5 Ways to Tackle Humidity in Your Kitchen

Congratulations on designing and getting your dream kitchen built, but now you’re worried about the dampness and the moisture which will ruin your beautiful wooden cabinets & doors.

When excess moisture raises its ugly head it brings along molds, musty odors, and fosters bacteria as well. National floor safety institute researchers also found that almost 3 million people are injured in slip and fall accidents while working in their kitchens due to humidity. Below are some tips to keep your kitchen clean and save from moisture for a long period of time:

1. Choose A Suitable Location

One of the most important factors in where you live is how humid your house or the area is. Most homes including kitchens in Southern America are moist by over 50 to 60% which is above the recommended level of 30% to prevent any kind of mold or bacterial growth. Due to the excessive running water and the refrigerator, kitchens and bathrooms tend to have more humidity than the rest of the house. If your sink, pantry, and fridge are close to each other you need to be extra careful. We recommend looking for an area in your house which is more cooler and dry such as in older homes the pantry used to be in the basement to save fruits from turning rotten faster. Cabinets are easier to tackle than the pantry but make sure to waterproof your cabinets to actively reduce the transfer of moisture. 

2. Humidification System

For larger commercial kitchens a great HVAC system helps reduce the humidification but for smaller kitchen pantry you can use an electronic dehumidifier which will prevent the musty  and irritating odor produced by molds and mildew. Apart from the pantry your kitchen cabinet is also at risk of fungus because water tends to run in and out of the sink regularly throughout the day. To combat this we recommend buying a humidifier which is odourless if you would prefer not having a particular smell in your kitchen only. Also buy one that uses non-toxic components that can be placed anywhere in the kitchen from cabinets to the pantry.

3. Right Size Of AC Unit

To get a little technical but there is something that every homeowner needs to understand is the difference between sensible cooling and latent heat and sensible cooling lowest temperature of the Year while eating and cooling helps remove humidity. For centuries the air conditioning equipment was designed to use 25% of their capacity for latent cooling and reminder for sensible cooling. But to make them energy efficient in recent years modern equipment uses only 10 to 15% of its capacity for humidity mitigation. To make matters worse,the modern close buildings also add to the problem. We recommend getting an HVAC expert to choose the right equipment and ventilation for your kitchen.

4. House Plants

Many indoor plants help absorb moisture and reduce the damage caused to your home and kitchen due to moisture. When these plants are used in combination with other humidity solutions, these plants can help immensely absorb unwanted stickiness and fungus hazards. Peace Lily, reed palm, english ivy, boston fern, tillandsia are some of the plants you could use. Each of these plants have different needs such as intake of water, sunlight and are easily replaceable from the market.

5. Use The Fans

Whether it is ceiling fan or exhaust fan when it comes to humidity they are your best friends. Keep the ceiling fan in your drawing room off place closer to the kitchen while cooking to keep the humidity in the room circulating. Having an exhaust fan installed on top of that using it, is something most people forget to do while they’re cooking. It is not only limited to cooking but while using the dishwasher and specially when you are doing the dishes make sure the exhaust fans are on to remove excess heat from the kitchen. When you are done doing the dishes keep the exhaust fan on for at least an hour to help the kitchen cabinets in the sink area dry faster.

Final Thoughts

Kitchens can be problem areas, but if you follow the 5 ways set out in this article to tackle humidity, then you’re on the road to avoiding any issues. A less humid kitchen means the air in your room will be nicer to breathe, you will avoid mould growth, and your lovely paintwork will stay cleaner for longer. We hope these tips help you. Each of the things mentioned above bring down the humidity of the kitchen and if they are used in combination with each other, it works wonders. Comment below some of your DIY tips to reduce humidity that might have worked in your area.