Title: My Battle With Moldy Closets And Frizzy Hair
Brass really does hold up, doesn’t it? I’ve replaced so many sagging plastic rods over the years—sometimes I wonder what folks were thinking in the 90s with all that cheap hardware. I’ve had good luck with cedar too, though I’ll admit, I once tried those “aromatic” cedar sachets and the scent was so strong it gave me a headache for days. Ended up sticking with the plain blocks after that.
Funny you mention moisture absorbers leaking. I had a similar mishap, but it was with one of those hanging bags. It dripped right onto a wool coat—total disaster, and of course, I didn’t notice until months later. Do you ever use those rechargeable silica gel canisters? I started putting them in smaller closets and they seem less risky than the liquid ones.
As for hair, it’s like a cruel joke—either my closet’s so damp my clothes smell like a basement, or it’s dry enough to fry my hair with static. Ever tried running a humidifier in the hallway outside the closet? Not perfect, but it helped me balance things out during winter.
Brass and cedar are the MVPs, honestly. I’ve had the same issue with those scented sachets—way too overpowering for me. The rechargeable silica gel canisters are a solid choice; I’ve been using them in my linen closet and haven’t had any leaks or weird smells. As for the hair, I swear by a bowl of water on the radiator in winter. Not high-tech, but it keeps things just damp enough that my sweaters don’t reek and my hair doesn’t poof up like a dandelion.
I’ve tried the bowl of water trick, but in my old house it just made the windows sweat and the wallpaper peel a bit—maybe it’s a draftier space thing? I ended up switching to wool dryer balls for static and just airing out the closets more often. Cedar’s great, but I’ve had to sand mine every couple years to keep the scent going.
Honestly, the bowl of water trick sounds better in theory than it works in older, drafty houses. You’re right—humidity just finds its way to the coldest surfaces and causes more trouble. If you’re battling moldy closets, I’d focus on sealing up drafts and maybe installing a small vent or louvered door. Controlling air flow makes a bigger difference than adding moisture. For the cedar, sanding helps, but I’ve had luck with cedar oil refreshers—less mess, lasts longer between touch-ups. Just my two cents after seeing a lot of these old houses…
Controlling air flow makes a bigger difference than adding moisture.
I’ve found this to be true in most of the older properties I’ve worked on. Drafts are sneaky, and once you start tracking them down, you realize how much they mess with both humidity and temperature balance. Have you tried using a thermal camera or even just an incense stick to spot where the air’s moving? Sometimes it’s not just windows—attic hatches, baseboards, even old electrical outlets can be culprits.
On the cedar front, I’m curious—when you use cedar oil refreshers, do you notice any residue or staining on clothes? I’ve had mixed results depending on the brand. Sanding is effective but gets tedious fast, especially if you’re dealing with a whole closet.
One thing that helped in a particularly stubborn house was installing a small, low-wattage fan on a timer inside the closet. Just enough to keep air moving without making things drafty. It didn’t solve everything, but it cut down on that musty smell and slowed mold growth quite a bit. Anyone else tried something similar?
