As I've found out, if you suffer from seasonal allergies, an air purifier is an absolute essential for the spring and summer months.

But, HVAC experts advise, the placement of your purifier is far more important than you may think, and the height at which you place it can make a drastic difference in its performance.

Here's everything you need to know about the best place to put an air purifier throughout the sunnier seasons.

Ian Palmer-Smith, appliance repair expert at Domestic & General, shares, 'As a general rule of thumb, you should place the air purifier five or six feet above the floor to ensure the correct airflow all around the purifier for optimum performance. Putting it on the floor would restrict the airflow and reduce performance.'

In my bedroom, where I use my best air purifier most often − the IKEA UPPÅTVIND Air Purifier − I place it on a chair at night, away from the walls. Now, I know that placing it on an even higher shelf will allow it to work even better.

Jordan Benjamin, owner and president of Done Rite Services, agrees. 'Dust, allergens, and other contaminants tend to circulate most around head level, so placing your air purifier around five to six feet above the floor allows it to pull air from an active air region and do its job in the most efficient way possible,' he advises. 'If you place an air purifier on the floor, you’re forcing the unit to deal with restricted air flow due to furniture, carpets, et cetera.'

As for where you should place an air purifier in a bedroom, in a kitchen, or anywhere else, Ian adds that there isn't a 'one size fits all' answer.

'But,' he emphasizes, 'they should be in an area with no obstructions and no sufficient flow of air, as well as always at least six inches away from any furniture or walls.'

And, Jordan adds, while many people use their air purifier around areas that tend to produce strong odors, like in or near a kitchen, bathroom, or cat litter box, it's important to remember that air purifiers are designed to do more than simply reduce odor.

'Their main purpose is to clean the air and improve indoor air quality, so don’t limit their placement to smelly areas,' he says. 'Whatever room you spend a lot of time in is a great candidate for an air purifier.'

What to Shop

Below, you can shop from a selection of our tried, tested, and recommended air purifiers for use all around the home.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the Expert

If you're wondering how to choose the right air purifier for your home, our expert guide includes everything you need to know.

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If, like me, seasonal allergies are keeping you awake, you're not alone. Trying to balance the cost of running your AC for pollen-free cooling at night, or opening a window for fresh air but accepting the sneezing and itchy eyes that come with it, is a persistent nuisance in later spring for many, with over a quarter of adults in the US suffering.

If this feels all too familiar to you, the bestselling UPPÅTVIND Air Purifier from IKEA is compact, affordable, and tastefully designed.

Its filter is optimized to filter away more than 99.5% of small airborne particles, such as dust and pollen, so it will help you sleep better without running up your energy bills as the temperature and pollen counts continue to rise.

IKEA's Compact Purifier Helps Me Sleep in Pollen-Heavy Spring

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

If you suffer from allergies, keeping a bed cool in summer won't be your only concern. Additionally, dust and pollen can hamper any efforts to get a good night's rest, no matter which sleep position or sleep hacks you try.

According to the Allergy & Asthma Network, over a quarter of adults based in the US suffer from seasonal allergies. This is something I'm met with every spring and summer, and why I was so intrigued and excited to try the UPPÅTVIND Air Purifier from IKEA.

Typically, the best air purifiers carry a premium price tag, but at just $49.99, this IKEA one is budget-friendly. And it doesn't have that bulky, plastic look that's so typical, either – instead, it's small, sleek, and even features an ergonomic carrying handle for convenient portability.

On the lowest setting, it's more than quiet enough to sleep with it on, and the medium and highest settings will work in just the same way as white noise or sleep frequencies if you find, like me, that that kind of low-level sound helps you get to sleep.

It's also extremely easy to set up – I'd say it took me about 30 seconds to take off the front grill cover, insert the included filter, pop the cover back on, and plug it in.

Since I started using it, I've had no issues with it unexpectedly stopping or starting, and I have found it a simple and effective way to combat common allergens.

To that end, I've noticed a significant reduction in how often I wake up with itchy eyes, an irritated nose, and throat, and haven't found myself struggling to sleep and wheezing late into the evening.

I don't commonly allow my four dogs into my bedroom, but if you often share yours with a furry friend or two, using the UPPÅTVIND Air Purifier is an easy way to reduce pet dander in the bedroom, too.

