8 Benefits of Owning a Dehumidifier
If you commonly get allergies, you know that they can get rather miserable at times. When you live in a humid climate, there are many triggers for these things—dust mites, mold, mildew, and seasonal allergies. If you find that you are suffering a lot, a good dehumidifier can help–in more ways than one. Here are some benefits of a dehumidifier and how to choose the right one for you.
Allergy Triggers Thrive in Humidity
Many of the most common allergy triggers, especially dust mites, mold, and mildew, thrive in humid environments. Whether you live in a humid climate, or you just have a living space that tends to be more humid, you may be suffering from these things. Small living spaces with limited ventilation, such as bathrooms or kitchens in a small apartment or basement apartments, are common areas where moisture can build up, even in dry climates.
Some of the most common reactions to allergy triggers include:
- Stuffy nose
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Sneezing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing
- Skin rashes and other irritation
Mold allergies are also a significant contributor to childhood asthma, which can be a debilitating and costly disease for children who develop it at a young age. This article expands on some of the dangers that allergens present when they are in your home.
Benefits of a Dehumidifier
There are several benefits to getting a dehumidifier in your home, basement, apartment, or office space.
- Dehumidifiers reduce humidity levels, making your home less hospitable to allergens such as dust mites, mold, and mildew.
- They are not disruptive to your daily life, and run quietly and efficiently in the background without most people even noticing.
- Dehumidifiers help reduce odors that can accompany mold and mildew in your home—getting rid of that “musty” or “rotting” smell.
- These devices help to reduce the possibility that you will develop mold on your clothing, furniture, and other linens (such as curtains or bed sheets).
- Dehumidifiers reduce irritation to your skin and your respiratory system, allowing you to breathe easier and feel comfortable in your home.
- A less humid environment in your home means clothing will dry faster, breads and cereals will remain fresh longer without getting stale, and you won’t find signs of rust or corrosion on things like computer equipment, electronics, and tools.
- Running a dehumidifier helps reduce dust in your home, so you won’t have to clean as often.
- A dehumidifier also lowers energy costs because it helps your air conditioner run more efficiently. When the air in your home is more humid, the A/C must do the function of cooling the air and removing moisture, which means it has to work harder. This also causes your A/C to wear out sooner, which means you will need to replace and repair it more often.
Signs You Need a Dehumidifier
In addition to suffering from constant symptoms of allergies, you may want to consider a dehumidifier if you have some obvious signs of high humidity in certain rooms or areas of your home, including:
- Water stains on the walls or ceilings of your home
- High humidity rooms with poor ventilation or no ventilation (especially in areas like bathrooms that have no windows)
- Frequent condensation on the windows in certain areas of your home
- Small black spots (mold spores) growing on the walls or in areas with high humidity, such as the bathtub or shower
- Must or mildew smells
You may also want to consider a dehumidifier if you live in an apartment building, since mold and mildew spores can travel through ventilation systems, and can build up in the walls between apartments. Even if you keep your living area clean, these allergens from other areas of the building can be harmful to yours and your family’s health.