8 Health Benefits of Using a Dehumidifier

Health Benefits of Using a Dehumidifier

As mercury soars, its most immediate aftereffect is high humidity levels. The air turns damp and unpleasantly sticky, making living conditions extremely harsh and almost unbearable.

The rooms in your house, let alone outdoors, are constantly heavy with moisture and become a breeding ground for seasonal allergies. This in turn impacts your health and well-being in general, and no wonder, this is the hardest part to deal with when the weather hasn’t been so kind already.

If you’re reeling under the heat spell, chances are you’re almost on the brink of experiencing the ill effects of humid climate. So, before getting there, it’s wise to buy a dehumidifier for your home.

A dehumidifier is a device that removes excess moisture from the air and keeps it dry to promote habitability. It works by fan-forcing the humid air through coolant-filled coils and expelling dry air back into the environment. Studies show that dehumidifiers can optimize humidity levels in rooms by over 30% - 50% in summer and over 30% - 40% in winter; thereby accelerating evaporative cooling in the body to release the excess heat and ensuring comfort almost immediately.

Through this article, we go deeper into the health benefits of a dehumidifier and prove why you need a one if the air around is fuggy. So, without a wait, let’s dive right in.

1. Dehumidifiers Eliminate Allergens in the Air

High humid conditions contribute to the growth of allergens in the air and increase the risks of respiratory problems in humans. These allergens can be of various types, from dust mites to mold and mildew, all of which thrive when humidity levels exceed 50%.

What successfully keeps the growth and spread of allergens in check is a dehumidifier. It keeps humidity levels well within the optimal range (40% - 50%) and hinders the proliferation of allergens in an efficient way.

However, it’s advisable that you must install a dehumidifier in crawl spaces across your home. Crawl spaces have higher humidity than the rest of the rooms in the house, which is why they are a hotbed of allergies and infections. These areas are where you should begin your dehumidification drive.

2. Dehumidifiers Cut Risks of Asthma and Other Respiratory Diseases

Studies have revealed that people who suffered from childhood asthma were largely exposed to mold—a type of allergen that grows apace in warm, moist conditions and are difficult to get rid of completely.

To eliminate mold, it’s therefore important to eliminate the hospitability of the environment they thrive in, and this is exactly where a dehumidifier matters. By sucking out the excess moisture from the air, a dehumidifier turns a moist environment into an optimally dry one, which is inhospitable for mold to grow. It significantly lowers the risks of asthma and other respiratory diseases.

To eliminate mold, it’s therefore important to eliminate the hospitability of the environment they thrive in, and this is exactly where a dehumidifier matters. By sucking out the excess moisture from the air, a dehumidifier turns a moist environment into an optimally dry one, which is inhospitable for mold to grow. It significantly lowers the risks of asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Dehumidifiers work with double efficiency if combined with air purifiers or ventilation systems. If you’ve one, you’re in luck.

3. Dehumidifiers Prevent Condensation

Condensation is defined as the conversion of gas or vapor to a liquid. It’s a common sight in homes—occurring usually in washrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms where moisture is unavoidable.

Though ventilation is a popular solution, it’s the dehumidifier that’s been proven effective in minimizing condensation in excessively moist conditions. It works by replacing warm, damp air by cold damp air and later heating it to warm dry air; thus reducing condensation.

Note that condensation is one of the leading causes of mold allergies and can be really hazardous to your health if ignored.

4. Dehumidifiers Lock Down Odors Proliferated by Mold

Mold flourishes unhindered in clammy heat conditions and emanates a highly discomforting smell. Prolonged exposure to this odor can harm your respiratory health and trigger air-borne allergies, which include runny or stuffy nose, wheezing, shortness of breath, and irritated eyes.

As far as diseases are concerned, the odor coming out from the patches of mildew across your house is also as much a culprit as mold spores. Thankfully, dehumidifiers are all you need to prevent musty odors from becoming a detrimental house hazard.

Dehumidifiers control the dampness in the air and don’t provide the ideal conditions for mold to grow and reproduce; thereby rooting out the very reason that could aggravate later to release fatal odors in the air.

5. Dehumidifiers Soothe Skin

Eczema is a skin affliction, characterized by inflammations with blisters, itching, cracked skin, and bleeding. Recently, its spread has considerably increased over 20%, and the catalysts at play are the presence of dust mites in the air, moist air, the exposure to irritants, such as detergents, heredity and more.

While reasons may vary, there’s no known cure for eczema. However, it has been found that keeping your room’s humidity levels less than 70% can inhibit the spread of eczema and relieve the symptoms. As humidity levels reduce, the presence of dust mites and mold is also controlled; thereby preventing your skin from further inflammation and providing a comforting balm to the irritation.

6. Dehumidifiers Avert Gastrointestinal Problems

Dry foods, such as breads, cereals, and grains, when catch moisture, become prone to mold contamination. This results in cringe-inducing color changes and a loss of the food quality. However, it isn’t always that you can spot mold with the naked eye.

Sometimes, the contamination is unobtrusive, which means that you can consume the food items without actually knowing they have mold all over them. Also, if you have mold in your home, there are multiple ways other than eating the fungus-infected food items in which mold can find a way into body. You may be touching it without realizing, consuming it as you bite your nails, or eating without washing your hands.

Mold or moldy foods, if ingested or eaten, can cause gastrointestinal problems, such as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, bleeding in the stomach, and a fungal infection of the intestines called candidiasis, which is potentially fatal.

To win over these health problems, it’s important to get a dehumidifier and get rid of the mold in the first place.

7. Dehumidifiers Purify Air

There are certain dehumidifiers, combined with air purifiers, which not only banish mold growths across your home, but also purify air.

These work by containing the spread of allergens in the air and detecting the air quality to optimize the air quality at a sweet spot. Dehumidifiers-cum-air purifiers make for a great bargain as you get the two for the price of one. Sharp KC-850U Plasmacluster Air Purifier with dehumidification feature and Keystone KSTAD50B Energy Star Dehumidifier are the best variants available in the market as of now.

8. Dehumidifiers Prevent Mold from Feeding on Your Clothes & Linens

Clothes and linens, if are exposed to moisture for a stretch of time, can develop mold, which poses significant health risks when inhaled or consumed. The solution, therefore, is to clean your clothes and lines thoroughly and let them dry completely before stowing them into your closet.

Just in case that’s not a possibility on some days, due to lack of sunlight or excess rainfall, use a dehumidifier to get rid of moisture and thus, mold.

Alternatively, if you have closets inside washroom, it’s recommended that you keep the door open to ensure maximum air circulation. On the contrary, if you have closets right next to your bathroom or kitchen, keep the doors closed as often as possible. This way, moisture will not reach the closet and your lines will not develop mold.

Final Words

That’s a wrap to this list on health benefits of dehumidifiers. If you’ve been wondering why you need a dehumidifier as this while, we have given eight strong reasons to back your decision. Buy one for yourself and take a conscious step towards ensuring the safety and habitability of your place.