One thing to note: There's no timer setting, which is, I'd wager, a direct reflection of that lower price point. But that didn't stop one verified five-star reviewer, Anthony, from cleverly using it with a smart plug, available at Amazon.

'The UPPÅTVIND is a great addition for a bedroom or small-medium open floor room at a great price,' they say in their review on the IKEA site. 'It's multi-placement and minimalist design helps it fade away, while it remains minimally noisy when on low.

'The best part about it, and why I bought more again, is that it retains its mode (1-3) even after power loss, so you can use a smart plug to automate on/off at a set mode level. Great for automatically turning it on in the morning to freshen the air, and when I'm away from home.'

It's undoubtedly a useful addition when setting up a smart home, particularly if it works to banish one of the most common things in your bedroom that could be ruining your sleep – allergens.

More to Shop

If, like me, you find yourself battling allergens every spring and summer, shop from a selection of more air purifiers below, all of which are among the best hay fever remedies for the home.

This low-energy bedroom hack stops allergies at night if you have pets: Simply pop a blanket over your bed during the day to prevent their dander getting onto your best bedding.

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As an asthma and allergy sufferer, I couldn't live without my air purifier, but that hasn't stopped me from resenting how much space my bulky appliance takes up at home.

But IKEA has launched a subtle, minimalist solution that hides in plain sight: The IKEA STARKVIND air purifying table. Designed to blend into your space with dual functionality, it would work equally as well as a living room side table as it would a bedside table.

And with its natural oak finish, you wouldn't guess that this minimalist side table is purifying your air in the background. It's easily one of the best air purifiers to save precious floor space.

The IKEA STARKVIND is the perfect blend of style and function. By bringing the air purifier into a side table, which would look just as good in a living room as it would next to your bedside, you're not compromising on the huge benefits of air purification, but the space that's taken up can still be used to add to your interior and adorn your space.

I say this as a sufferer of asthma and allergies, as I feel these benefits every day at home. Air purifiers improve our indoor air quality by removing particles from household allergens like pollen and dander, as well as odors and pollution.

The IKEA STARKVIND can purify spaces up to 215 square feet, with a particle filter that is optimized to filter approximately 99.5% of smaller airborne particles such as dust and pollen.

And if paired with the $35 IKEA STARKVIND gas filter, the table will also be able to remove odors and harmful gases found in household substances, such as formaldehyde and the VOCs that can come from cleaning sprays, as well as outdoor smog and tobacco smoke.

Improving air quality at home benefits your health and well-being, and it isn't just about 'breathing cleaner', but removing damaging pollutants from your indoor air. This can result in healthier lungs, clearer skin, fewer viruses being spread, and reduced impact from the outdoor air pollution that can creep indoors when we start opening up windows at length in balmy spring weather.

And as it looks so stylish as a bedside table, the IKEA STARKVIND is the kind of smart tech that can improve your sleep. I use my air purifier every night, and I rarely wake up congested or with asthma flare-ups, but unfortunately, I've had to dedicate a significant portion of my bedroom to a bulky appliance that really stands out from the rest of my interior.

So, to have finally found one that can blend into my space so seamlessly is a major win.

To blend into your space naturally, you can hide the cable in one of the table legs, and the control is a subtle dial at the side of the table. Unless it's turned up to full, most people probably wouldn't even notice it's an appliance.

The STARKVIND Air Purifying Table is available at IKEA US and IKEA UK.

More to Shop

The IKEA STARKVIND is a rare marrying of style and function, one that actually comes with great benefit to the comfort and well-being we can feel at home, without cluttering the space with tech that stands out.

Here are a few more options to consider that can help improve your air quality at home.

All prices correct at time of publication.

Air purifiers are essential, but they're not the only step to take when improving your air quality and getting a better night's sleep.

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If banishing toxic items from your home is top of your 2026 to-do list, where better to start than with your bedroom's air quality?

After all, it's the space where you relax, unwind, and get a good night's rest, so anything hampering your ability to do any of those things healthily is an unwelcome one that has to go.

I spoke to toxicology experts for their guidance on which toxic item in your bedroom you should prioritize banishing first, and the answer might surprise you as air fresheners are often found in most rooms of the house.

Toxic Air Fresheners Should Be Immediately Banished From Your Bedroom

We're all about designing bedrooms for better sleep and making bedrooms smell like luxurious hotel suites. But, warns Jeanine Humphrey, air quality specialist with M.A.R.S Environmental, there's one item that should never be part of your sleep space – plug-in air fresheners. So, are air fresheners toxic? In short, yes.

