinsing. Otherwise, you can also brush the affected areas with 700 ml of water with two tablespoons of baking soda and two more salt. However, the easiest and most effective solution consists of just water and tea tree essential oil.
If you have a big problem with excessive humidity, also invest in an air dehumidifier. If the humidity level is abnormal, also check your installations (ventilation, ventilation, sealing, etc.). Also, if the humidity problem in the house gets out of control or if you suffer from respiratory problems (allergies, asthma, etc.), call a professional. He will make a humidity diagnosis and provide valuable advice to the occupants of the house to eliminate infiltration.
