Before the really cold weather kicked in last fall, I made a point of trying to add moisture to the air in my house. Dry air can make your home feel colder than it really is. I opened the bathroom doors after showers and made humidity vases. Some folks like to use humidifiers to boost the moisture in the air.
Now that the warmer weather is here, keeping your home dry will help it to feel cooler once the temperature starts rising. It also helps keep away mold. It’s time to open your windows after a shower, use your air conditioner to help remove moisture and turn on your fans. Some people may even use a dehumidifier to help out. You also want to vent appliances that create moisture, such as clothes dryers or stoves. Ideally, the humidity in your home should be between 30 and 50%, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
In especially moist homes, mold can grow, and if you have a lot of it, you might want a professional to remove it. If you have a little, you can usually clean it up using one cup of bleach to one gallon of water, or one part baking soda to five parts vinegar and five parts of water. You can also use dish washing liquid.
I’m lucky that my old house doesn’t have any mold, because many do, so you can bet that I will do my best this summer to keep the humidity down.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday morning.