Jeanine explains, 'Reducing nighttime chemical exposure is extremely impactful. Plug-in air fresheners emit fragrances 24/7 and are one of the most overlooked sources of indoor air quality problems. They should be removed from the bedroom because they continuously release VOCs and synthetic fragrance chemicals into the air all day and night long.

'Those chemicals accumulate overnight in enclosed spaces, and people are breathing that in while they're sleeping. Exposure to such has been linked to headaches, sleep disruption, asthma flare-ups, and hormone disruption.

'Your bedroom should be a recovery space for your body, lungs, and nervous system instead of a space where chemicals are released for hours straight.'

Therefore, while you may be prioritizing making your home smell nice, what you really should be focusing on are non-toxic ways to make your home smell nice, particularly if you're keen to avoid any air-quality mistakes this year.

Jason Iuculano, founder of ZeroToxins, agrees with Jeanine. 'I'd certainly suggest air fresheners – especially plug-ins and fragranced sprays – as the one item to remove from the bedroom,' he shares.

'These are massive endocrine disruptors. Over 75 percent of households use them, and they can release VOCs and synthetic chemicals that linger for a long time in enclosed spaces like bedrooms and significantly impact air quality and sleep.'

What to Do Instead

So, instead, Jeanine recommends:

• Use activated charcoal odor absorbers, available at Amazon, which work to effectively remove odors without releasing fragrances or chemicals. Jeanine adds, 'They are also ideal for bedrooms and closets and are non-toxic and safe for children and pets.'
• Add one of the best air purifiers to your bedroom, preferably one with a HEPA filter, such as the LEVOIT Air Purifier available at Amazon. 'Even better, combine both by looking for a HEPA purifier with carbon filters,' adds Jeanine. 'These are especially helpful for those who suffer from allergies.'
• Open your windows for a little bit each day – and yes, you should open your windows, even in winter.
• Wash, dry, and care for your bed linen weekly, to ensure a fresh sleep space and optimal sleep hygiene. This is one of the crucial things people with clean bedrooms always do.
• Finally, control the humidity in your home to keep nighttime bedroom levels at 40 to 50 percent. This will help avoid sore throats and dry mouths overnight. A hygrometer, available at Amazon, is ideal for keeping an eye on levels.

More to Shop

Meet the Experts

It's not just your bedroom you need to worry about – there's also toxic bathroom storage you'll need to replace, and microplastic switches to make in the kitchen.

North-facing rooms can feel perpetually chilly, especially during damp winter months. Even with the heat on, moisture in the air makes these spaces feel colder and clammy, leaving you reaching for extra blankets just to stay cozy.

Experts say the quickest way to solve this problem is surprisingly simple: A dehumidifier. By removing excess moisture from the air, they work to make your heating system more efficient without having to turn it up.

The best news? It only takes about 30 minutes before bed to notice the difference. Here is how to make the most of this quick hack.

How a Dehumidifier Makes North-Facing Rooms Feel Warmer

To begin, it is important to note that even the best dehumidifiers do not make a room cooler or warmer. While they use fans, they are not designed to change the actual temperature of the room.

Rather, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air. As a result, the air is easier to heat, making it easier to keep a home warm all day while cutting energy bills.

Tamer Sayed, a heating expert and the owner-operator of Tamas Mechanical, explains, 'Drier air feels warmer than moist or humid air. During winter, turning on the dehumidifier helps the heater by removing the moisture in the air and the coldness that it brings. North-facing rooms receive minimal sunlight compared to others. They're colder and more humid as a result.'

When controlling humidity in a house, you want to aim for around 30-50% humidity. This will make a home feel warmer without turning up the heat, without your home feeling dry and without leaving your house open to the risk of mold.

When to Run a Dehumidifier to Help North-Facing Rooms Feel Warmer

To create the perfect bedroom sanctuary in a damp-feeling north-facing room, run the dehumidifier for at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. This will help to remove the 'clammy' feeling while making the room feel warmer.

If you don't mind the low-level noise, it can also be helpful to run a dehumidifier as you sleep, so as to prevent mold. Use the built-in timers and humidistats on a dehumidifier to ensure it turns off before your room becomes too dry; however, to avoid irritating your airways as you sleep.

