Does a Dehumidifier Kill Mold?

When the humidity in your home is too much to bare, what do you do? If you have a leak in your roof or an appliance is faulty, you fix the problem from its source. But if you can’t fix the problem, mold starts growing and will turn your home into a fungi nightmare. When dealing with such a problem, you might ask yourself: does a dehumidifier remove mold? Let’s find out below.

What is a dehumidifier?

Dehumidifiers are portable devices that pull moisture from the air, decreasing the dampness in a room. Ideally, you’d want your home to have a relative humidity between 30 and 60%. This improves comfort and decreases health risks. To monitor the humidity in your home, use a hygrometer, which can be found at most home improvement stores.

Does a dehumidifier remove mold?

Removing all mold spores from your home is nearly impossible. Mold stays “dormant” in the air or on surfaces even when there’s no excess moisture to help it grow. If the humidity in a room increases, mold will start growing in patches on walls, clothes, and more. So, to answer your question, dehumidifiers do NOT kill mold, but they do prevent it by reducing humidity.

If you have a mold problem in your home, don’t wait. Mold spreads as long as it has a water source. Remove the mold and stop the moisture source (leak, condensation, high humidity, etc.) to prevent more damage and costly repairs. Call a professional restoration company to efficiently deal with the mold and the moisture problem.

So what are the benefits?

Controlling the amount of moisture in your home has health benefits. Dust, mold, pet dander, and other allergens can overtake your home if indoor humidity is too high. Dehumidifiers help reduce these indoor pollutants that can cause allergy triggers such as stuffy nose, itch eyes, sneezing or skin rashes. Dehumidifiers also reduce the musty odors linked to high humidity.

In addition to health benefits, dehumidifiers protect wooden items from moisture. Too much moisture in your home can damage your furniture and hardwood.

How do I choose a dehumidifier?

Choosing the right dehumidifier depends on the humidity in your area and how much moisture is released in your home. It’s generally a good idea to have one installed in the basement, bathroom or kitchen where humidity levels are higher.

There are dehumidifiers made for small rooms, but models that cover a whole house also exist. The smallest dehumidifiers absorb 30 pints per day and the largest, 90 pints per day.

So can you use a dehumidifier to kill the mold in your home? Unfortunately, no. But, they do play an important role in preventing mold by reducing humidity. To get rid of mold in your home, it must be removed physically. For mold remediation service and water damage repair, contact your local PuroClean office.