Especially when it’s colder outside, the humidity at home can be high. However, this can be unhealthy and lead to mold in the home. Because cooler air saturates more quickly than warmer air. Excess moisture then settles on windows and surfaces and in the long term there is a risk of mold due to the excessive moisture. We explain how you can reduce the humidity and how high it should ideally be.
As a rule, a humidity of 40 to 60 percent is a good guideline for you. Short-term deviations, for example if you cooked in the kitchen or showered in the bathroom, are not a problem as long as the humidity drops again afterwards. However, if the air is permanently too humid, it offers an attractive environment for pathogens and, as mentioned above, increased mold formation. This means unpleasant consequences for your home and a burden on your health. But air that is too dry is also not good for your health: such a room climate can, among other things, put strain on the mucous membranes and consequently inhibit protection against infections. In such a case, a humidifier can be helpful.
But back to increased humidity: values above 80 percent are very critical if they are measured more often. By the way, you can measure the humidity with a hygrometer. These devices usually also display the room temperature at the same time. This way you can achieve optimal humidity.
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If you regularly measure values above 60 percent in your living spaces, you should follow the following tips to reduce the humidity.
When purchasing an electric dehumidifier, there are a few criteria you can look for. The rating from Stiftung Warentest can be just as helpful as other customer reviews. It is important that the target humidity is as adjustable as possible, ideally as a percentage in order to achieve optimal humidity. In addition, the device of choice should be selected to suit the size of the room. Guide values are usually given that can be helpful when purchasing. The active dehumidifier’s water bowl should be full after about a day. If it happens faster, purchasing a second device may make sense.
Another tip: dehumidifiers should also be switched on and active at night. Once the drying threshold is reached, the devices usually switch off automatically. However, you should not do this manually, otherwise efficiency may suffer. In addition, the cold reduces the productivity of the devices; they are most effective on warmer days. However, you should then keep the windows closed while the device is running.
Source: Stiftung Warentest
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