Otherwise, you should run the dehumidifier at any signs of damp, says Eli Zimmer, CEO at Luxaire HVAC Services. 'If your home has a lot of “damp chill” or you notice some condensation on your walls during the winter, a dehumidifier can help with that,' he explains.

It’s also worth noting that running a dehumidifier can complement other measures to improve indoor air quality. Opening windows briefly on dry days (known as shock ventilation), using extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens, and checking for leaks or damp spots can all work in tandem with a dehumidifier to create a healthier home.

What to Shop

Meet the Experts

A cozy bedroom also relies on the best bed sheets to make a bed feel luxurious. Paired with the chic hotel method, you'll never want to get up on chilly winter mornings.

After days of cooking, burning candles, and extra company, the air inside your home is more polluted than you might realize. That's why experts are urging homeowners to perform a ‘Great Air Reset’ on December 27 – a simple, three-step air clean-up.

Whether you’ve spent the holidays entertaining or simply keeping cozy with scented candles and a roaring fire, your air quality has likely taken a hit. Fine particles, smoke, and chemicals build up indoors, lingering long after guests have left.

Luckily, restoring air quality and freshness indoors doesn’t take much effort – and one of the best air purifiers can make all the difference. Our pros reveal how to quickly restore air quality before the new year.

Why Indoor Air Quality Worsens After Christmas Hosting

Dr. Lyndsey Darrow, professor of public health at the University of Nevada, Reno. explains, ‘Holiday activities including increased cooking, woodburning, burning candles or using other fragrance-emitting substances, such as essential oil diffusers, release particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful air pollutants into our indoor environments.

‘These pollutants are known to be associated with both respiratory and cardiovascular problems like asthma and heart attacks, so doing what we can to minimize exposures to these pollutants is worthwhile.'

All the things we love about Christmas hosting can also add to indoor air pollution, explains Sam Simon, COO at ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons. From candles to cooking fumes, many of these pollutants are among the secret things polluting your air quality.

Sam says, 'Cooking a big meal releases fine particles, candles produce soot, and decorations that have been sitting in storage can kick up dust and allergens. Add a full house of guests and pets into the mix, and your indoor air can get pretty stale and heavy fast.’

In winter, the issue becomes worse because we ventilate less, and keeping windows closed traps contaminants inside. ‘It’s not only more chemicals and scents indoors, but also the fact that people rarely ventilate their homes, being afraid of losing heat,’ adds Megan Doser, owner and CEO at Doctor Fix It Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric.

Even seemingly harmless habits, such as using air fresheners or burning incense, can worsen things. As Josh Locker of AUX AIR USA notes, ‘Homes may smell festive, but the air can actually be more polluted than before.’

If you’re using plug-ins or sprays, you could be making one of the classic mistakes, compromising air quality. Here are the three easy fixes you can action today for an easy air reset.

1. Ventilate with open windows

It might seem counterintuitive in winter, but opening your windows briefly each day is one of the easiest ways to improve indoor air. ‘A quick air exchange brings in fresh air and pushes out stale air,’ says Sam. Even a few minutes can help – just be strategic about timing, opening windows when outdoor pollution is low and the room is receiving sunshine to reduce heat loss.

Opening the windows is something you should do in winter, and shock ventilation, when it's only done for a few minutes, will preserve overall room temperature and help keep your house warm without turning up the heat, whilst crucially circulating fresh air inside rapidly.

If you live in an urban area, balancing warmth and ventilation can be tricky, but improving air quality when living in a city is essential. To stay warm, a portable heater like this Dreo Space Heater at Walmart will allow you to open the windows without feeling too icy.

2. Clean or Replace HVAC Filters

After weeks of cooking, entertaining, and decorating, your HVAC system has likely been working overtime. ‘That old filter is probably clogged,’ says Arthur. ‘Change it immediately – or even better, upgrade to a higher-efficiency filter like a MERV 11 or higher.’

You can find MERV 11 HVAC filters for different AC units at Home Depot.

Dirty filters not only reduce airflow but can also recirculate particles. ‘If you’re still taking down decorations and cleaning, you’re at a critical point for controlling pollutants,’ Arthur continues. Run your HVAC fan continuously during this time to pull more air through the filter.

It’s also smart to schedule a professional HVAC inspection. As Josh notes, winter is a great time since filters, ducts, and coils tend to collect more debris. A clean system helps prevent the common household items polluting your air from lingering longer than they should, and forgetting to do so is one of many home maintenance mistakes never to make in winter.

