High Humidity in Your Apartment: How to Identify, Find the Cause, and Get Rid of Dampness

 Don’t let high humidity drive you out of your apartment—learn how to combat it with proven methods. High humidity can lead to unpleasant odors, mold growth, and deteriorate your health, renovations, and furniture. Sometimes, the discomfort caused by excessive humidity makes people consider moving out of their apartments. However, before taking such drastic measures, try to identify the causes of dampness and eliminate them. Here’s how.
If you notice high humidity in your apartment, start taking action immediately. Excess moisture in the air can:

• Prematurely ruin even quality furniture.
• Damage household appliances.
• Spoil apartment finishes (paint cracks, wallpaper molds, and peels).
• Create an unpleasant musty smell.
• Lead to mold growth on corners, walls, and furniture.
• Cause health issues, especially respiratory problems and allergies (rashes, coughing, nasal congestion, etc.).

Note: The human body, natural leather, wood, and paper are the first to suffer from dampness.
The severity of the consequences of high humidity depends on how much the acceptable levels are exceeded and how long the situation goes unchecked.
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What Humidity Level Should Your Apartment Have? It’s important to understand what level of humidity is considered high. Relying solely on personal feelings isn’t quite accurate. For instance, at slightly above-normal humidity and a room temperature above 24°C, you might feel like you’re in the tropics and think the situation is critical. Or, conversely, the room temperature might be normal, but the humidity is much higher, which you might not notice.
The standard temperature and relative humidity levels—from optimal to maximum permissible—are presented in the table below.
Room
Temperature (°C)
Relative Humidity (%)
Living Room
18-24
40-60

Adult Bedroom
18-24
40-50

Children's Room
18-23
45-60

Kitchen
18-26
40-60

Bathroom
18-26
40-60

Home Office
18-26
40-60

Note: Optimal levels for the whole apartment: humidity—40-60%, air temperature—20-23°C.
Humidity Standards for Winter and SummerExperimental studies on the impact of humidity levels on the human body have shown that optimal levels depend on the season. According to accepted standards and expert recommendations:

• In winter (cold season), normal humidity ranges from 30 to 45%.
• In summer (warm season), normal humidity in the apartment ranges from 30 to 60%.

If the humidity in your apartment rises above 60% in winter and above 65% in summer, it’s time to take measures to reduce it.
Note: Humidity is lower in cold weather because cold air retains water vapor less effectively than warm air.
For Children’s bodies are more vulnerable than adults’, so controlling humidity is essential if there’s a child in the house.
Humidity standards for children:

• According to norms—30 to 45% in warm weather and 30 to 60% in cold weather.
• According to many pediatricians’ recommendations—the ideal humidity for children is 50-60%. A critical level is above 70%.

How to Determine Air Humidity in an ApartmentIf your apartment has high humidity, you’ll likely notice the following signs:

• Condensation on windows—"crying windows."
• Bedding feels damp.
• Clothes in closets smell musty.
• Items in the room take too long to dry.
• Book pages feel damp.
• The room becomes very stuffy with even a slight increase in temperature.
• Mold on furniture and finishes.

Important: A special device—a non-contact hygrometer or a home weather station—can help determine the humidity level in the apartment.
How to Reduce HumidityYou’ve measured the humidity level in your apartment, and it turned out to be above normal. You’ve identified the cause. What’s next? It’s recommended to not only eliminate the sources of dampness but also conduct systematic work. Proven methods to reduce humidity in your apartment include:
Eliminate All Sources of Moisture

• Check all pipes, plumbing, and radiators for leaks. Fix any problems you find.
• Issues with pipes, basement flooding, exhaust system, and roof should be handled by your Homeowners’ Association (HOA) or property management. Contact them with a formal request.
• Avoid drying laundry inside the apartment.
• Consider removing aquariums and reducing the number of houseplants.
• Ensure the seals on installed plastic windows and slopes are airtight.

