Title: My Battle With Moldy Closets And Frizzy Hair
You’re not wrong about louvered doors—they’re like the mullets of closet design. Business in the front, ventilation in the slats. I’ve replaced more than a few for folks who just can’t stand the look, but nine times out of ten, they end up coming back around to something vented after a few rounds with musty sweaters.
I get why people want to ditch them for something sleeker, but if you’ve got humidity issues, aesthetics kinda take a back seat. I’ve seen some people try those stick-on vent grilles on solid doors, but honestly, it always ends up looking like a patch job. If you’re determined to swap out the louvers, maybe try a Shaker-style door with an integrated metal mesh panel? It’s a little more modern but still lets air move.
The mini dehumidifier trick works, but I always worry about folks remembering to empty them. Ever had one overflow in a closet? Not fun.
Curious—has anyone tried those moisture-absorbing packets or cedar blocks and actually noticed a difference? Or is that just wishful thinking?
Cedar blocks have actually helped a bit in my own closet—at least with the smell, if not the humidity itself. The packets are hit or miss for me, especially if things get really damp. I do think airflow is underrated though. Mesh panels sound like a smart compromise, honestly. Has anyone tried running a small fan in the closet for a few hours a day? Wondering if that’s overkill or if it actually helps keep things fresher.
Running a small fan in the closet isn’t overkill at all—in fact, I’ve seen it make a noticeable difference in some of my clients’ homes, especially in older houses where airflow’s just not great. It’s wild how much just moving the air around helps with that musty smell and even keeps things from feeling so damp. Mesh panels are a solid idea too, especially if you’re not keen on leaving the door open all the time. I’d say give the fan a shot for a week or two, see if it helps. Sometimes it’s those little tweaks that finally tip the balance.
I’ve actually had a similar issue in one of my rental properties—old house, tiny closets, and the air just sits there. The fan trick worked, but I also tried a small dehumidifier and it made a bigger difference than I expected. Have you noticed if humidity levels in the rest of your place are high too, or is it just the closet? Sometimes it’s a sign there’s a bigger ventilation problem lurking.
Man, old houses and their closets are a whole different beast. I’ve run into this a bunch—sometimes it’s just the closet, but more often than not, there’s something else going on with airflow in the house. Had a client last year with a 1920s bungalow, and every closet smelled like a wet basement. We tried the usual—fans, DampRid, even those little cedar blocks (which honestly just made it smell like musty wood instead of musty clothes). Ended up tracing it back to a blocked soffit vent in the attic above. Once we cleared that out and added a louvered vent in the closet door, things dried up pretty quick.
Dehumidifiers definitely help, but if you’re emptying that thing every couple days, it’s probably worth poking around for leaks or spots where air isn’t moving. Sometimes it’s as simple as too much stuff packed in there—clothes jammed tight don’t let air circulate at all. I’ve seen folks drill a few holes near the top of closet doors or swap out solid doors for ones with slats. Not the prettiest fix, but it works.
Funny thing about frizzy hair—my wife swears she can tell when the humidity spikes before I even notice any mold. She’ll walk into the bedroom and say, “It’s a bad hair day, check the windows.” Nine times out of ten, she’s right and there’s condensation somewhere.
Anyway, sometimes it’s just old houses being stubborn, but sometimes it’s a sign you need to look at the bigger picture. Moldy closets are usually just the tip of the iceberg...