3. Use an Air Purifier

Once you’ve ventilated and changed filters, finish with an air purifier to capture residual pollutants. Air purifiers actively remove particulate matter, VOCs, and other harmful air pollutants from your home.

‘Run an air purifier if you have it,’ says Josh. ‘The good news is that it doesn’t require too much effort to reset your home’s air quality,’ he adds. It won't hurt to clean the air purifier, too, to make sure that it's running at maximum efficiency.

Look for ones with HEPA filters as they can remove fine particles, or activated carbon filters to deal with gases, smoke and odors.

What to Shop

Air purifiers are the single most effective solution to cleanse your indoor air quality, and in this sweet after-Christmas period, prices are often lower than usual, too.

Next, learn how to reset your home after Christmas with our expert cleaning checklist.

As festivities ramp up, colder, wetter weather and more cooking indoors can mean more condensation and subsequent mold.

Not only does this look unsightly, but it can actually cause significant musty odors and issues to your health and home, all of which you'll want to avoid ahead of holiday hosting. That's why we recommend snapping up the number one bestselling Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier, available at Amazon before December's in full swing, which is now at its lowest ever price.

Here's why it's perfect for freshening common Christmas odors and reducing the risk of mold.

This Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier is Now at Its Lowest Ever Price

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

One of the most important holiday hosting tips is to ensure your home smells welcoming, lighting one of your best candles, for example, and looks clean, without any presence of mold and mildew, or musty odors that may cause.

Undoubtedly, using one of the best air purifiers is one of the most effective ways to do both, and the Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier, available at Amazon, was included in our guide as our best budget pick – and now the price just got even lower.

Yes, air purifiers do help with mold and mildew, as well as improve the air quality of your home, even if you live in a city and are spending the holidays at home.

Equally as important, bad smells are one of the first things guests instantly notice in your home at Christmas, but with this high-quality, high-performance air purifier, 99.97 per cent of airborne particulates are removed with ease, helping to freshen your space and make your home smell nice.

Suitable for cleaning rooms up to 1,073 square feet, with a HEPA-grade filter, this air purifier also uses whisper-quiet technology, at only 24 decibels, in Sleep Mode, meaning you can even run it overnight.

In fact, using an air purifier in their bedroom helped to combat the common allergens our home tech editor, Dan Fauzi, was suffering from. In general, air purifiers help with allergies by keeping indoor air clean and harmful pollutants out.

This particular model also features a variety of replacement filters you can choose from to best suit your needs, with a Toxin Absorber Filter for smog, toxins, and VOCs, a Smoke Remover Filter for smoke and other particulates, and the Pet Allergy Filter to capture fur and dander and absorb any unpleasant odors caused by living with pets.

As an air purifier user and lover, Dan, who has allergies and asthma, says that this deal is one of the best they've ever seen, and a great chance to pick up one of our top-rated models at a reduced price.

'This is a best seller for a reason,' Dan advises, 'and picking it up now means your home will smell fresh all season long. I run mine most days, but particularly when I'm having friends or family over. Nothing works better to quickly make your home smell nice, which is why using one is one of the things people with nice-smelling living rooms always do, where we tend to host, and the trick works just as well anywhere else around the home, too.'

Dan's not the only one who recommends snapping up this air purifier, either, with over 109,500 shoppers leaving glowing five-star reviews.

'Phenomenal product!,' reads a recent one from Livi. 'My dorm has a serious, unfixable black mold problem, and this has made such a difference! I haven't gotten sick at all. It's very quiet on both the first and second settings, and the last setting offers pleasant white noise for sleep or to drown out neighbors when standing close enough.

'The output from the filter and fan also creates more airflow for a small space, which generally keeps things a little bit cooler. Also, it keeps out any nasty odors from an old building and communal areas, which is a great help! All of the mustiness of the building disappears the moment I open my door. It's very light – I had to carry it across campus and it gave me no trouble, and it fits neatly on a fairly large desk. Great for the price!!'

A second, from Albert, comments on the 'very clean air' it provides.

'Purchased this unit specifically to mitigate allergens from outside as well as from my Siberian Husky for a good night's sleep,' they say. 'The single unit works extremely well, cleaning a 9'x9' bedroom with the door closed. My air quality meter shows AQI dropped from 80 down to 1 (extremely good air) with PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0 [which refer to particulates] counts in single digits.

