Title: My Battle With Moldy Closets And Frizzy Hair
I’ve run into the same closet issues in a few older homes, and airflow really is the unsung hero. I once swapped out a solid closet door for a louvered one—definitely not a showpiece, but the difference was night and day for moisture. I do think those moisture tubs have their place, but only as a backup. The real game changer for me was installing a humidity sensor switch for the fan, so it only runs when needed. Not the prettiest fix, but at least it’s smarter than chasing after those tubs every month...
Swapping to a louvered door made a huge difference for me too, though I’ll admit I miss the look of the old solid one. If you’re up for a little DIY, drilling a few vent holes near the top and bottom of a solid door works in a pinch. Not pretty, but hey, neither is mold. I’ve also used a small clip-on fan inside the closet—sounds weird, but it actually helped keep things dry and my sweaters less musty.
I totally get missing the look of a solid door. Louvered doors just don’t have the same vibe, but man, they do make a difference for airflow. I tried the vent holes trick once—used a hole saw and covered them with decorative grilles to make it less ugly. Not high design, but better than staring at black spots on my shoes every few months. The fan idea is clever, too. I’ve also tossed in some silica gel packs from old shoe boxes, and they seem to help with the mustiness, at least a little.
I’ve swapped out a ton of closet doors for clients, and honestly, louvered ones are ugly but they work. I once tried drilling vent holes in a solid door and it looked like Swiss cheese—my wife hated it. Those silica packs help, but if you’ve got real humidity issues, sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and run a small dehumidifier in there. Not pretty, but it works.
Louvered doors really are the unsung heroes of the closet world—ugly as sin, but they get the job done. I’ve had clients beg me to “make it look nice” and, trust me, there’s only so much lipstick you can put on that pig. Drilling vent holes is a slippery slope (been there, patched that). If you’re dealing with serious humidity, a mini dehumidifier tucked in the corner is honestly the least painful route. Not glamorous, but neither is moldy cashmere...
