Like many people in South East Queensland we live in a simple home without an AC or tumble drier… Where ‘outdoors’ and ‘indoors’ are pretty fluid concepts. And most of the time it works just fine. Most of the time. It’s not news to any of my local readers that February has been an incredibly wet month, and while the days of bucketing down rain are starting to get a little tiresome, it’s the house and our stuff that really cop it in this intense humidity. If you’ve been noticing a twinge of mustiness around your place as of late too, keep reading because I’m offering up 5 easy ways to beat humidity in the house to the sun gods today.
1. Get yourself a ceiling fan. The worst thing about humidity is how the air just hangs around, stagnant. So even when the house is closed up, a ceiling fan or two makes a big difference to keeping the air moving and making the atmosphere feel much fresher.
2. Fling open the closet doors (or lose them altogether). Moist air trapped inside inside a wardrobe promotes mildew growth, even on hanging clothes. So while it’s impossible to prevent the air from being damp, you can at least keep it circulating. Clear out closets so they’re not over-stuffed, and get a fan on near the open door in wet weather to ensure your best loved pieces survive unharmed.
3. DIY some desiccants. Clothes in drawers need extra tlc to keep them smelling fresh in super high humidity too… In the past I’ve found home-made dessicates really effective… all you need is a needle, thread, silicone kitty litter and some disposable dish clothes… you can get the full tutorial here.
4. Keep cosmetics in the fridge. Light, heat, and humidity all work to break down make up, skincare, and nail products by promoting bacteria growth, rendering their active ingredients less active, and turning their consistencies gloopy. Keeping beauty products in the fridge – especially nail polishes – will extend their shelf life and ultimately save you money.
5. Fight mould where it grows… on the walls. This last tip comes from Cyril the painter who recently stopped by the cottage to discuss my redecoration plans. He suggests filling an empty spray bottle with water plus 1 tbs bleach, spritzing the solution on walls that are starting to look discoloured and potentially mildewy, then wiping the area down with a clean rag. The marks may not disappear straight away, but come back in a few hours and they’ll be gone.
Since the forecast isn’t set to clear any time soon I’m curious… what are your top tips for making sure your house, your stuff, and your sanity wins out over mustiness, mildewiness, and yuckiness in super humid weather?
photo source: ‘Brisbane in the Rain’ via Linda on Pinterest
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
This is such a timely post…I’m off to the hardware store today to buy more damp-rid (the non-DIY version of desiccants). I also LOVE clove essential oil for mould, supposed to be more effective than bleach and smells lovely too. I spray it in the bathroom daily and it really does prevent mildew on the tiles and walls. Good tip on the cosmetics, I never thought of that! These sorts of days, end on end, really tempt me to buy an expensive to run tumble dryer or electric dehumidifier however…
Monica, I’m going to look into the clove oil straight away! We’ve considered getting a dehumidifier too, but they’re so expensive to buy and run, and the way our house is built – so open – it’s impossible to really seal up. Is yours like that too… it seems pretty typical here? I feel like we’d be waging a losing battle to suck the moisture out of the whole neighbourhood! I’m glad you found my tips useful, and I definitely appreciate yours! x Catherine
Isn’t that much easier to just buy AC ? is not very huge amount of money, and really in hot day it can save you
I was using portable A/C, but next i definetelly will go for normal A/c. It will make your air dry and cold, and also with reverse cycle – u can do some heat in winter 
Hi marek, maybe we will break down and get an AC some day, but at the moment we don’t have it and find the house keeps itself pretty cool on its own… But you’re right that drier air would be really nice! Have a great week!
This post is so timely! Luckily my house has pretty good ventilation so it feels airy most of the times. However, over the past couple of days I have been switching on the fans to get the air moving. Other than that I just sit tight and hope the rain stops (probably need to be a bit more proactive considering how the weather patterns are going though!)
Also, all the best with The Spring Shop. I love the sound of it! I meant to reply to your email but sometimes these things get away from me
xx soph