'The room just smells fresh! The unit additionally has enough power for my adjacent 12'x12' living room, but I usually limit it to the bedroom. I've run the unit on medium and high settings almost constantly (4 months) without issue.

'For noise, you'll hear it running, but I would describe it as a "soft" white noise – very suitable in my opinion for sleeping,' they add, concluding, 'I feel the unit is a great value and will likely purchase a second unit.'

So, as a non-toxic way to make your home smell nice, the Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier, available at Amazon, is the perfect product. Grab it now at a reduced price while stocks last.

What to Shop

Meet the Expert

Spoilt for choice? Learn how to choose the right air purifier for your home with advice from our experts.

We all know that dehumidifiers are essential for combating condensation, mold, and high humidity in cold weather, but how many do you actually need to maximize their efficacy and keep your home comfortable?

Our HVAC experts say the answer heavily depends on a number of key factors, such as the size of the area, the severity of dampness and condensation, and airflow.

Here, they explain how to successfully use a dehumidifier to prevent and get rid of mold and mildew in your home and how to decide how many you need for optimum results.

Which Factors Determine How Many Dehumidifiers You Will Need? 

If you're looking to invest in one of the best dehumidifiers, the number you'll need to effectively remove damp and condensation in your home depends on several key factors.

As Tony Abate, certified indoor environmentalist and vice president and chief technology officer at AtmosAir Solutions, an indoor air purification and monitoring technology company, says, 'There is no universal answer, as every home is unique in size and layout. However, understanding these factors helps you make an informed decision and ensure your home remains comfortable and healthy.'

Key considerations include:

• The size of the area: 'This square footage of the space you want to dehumidify,' says Tony. 'Most residential dehumidifiers are rated for a specific area, typically measured in square feet.' TJ Laury, president at Ben's ProServ, adds, 'This is the most important part, as the bigger the rooms are, the larger the dehumidifier needs to be for it to work efficiently.'
• The severity of dampness and condensation: Tony continues, 'If your home experiences frequent or severe condensation – such as water droplets on windows or walls, persistent dampness, musty odors, mold, or mildew, you might need more powerful or additional dehumidifiers to address the problem effectively.'
• The layout of the space: As Phil Oliver, co-owner of Air Treatment Heating and Cooling, says, 'A single-story, open-concept home typically requires only one large-capacity unit. In contrast, multi-level homes or those with numerous closed-off rooms benefit from multiple dehumidifiers, allowing moisture to be removed evenly.' This will also depend on whether your home has closed-off rooms or is affected by poor airflow. 'Air does not circulate freely between rooms, so a single unit may not be sufficient for an entire house unless you have an open-plan layout,' says Tony.
• The source of the moisture: Additionally, 'If moisture is coming from specific sources, such as a basement, laundry room, or bathroom, placing a dehumidifier directly in those areas can be more effective than relying on a single unit for the whole house,' advises Tony.
• The number of people living in the house: As TJ explains, this affects humidity. 'More people mean more activities, and that could also mean more humidity.'

Tell-Tale Signs That You Need to Use More Dehumidifiers

If you're looking to avoid any dehumidifier mistakes, it's crucial to know which signs to be aware of, which may indicate that simply knowing the best place to put a dehumidifier isn't enough, and instead, you need to use more than one.

Tony adds, ''Anyone experiencing persistent dampness, condensation, or high humidity levels in their home should consider using a dehumidifier. Individuals with allergies or respiratory issues aggravated by mold and mildew.'

Both are common allergens, and Tony adds homeowners may also benefit from having a dehumidifier in areas with excess moisture. He says, 'Additionally, homes in regions with humid climates or poor ventilation are prime candidates for dehumidifiers to help maintain healthier indoor air quality.'

Here's what to keep an eye out for:

• Persistent dampness: As Tony highlights, if you notice mold, mildew, or musty odors in multiple rooms even after running a dehumidifier, it's a clear sign that you may need additional units.
• Visible condensation: 'Water droplets on windows, walls, or ceilings in rooms not served by your current dehumidifier indicate that more coverage is needed,' explains Tony. In this instance, adds TJ, you may also spot windows fogging up or have water droplets. 'If you are using paint or wallpaper, it might peel, or there may be bubbles underneath,' he advises.
• Visible mold: Which may appear as 'black spots on the walls, ceilings, or even corners,' says TJ.
• Slow drying times: Tony advises that if laundry, towels, or surfaces take a long time to dry, especially in certain rooms, those areas would likely benefit from the boost of an additional dehumidifier.
• Health symptoms: You may also find that the need for additional dehumidifiers may be a way your house is making you ill. 'Increased allergy symptoms or respiratory issues can result from mold and mildew caused by excess moisture,' warns Tony. 'If these persist, check for untreated damp areas.'

