A coworker recently asked me how to dehumidify a room.  This may seem obvious, but I'll say it anyway.  If you want to decrease the humidity in a room, the easiest and fastest way is probably to use a dehumidifier!   Of course this is common sense, but some people are put off by the idea of spending money on yet another appliance for their home.  This solution also depends on the severity of the problem.  There are many home dehumidifiers that do a fine job that don't cost all that much.  Honestly though, I would recommend getting the best dehumidifier that you can afford.  If I had bought a basement dehumidifier the first time I ever noticed need for moisture removal in our first house, it would have saved me from dealing with the loss of many water damaged items.

Buying a quality dehumidifier doesn't seem like a pressing need to a lot of people, because the results of having too much moisture in the air are not always evident immediately.  It is only after you see the long term results (mold, mildew, and actual damage to your home) that hindsight becomes 20/20.  Believe me, I speak from experience.  I had several photo albums destroyed when I stored them in the basement of the house my wife and I lived in after we were first married.  It didn't take long for it to happen, and there was no flooding.  There was just so much moisture that the pages became mildewed and the photos were destroyed.  There were actually several boxes of other assorted items that were also ruined, but the photos were, by far, my biggest loss and my biggest regret.

Mold and mildew growth can also cause serious health problems, which is why it’s very important for home owners to know how to dehumidify a room. Thankfully, the process is very easy. You just need a dehumidifier to keep the moisture levels down, and a hygrometer to keep track of the room’s humidity.  I highly recommend dealing with the problem of humidity control as soon as you notice it.  After we had our first daughter, we constantly worried about the mold and mildew that might result from our basement issue.  We ended up taking out a loan and spending about $4000 to get the basement entirely waterproofed.  In comparison, if you can handle things with a dehumidifier, it is a much less expensive option!  Even the best dehumidifier doesn't cost anywhere near that much.

In case you are interested, these are currently the highest rated dehumidifiers being sold on Amazon.  If you click on the image, you will see details, customer reviews, and prices.  The Soleus Air model, on the right, is probably the best value at the time I'm writing this.  It has the best price, and still hold 40 pints of water.  That is less than some larger models, but it all depends on what you are willing to spend and how much weight you give to customer reviews.  All three of these have excellent ratings though.

How to Dehumidify a Room: Top Rated Dehumidifiers

Frigidaire 50-Pint Dehumidifier, FAD504TDD

Sunpentown SD-65E Energy Star 65-Pint Dehumidifier

Soleus Air CFM-40 40-Pint Dehumidifier with Humidistat

Rooms in your home which are prone to dampness or even flooding need to be dehumidified on a regular basis to protect the health of your family and yourself. Below is a step by step guide on how to dehumidify a room which will help you when you want to know how to kill mold.

First, you will have to close all opening of the room which may let the humidity outside to seep in. Check for leaks in the piping and remove all stagnant water especially if the room you’re dehumidifying is the basement. For flooding problems in the basement (if your property was built below the water table), you should consult a professional about possibly having a sump pump installed.  Drainage tiles also help remove unnecessary moisture which may trigger mold and mildew growth.  Flooding problems don't just go away and they can cause a lot of damage (obviously).

Once the space is free from moisture, make your measurements. It is very important for you to choose the right kind of dehumidifier for the area of the room you’re planning to dehumidify. Otherwise, the unit won’t be as efficient as it should be. The capacity of the dehumidifier should be indicated in the box. Generally, though, a room that’s 400 sq. ft. should have a dehumidifier that’s at least 20 to 30 pt. A 1,300 sq. ft. room would require a more expensive but stronger 65 pt. unit.

The dehumidifier should be placed in the middle of the room for it to cover the space efficiently. The unit should be kept running all year long to make sure that the relative humidity of the room is stabilized. If the unit doesn’t have a hygrometer attached to it, you should buy one to keep track of the room’s humidity. The humidity of the room should be kept under 50% to prevent mold and mildew growth.

NOTE: One thing you will find when you start looking for a good dehumidifier, is that there are plenty of opinions about which one is the best.  As a way to help, I've spent a while looking around online at which units have received the best all around ratings over time.  It seemed that every time I found what looked like the best dehumidifier available, I'd find some negative comment to go along with all of the positives.  The units that are featured above, were selected from many home units that are available for sale  today.  At the time of this post, they have all received numerous positive comments and are among the most reasonably priced.  I hope they help you to get your humidity issues resolved long before you ever have to deal with property damage or health issues.

Here is a video explaining some of the options you have if humidity is a problem for you. If you are trying to deal with more than one room being overly humid, you may want to consider a whole house option.

Thanks for visiting, and please be sure to look around for more helpful home tips.  I hope you found this post helpful.  If you have been trying to figure out how to dehumidify a room, the key is to take action now, before the problem gets worse and destroys items that cannot be replaced.