I get what you’re saying about airflow, but I’ve actually had the opposite experience with louvered doors—maybe it’s just my luck or the way my house is set up. I swapped mine out for solid doors and ran a small dehumidifier, and that finally stopped the musty smell (and my sweaters stopped feeling damp). Maybe it depends on climate? I’m in the southeast, so humidity’s always lurking. Anyone else find louvered doors just let in more dust than they help with moisture?
Funny, I’ve had the opposite experience in a few of my rentals. Louvered doors have actually helped with airflow and kept closets fresher, but I’m up in the mid-Atlantic where it’s humid, but not quite as relentless as the southeast. I do get what you’re saying about dust, though—those slats are basically a welcome mat for it. Had one tenant complain about having to dust her shoes every week.
One thing I’ve noticed: sometimes it’s less about the door and more about what’s going on behind the walls or under the floor. Had a place where we swapped out louvered doors for solid ones and still had that musty funk until we realized there was zero insulation behind the closet wall facing the crawlspace. Once we fixed that (and added a small vent fan), problem solved.
I guess it really is a “your mileage may vary” thing depending on how your house is built and where you live. Humidity’s a beast... sometimes you just gotta try everything until something sticks.
Been there with the closet mustiness and frizzy hair—my wallet’s still recovering from all the “solutions” I’ve tried. Gotta say, though, louvered doors didn’t do me any favors. Here’s my take:
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Yup, and if you’re allergic like me, it’s pretty much a sneeze factory.“those slats are basically a welcome mat for it [dust].”
- Tried a cheap stick-on weatherstrip and a bowl of baking soda in the closet. Not glamorous, but it helped more than the doors ever did.
- Insulation’s great if you can swing it, but not everyone’s got the budget (or patience) for that project.
- Sometimes, I just crack the door and run a box fan on laundry day. Low-tech, but my sneakers don’t smell like a swamp anymore.
Humidity wins most rounds, but I’m not giving up yet.
Moldy closets and frizzy hair really do go hand in hand, don’t they? I’ve been knee-deep in my own closet overhaul lately, and it’s wild how many “solutions” end up being more hype than help. Louvered doors seemed like a smart idea at first—ventilation, right? But yeah, the dust situation is unreal. I’m not even that sensitive, but I swear I could write my name in the stuff after a week.
Weatherstripping and baking soda are underrated, honestly. I tried the same combo after reading about it somewhere, and while it’s not exactly a miracle cure, it does take the edge off that musty smell. The only downside is remembering to swap out the baking soda before it turns into a weird clump.
Insulation is one of those things that sounds great in theory, but when you’re staring at your bank account and a weekend’s worth of work, it’s hard to justify. I keep telling myself I’ll get around to it “eventually,” but for now, I’m with you—box fan on laundry day, door cracked open, and just hoping for the best.
Humidity really does seem to have a mind of its own. I’ve started keeping a cheap hygrometer in the closet just to see if anything I’m doing is actually making a difference. Sometimes it feels like a losing battle, but every little improvement counts. At least my shoes don’t smell like pond water anymore... small victories, right?
Hang in there. It’s a process, and sometimes the low-tech fixes end up being the most reliable.
I get what you’re saying about insulation being a big lift, but honestly, I think it’s more worth it than it seems. I put it off forever too, but after finally biting the bullet and insulating the back wall of my closet, the humidity swings dropped way more than I expected. It wasn’t as pricey as I thought either—just some foam board and a Saturday afternoon. The dust situation with louvered doors drove me nuts, though. Ended up swapping them for solid doors with a vent up high, which helped with airflow but didn’t turn my closet into a dust trap. Not perfect, but my sweaters are grateful.
