Moldy closets and frizzy hair—man, I feel like that’s the story of my life every summer. You’re not alone in wondering if you’re doing too much or too little with vents. I used to think more airflow was always better, but after drilling a couple of extra holes in one closet (and regretting it), I realized it just made things draftier without really fixing the humidity problem. Sometimes it even felt like it made things worse on those muggy days.
Running the dehumidifier with the door mostly closed has been my sweet spot too. If I leave the door wide open, it seems like the dehumidifier ends up working overtime and barely keeps up. But if I close it all the way, I get that musty smell creeping back in. It’s a balancing act for sure.
Totally agree about those sachets—half the time they just end up smelling stale or weirdly perfumey. Cedar blocks are a game changer though. I tossed a few in my drawers and haven’t looked back. They don’t mask the smell so much as just keep things fresh, and they last forever if you give them a light sanding every now and then.
If you’re still getting frizzy hair, maybe try running the dehumidifier at night too? That seemed to help me, especially when I started keeping a small fan going to circulate air inside the closet. Not sure if it’s scientific, but my clothes and hair both seem happier.
Honestly, you’re doing great just by paying attention to this stuff. Most people just ignore it until their shoes start growing fuzz...
I get where you’re coming from with the dehumidifier and mostly-closed door routine, but I’ve actually had better luck focusing on sealing up the closet *really* well and then using a passive moisture barrier. Hear me out—when I tried the “crack the door, run the dehumidifier” thing, it helped a bit, but I was still fighting that musty smell and my electric bill went up. What finally worked for me was lining the inside walls with a vapor barrier (just heavy-duty plastic sheeting, nothing fancy), then sealing any gaps around the baseboards and ceiling. After that, I only needed to run the dehumidifier on the worst days.
It’s not as quick as tossing in cedar blocks (which are great, don’t get me wrong), but it cut down on both mold and humidity swings. Plus, my clothes don’t feel clammy anymore. If you’re handy or up for a weekend project, it might be worth a shot. Sometimes airflow just brings in more humid air from other parts of the house... sealing things up can make a bigger difference than you’d think.
Sealing up tight with a vapor barrier is honestly underrated. I did something similar in my old place—plastic sheeting, caulk around every weird gap, the works. It took a Saturday and a lot of crawling around, but the difference was night and day. Less musty smell, less humidity, and yeah, my electric bill chilled out. Sometimes the “just add airflow” advice doesn’t cut it, especially if your whole house is humid. Nice to hear someone else had luck with the hands-on approach.
Sometimes the “just add airflow” advice doesn’t cut it, especially if your whole house is humid.
Yeah, I hear that a lot too, but honestly, sealing things up made a bigger difference for me than any fan or dehumidifier ever did. I used to get that musty closet smell every summer—plastic sheeting and some patience fixed it. Only thing I’d add is to double-check for hidden leaks first. Otherwise you’re just trapping moisture inside.
Sealing stuff up definitely helped in my case too, but I feel like it’s a bit of a balancing act. I tried heavy-duty plastic sheeting in my crawlspace last year, and it cut down on the damp smell a lot. But then, weirdly, the humidity in the house felt higher for a while? Maybe I didn’t find all the leaks (old house problems), or maybe it’s just that moisture had nowhere to go except up. Did you run into that at all?
I’m also curious how you handled ventilation after sealing things up. I read somewhere that if you make everything airtight but don’t add some way for air to circulate or escape, you can end up with condensation inside your walls. That sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen... but I’m not sure how real that risk is or if it’s just internet paranoia.
Honestly, the musty closet thing drove me nuts for years—especially when my clothes would start picking up that smell. I tried those little moisture absorber tubs and even charcoal bags, but they barely made a dent. The only thing that really worked was pulling everything out and letting the closet air out for a full day after sealing up gaps around the floorboards. Still get nervous every time it rains though.
How do you know when you’ve actually solved the problem vs just hiding it? Sometimes I feel like I’m playing whack-a-mole with this stuff.
