Rock salt is another great (and cheap) option for removing moisture from the air. To make a no frills rock salt dehumidifier, you're going to need rock salt and two buckets. Pop some holes in the first bucket and place it inside your second bucket. Next, fill the top bucket with salt and voila!
Rock salt naturally absorbs moisture out of the air, making it a great choice to use as a dehumidifier. To make a rock salt humidifier, you'll need a large bag of rock salt (also sometimes referred to as sodium chloride) and two 5-gallon buckets. You should be able to find both at a hardware store.
Use desiccants. Without the facilitation of an electrical appliance, desiccants such as silica gel, charcoal, and rock salt can still adsorb some moisture from the air at a slower rate, due to their hygroscopic nature. You can put a basket of charcoal in the room and replace the charcoal once it gets damp.
Spider plant
Spider plants thrive in humid environments, and do a great job at absorbing both moisture and pollutants from the air.
Plants are natural dehumidifiers because they absorb water from their surroundings through their leaves and release moisture back out through transpiration. This process helps regulate humidity levels and create fresh air in any space! And some plants are better than others.
Use Your Air Conditioner Without Cooling the Home
(Dry mode, your air conditioner's humidity setting, can also do this.) Make sure your thermostat fan setting is on the “auto” position instead of “on.” Your AC system will run the fan only when necessary to keep your indoor air temperature at the level you choose.
Opening the windows would only be allowing humid air into the room. You should also keep the windows closed when there is cold weather or if it is raining but the exception to this is if you are having a hot shower or cooking then your windows should be open.
Baking soda absorbs moisture, so it can help dehumidify your house. As a bonus, it's very cheap. Pour it into bowls, and cover them each with a thin cloth. Put them in various rooms around your house.
"While DampRid is nowhere near as rapid or effective as a good dehumidifier, it almost works the same as a poor-performing dehumidifier," says Chris.
Put some salt in a bowl and place it on the desired windowsill and then leave it overnight. You can buy table salt from ASDA for as low as 65p, although it's more likely you'll already have some in your pantry. The result should be a more or less condensation-free window.
Open Windows and Doors
One of the easiest ways to dehumidify a room is to open up the windows, says the National Asthma Council. Doing so lets in fresh air, improving the air circulation in the room and—when you keep your inside doors open—within your home.
High humidity in a house can be caused by many things, but the biggest reason is poor ventilation—in other words, air isn't being circulated properly, which causes the air in your house to become stagnant and humid. The other major reason? Too much air exchange with the outside.
She explained: "Generally, when it is really hot outside it is a good idea to keep windows closed during the daytime, as you don't want the hot external air to come into the house warming it up. "However, after the sun goes down, the outside air will start to cool down.
“Fresh air isn't the enemy. Open your windows,” says Dr Appelles Econs, an allergy specialist at the Burghwood Clinic. Keeping your windows shut all day will allow chemicals and allergens to build up inside. Even if you live in a polluted city, you are going to have to open the windows from time to time.
Using ceiling fans, pedestal fans and other air-moving appliances can make a big difference and suck excess moisture out of the indoor air.
Dehumidifiers can have many benefits around the home, especially if you live in areas of high humidity or, like much of Australia currently, high rainfall is causing moisture build-up within the home. But if you own an air conditioner, that can be as effective at dehumidification of a room as a dehumidifier.
It takes about 15 minutes of runtime before you start getting serious dehumidification of the air, so oversized systems will not dehumidify well. If the AC comes on, runs 10 minutes or less, and then shuts off, the house may be cool, but in a humid climate, the indoor humidity levels will stay high, probably over 60%.
English Ivy: A Christmastime favorite that's a year-round keeper because it filters 78 percent of airborne mold in 12 hours. Dwarf Date Palm: Loves xylene and other pollutants. Boston Fern: Who hasn't owned a Boston Fern? Time to get another — its specialty is formaldehyde removal.
How often you should use a dehumidifier will depend on your home, climate and other factors. To achieve the highest energy efficiency, run a dehumidifier for at least 12 hours a day. This will allow you to remove moisture from the air without racking up the energy costs.
Using houseplants in rooms prone to mould is a natural way of controlling humidity levels. This is due to the plants absorbing moisture through the leaves. This is a win-win, because not only will you have reduced the risk of mould, but you'll have stunning greenery to enjoy in your home.