Yeah, those crystals are pretty much useless in my experience too. I tried them once in a rental and they just made a mess—didn’t help with the damp at all. Airflow’s really the only thing that’s ever worked for me. I know venting can be a pain, especially in older places, but even just propping the door open a crack made a difference for me. Sometimes I’ll stick an old fan in there for a few hours if it’s really bad.
Honestly, you’re not alone with the moldy closet struggle. It’s frustrating, but you’re doing what you can. Don’t beat yourself up over it—some houses just fight you every step of the way. Keep at it, and don’t waste money on those gimmicks.
Mold’s a nightmare, no question. I’ve seen so many folks throw money at those moisture crystals and gimmicky dehumidifier bags, only to be right back where they started a month later—sometimes worse off, with that weird chemical powder everywhere. The real issue is almost always ventilation, like you said. If the air can’t move, moisture just hangs around and breeds mold. In older homes especially, closets are basically little sealed-off boxes. Even the tiniest bit of airflow helps.
One thing I’ve noticed, though—sometimes people overlook the source of the damp itself. Leaky pipes in the walls, gaps around windows letting rain seep in, or even just poorly insulated exterior walls can all contribute. I once opened up a closet wall for a client and found a slow drip from an upstairs bathroom pipe... it was wrecking everything inside without anyone realizing. Have you ever checked for anything like that? Sometimes sniffing around for that musty smell near baseboards or corners gives it away.
I’m also curious if anyone’s ever tried installing louvered doors or passive vents in their closet doors. It’s not always pretty, but it can make a massive difference if you’re stuck fighting constant humidity and don’t want to run fans all day. Not saying it’s a cure-all—if you’re dealing with actual water intrusion, nothing beats fixing the root cause—but it’s way more effective than tossing crystals in and hoping for the best.
And yeah, humidity’s brutal on hair too... My wife jokes her “closet hair” is its own weather system during summer here. At least with closets there are some fixes, even if they aren’t glamorous.
Has anyone had luck with those small plug-in dehumidifiers? I’ve seen mixed results—sometimes they work wonders in tiny spaces, sometimes they barely make a dent. Just wondering what people have actually experienced with them.
Louvered doors made a world of difference in our upstairs closets. Not the prettiest, but honestly, I’ll take ugly over that swampy smell any day. We had a similar hidden leak—turned out to be old flashing around a window, slow drip for who knows how long. Took ages to track down because it only showed up after heavy rain. As for those plug-in dehumidifiers, I’ve tried two brands in our linen closet. One barely kept up, the other actually filled its tank every couple days in July... but both needed constant emptying and didn’t touch the root problem. Ventilation’s been the real fix here, even if it means living with slatted doors and the occasional draft.
Louvered doors really are the unsung heroes of old houses, aren’t they? I’ve swapped out more solid closet doors for slatted ones than I can count. Folks always groan about the look at first, but after a few weeks of dry clothes and no musty funk, they usually come around. Reminds me of a job last spring—client had a walk-in that smelled like a gym bag left in the rain. We found a tiny roof leak that only showed up when the wind hit just right. It’s wild how sneaky water can be.
Funny thing, I’ve seen some folks try to “pretty up” their louvers with paint or even fabric panels, but then you’re back to square one with airflow. Have you ever tried dressing up your louvered doors, or do you just embrace the utilitarian look? I’m always curious if anyone’s found a happy medium between function and style.
I’ve actually tried painting my louvered doors, but honestly, it was more trouble than it was worth. The slats are a pain to cover evenly and I swear it messed with the airflow a bit. I ended up sanding them back down. I’ve wondered about swapping out the knobs or adding some trim to dress them up, but not sure if that’s just asking for dust traps. Has anyone tried using those magnetic vent covers on the inside during winter? I’m tempted, but worried it’ll just make things stuffy again...
