Top 6 Household Items can be ruined by Humidity and the Best Solutions

Found near the equator and surrounded by sea, Singapore is a tropical country that experiences high humidity levels all year round. Surprisingly, many people are not aware of the adverse effects of humidity on many items in their homes. Some of these items include books and paintings, antique collections, furniture, and musical instruments as well as electronic devices.

How Do These Items Get Damaged?

1. Artwork

Works of Art such as paintings, that are on paper, tend to expand and contract in response to the changes in humidity during the day. This contributes to flaking, cracking and discolouration, and ending with a ruined piece of artwork. Ultimately, the quality of the art piece is affected and its subsequent value in the market takes a dive.

2. Furniture

Furniture tends to suffer the most from high humidity levels. Wood absorbs moisture in the more humid months, and this causes a lot of strain on the furniture. This could, in turn, cause it to become less stable, because the joints connecting the wood pieces have loosened. This leaves your favorite living room chair with annoying creaks and the family dining table a little too wobbly to support dinner.

3. Musical Instruments

Pianos, guitars, violins, and cellos are all high-quality pieces of musical instruments that could be damaged because of high humidity levels. Many of these instruments are made of wood, which is ideal for them to produce those beautiful sounds. However, an increase in the humidity level could cause them to expand and affect the quality of the music they produce. As the wood absorbs moisture, the keys stick together in the case of a piano, or the strings in the guitar or violin expand too much to play until they are unable to hold a tune.

4. Books

Avid readers tend to keep shelves upon shelves of books in their homes. These shelves serve as a symbol of pride to the reader and are a constant reminder of all the things he didn’t know. However, as humidity levels change during the day, these books tend to absorb moisture. They begin to get damp, and some might even begin to rot. The pages begin to get spotted or discoloured, and the words slowly begin to become illegible until irreparable damage occurs to the books.

5. Electrical Equipment

Increase in moisture levels could run the risk of damaging many electrical wirings and connections. The more exposed to high humidity a device is, the greater its chances of causing a short circuit. The damage that is caused usually cannot be repaired, resulting in major losses.

6. Photographs

Photographs tend to hold all the precious families memories created over the years. Singapore’s high humidity tends to increase the pace with which photographs age. A lot of moisture in the air can cause your pictures to become sticky and soft. This creates an environment for mold to grow between photographs in an album. When this happens, photos tend to stick together, and pulling them apart becomes impossible without resulting in sufficient damage to the picture or picture quality.

With an understanding of the damage that high humidity levels can cause to household items, it then becomes vital to try to find a solution. Fortunately, the humidity of the rooms in your house can be regulated. How to dehumidify a room, you ask? We will discuss it in detail in the following section.

6 Most Practical Humidity Solutions

When considering how to dehumidify a room in your home, it is important to consider the type of room and your budget limitations. The bathroom and kitchen tend to be more damp than other rooms in your home, and hence should be dealt with a bit differently from maybe the living room or bedrooms. In that regard, what follows is a list of ways to resolve humidity issues in your home.

1. Using an air conditioner

When battling the high humidity levels in Singapore, an air conditioner is vital to not only let the homeowner live in a tolerable condition but can be useful for the household equipment as well. Air conditioners help ensure there is a steady flow of air in and out of the room. This helps the household items to not suffer the stress that comes with the local temperature and humidity. Alternatively, air-conditioned units are also available at self storage facilities if you don’t prefer to stay in an air-conditioned environment while at home.

Using a hygrometer

A hygrometer is an inexpensive option that measures the humidity level in a room based on temperature and pressure. Depending on the reading, one can adjust the air-conditioning to the appropriate temperature and help in dehumidifying a room.

2. Planting succulents

Succulents are a great way to dehumidify your home. They are plants that absorb excess moisture while serving a decorative function as well.

3. Using dehumidifiers

Electric or disposable dehumidifiers help lower moisture levels in the home. Electric dehumidifiers not only protect your furniture but also make living more pleasurable. Piano retailers often encourage owners to plug in the dehumidifying element to keep the instrument in tiptop condition. Packets of desiccant or silical gel thrown in the back of bookshelves protect the integrity of thousands of delicate pages and precious photographs, and you can easily replace the packets when they become saturated.

4. Checking for leaks from taps and ceilings

Taps and ceilings that leak spell danger for the households as they only provide a breeding ground for mold and mildew. This, paired with high humidity levels could cause irreparable damage to many items as well as creating foul smells in the house if not dealt with.

5. Having proper ventilation

When your house is well ventilated, it helps ensure that there is a steady flow of fresh air going in and out of your home, even in the most humid of months. Open windows and doors for a few hours when you are home to let air circulate though every room. This helps protect your valuables from the growth of mold and mildew and prevent foul smells in the home.

But what if these options fail? Even with all these attempts to guard your home against pesky humidity levels, some items still seem to fall victim to irreparable damage. At this point, one should consider venturing into professional assistance with companies that help provide well ventilated solutions for your household items. StorHub Self Storage service in Singapore is one such company.

StorHub Self Storage

The company offers well-maintained self storage spaces at an affordable price. They boast of 13 facilities in Singapore and provide spaces that vary in cost and size. These spaces come with industry-standard air-conditioning, packing materials, and insurance policies as well as 24/7 access to your storage unit. StorHub Self Storage also has friendly staffs that are ready to provide you with any assistance you need. Do not let the weather ruin your precious household items, make use of these spaces today.

Contact StorHub Self Storage service in Singapore today for any questions and concerns or visit their website for more information.