Tip: If you notice a leak in hidden pipes, it will usually show on your downstairs neighbors’ ceiling. Check with them to see if there are any stains. Similarly, check your ceiling for stains, as dampness could come from your upstairs neighbors.
Proper Insulation

• Thin walls, poorly sealed seams, and lack of good insulation will only worsen the problem. Combine these with poor heating and seasonal temperature fluctuations, and dampness is inevitable.
• Correct insulation—ensuring the dew point shifts to the insulation layer—helps keep dampness out of the apartment.

To effectively eliminate dampness:

• Insulate, waterproof, and seal walls both inside and out.
• Waterproof floors (for the ground floor).

Ensure Forced Ventilation

• Ventilation might be blocked by household items, furniture, or finishes, or it may not handle the outgoing humid air properly.
• To fix poor ventilation:
  • Check the existing system for draft and regularly clean vents.
  • Always use the kitchen exhaust fan when cooking.
  • Install a reverse valve on each vent. It’s sold separately or in a kit with a fan and grille.
  • Install duct fans at vent entrances in bathrooms and kitchens. These devices run on electricity and provide forced air ventilation. Alternatively, consider a wall-mounted ventilation valve. This device is mounted in the wall with an outdoor exit.

A regular fan can support air circulation and reduce condensation buildup. Interesting options include light fixtures with fans, which serve practical purposes and enhance the interior.
Special Devices
One of the most effective ways to reduce humidity in an apartment is to use a dehumidifier. This device extracts moisture from the air and collects it as condensate in a special tank.
When choosing a dehumidifier, consider:

• Performance: Ideally, it should be equal to the room area multiplied by a factor of 0.7. For a 20 m² room, an optimal dehumidifier would have a performance of at least 14 l/day.
• Noise Level: While it doesn’t affect the result, it impacts comfort. Dehumidifiers with a noise level above 45 dB can be irritating and sometimes interfere with sleep.
• Air Exchange: The device should process the room air 3-4 times an hour. For a 20 m² room, choose a dehumidifier with a capacity of 150 m³/h or more.

Regular air conditioners with a dehumidification function (dry mode) also work well for drying the air. If the air temperature allows, frequently use a heater or turn on the heating if it's individual.
Frequent Ventilation
The simplest yet effective way to combat dampness is regular ventilation. In summer and during the transitional seasons, try to keep windows at least in micro-ventilation mode. Opening windows occasionally in winter also helps.
This ensures natural air ventilation, creating an environment unfavorable for excess moisture and mold growth.
Additional Measures
While primary efforts to determine and eliminate dampness are underway, there are simple effective methods to maintain proper humidity levels:

• Silica Gel: These small packets with white beads found in new shoe boxes effectively absorb moisture. Purchase bulk silica gel (available in pet stores), put it in small fabric or paper bags, and place them in humid areas of the apartment.
• Absorbent Food Products: Salt, sugar, rice, and coffee beans have absorbent properties that help combat dampness.
• Charcoal: Known for its absorbent qualities, charcoal helps fight both high humidity and musty odors. Large pieces of charcoal are most effective, but in a living space, consider crushing activated charcoal tablets, mixing with coarse salt, and placing the mixture in humid areas.
• Moisture-Absorbing Plants: In a high-humidity apartment, choose plants that absorb water vapor from the air, such as peace lilies, Chamaedorea, ferns, ivy, lemons, etc.

If these plants aren’t to your liking, modern artificial flowers can be an alternative. They look just as good as real plants without contributing to dampness.
Dealing with the Consequences of Dampness: Odors and MoldHigh humidity leaves behind unpleasant consequences—musty odors and mold. To get rid of them, follow these steps:

1. Take everything out of closets and cabinets. Wash and thoroughly dry items in the sun. Wipe the inside and outside of cabinets with a vinegar solution and leave them to air out for 2-3 days.
2. Use a chlorine and water solution (1/10 ratio) to treat mold-affected areas.
3. Hydrogen peroxide can be an alternative to chlorine. Wipe moldy surfaces with a peroxide solution, then with a damp and dry cloth.
4. Vinegar is also effective against mold. Spray or wipe it onto areas with black mold, then rinse and dry. Repeat weekly until the problem disappears.
5. Use professional anti-mold sprays and disinfectants.

By following these tips, you can effectively manage humidity and create a healthier living environment in your home.
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