Picture this: it's a Friday night, you’re ready to break loose from the shackles of the 9-5 regime and kick it with an awesome night out. You call the gang, set a time and choose the perfect place to chill out and blow some steam. You get yourself all dressed up, beat your mug and get your hair done. When it’s time to vacate the premises, you take one final look in the mirror and you’re shook! Your hair’s puffier than Cousin It’s ‘fro after electrocution…
Meet humidity, Malta’s number one offender for bad hair days, lethargic behaviour, bouts of delirium and a butt load of "gasping for air" moments. Finding ways to fight the humid-effect on your lifestyle during the month of September is pretty darn hard, but there are a few natural tricks you can adopt. Some may be obvious but we’ll mention them anyway…just in case:
Crack a window open
This is one of the most obvious ones here, but are you doing it right? To rid your home of excess moisture, close your windows during the day and open them in the evening - this will keep the heat out, reduce your humidity and let the cool air in as the sun goes down. An old lady shared this wisdom with me, and old ladies never lie.
Got any leaks?
Cracked pipes? Leaking taps? Well, the water vapour here is just adding humidity to the hot mess you call home - sort out these pesky cracks and insulate any pipes. This should sort you out a tad.
Cover them pots
Did you know that moisture seeps out of potted plants through the surface of the soil? Huh, didn’t think of that one did you. Well…how about covering up the soil in your outdoor and indoor pots with some stylish pebbles? Not only will this kick humidity to the curb, but it will also look pretty.
Hit the dry button
AC running like a racehorse? Stick it on the dry setting to make sure you’re not adding moisture to the room when cooling. You may want to ventilate ever now and then since your nose will dry up as will your eyes and skin if you’re in an arid environment for too long.
Blast the fans
AC and fans? The electric company will have an absolute field day here, but the humidity in the air will drastically reduce if you help to move the air around the room with a fan. The more the air moves, the less opportunity moisture has to settle on absorbent surfaces.
Filter your filters
Your bathroom, kitchen and other rooms are probably equipped with dehumidifiers for sanitary reasons, but are the filters clean? Dehumidifiers, extractors and AC units need to have their filters replaced every year or so. If not replaced, any nasty bits may be absorbed into them.
Skimp on your showers
Before you lose your cool, the heading reads ‘skimp’ not ‘skip’ - we’d never encourage a stink fest in September’s heat. Reducing your shower time will generate less moisture in the air and, therefore, less humidity - it also benefits the environment and your pocket so it’s a win, win, win situation.
Take your clothes out
Drying your clothes is pretty quick and simple in the summer months and September is no different - hang your threads outdoors to reduce the musky smell on your fav t-shirt and eliminate the water vapour in your washroom.
Say goodbye to humidity with these eight simple fixes. No need to break the bank, hit the shops or even plan these adjustments out - just get cracking!