'Finally, keeping relative humidity levels lower than 60 per cent and close to the 40 per cent ideal range will improve both comfort and indoor air quality within a space,' adds Tony, and using a dehumidifier is one of the easiest ways to control humidity in the home.

'All these suggestions will help you make an informed decision to be sure your home remains comfortable, healthy, and most importantly, dry.'

There is still one important thing to note, though, which Eli Zimmer, director of operations at Luxaire HVAC Services, makes plain.

'The most common reason for needing multiple dehumidifiers is if your home is large and you don’t have a whole-house dehumidifier connected to your HVAC system,' he says. 'Standalone dehumidifiers are only going to have limited reach and may only work for just a room or two due to space limitations and the physical blocking of walls.

'If your home is excessively damp, simply using some dehumidifiers may not solve the problem. Excessive moisture in the home could likely be indicative of some more serious issue, like a leak – plumbing or structural – or a significant ventilation issue, or something else.

'So, you want to actually get to the root of the problem so that you can actually fix it, rather than just using dehumidifiers to try to make it a little better.'

What to Shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the Experts

Next, learn about the easy shower tricks to prevent mold in your bathroom this winter.

If your small bathroom is struggling with mold, I can promise you it is not your cleaning routine; it's the airflow. Or rather, the lack of it.

When steam from hot showers can’t escape, it clings to walls, ceilings, and window frames – and that trapped moisture is exactly what mold loves.

I see it constantly as an Indoor Air Quality specialist, but there is a simple, free fix to prevent mold and save yourself hours of cleaning and remediation this winter.

Why You Shouldn't Shut Up Your Bathroom in Winter

While the risk is present year-round, mold is a particular problem in winter when homes are cold, and everyone keeps the windows shut to keep the home warm all day, turning any and all bathroom ideas into sealed boxes.

You shower in hot water, moisture hits the cold surfaces, and it sticks around for hours with nowhere to go. This trapped moisture feeds mold on grout lines, ceilings, paint, and the caulking around showers. As the owner of Clean Air Technologies, I tell homeowners regularly that if a bathroom stays wet for more than 30 minutes after a shower, there is a very high chance of mold infestation.

The simple, single solution is to re-establish that airflow and improve ventilation.

Luckily, there are some fast and low-cost fixes that will offer improvement in about a week. Better yet, you don’t need fancy equipment:

• Run the exhaust fan the right way: Most people run the fan for five minutes, but they need to run it for at least 20-30 minutes after every shower so the humidity actually clears out.
• If the fan is weak or noisy, clean it: Half the fans I open up are clogged with dust, which cuts airflow by a lot. Simply cleaning a bathroom extractor fan with a vacuum and a soft brush (also from Walmart) usually makes a lot of difference.
• Crack the door open after the shower: You don't even need tools to improve bathroom ventilation. Even a one-inch gap in your bathroom doorway is enough to let moist air escape into the hallway. You can also use shock ventilation to clear out humidity from your home.
• Use a cheap squeegee: Pull water off the shower walls and glass with a squeegee from Walmart. This will remove 70-80% of the moisture the fan would otherwise have to handle. Head of Solved, Punteha van Terheyden, banished limescale build-up in her shower with a squeegee, too.
• Warm the bathroom slightly before showering: Warm surfaces don’t collect condensation as quickly – there are several ways to keep a bathroom warm without heating if needs must. Plus, it makes a bathroom cozy for post-shower dressing.

Removing the moisture on your shower tiles and glass with a squeegee not only lowers the moisture levels, but also makes it easier to keep this space clean and reduce your deep cleaning schedule.

Punteha van Terheyden adds, 'I have chronic pain and limited mobility, so deep cleaning is not easy for me to do. That's why I always squeegee down the shower to remove the moisture, which is especially good for avoiding mold in my tiny en suite, but also doesn't allow mineral deposits to build up.'

This is a great way of cleaning with adaptive pacing in mind. Punteha recommends the Casabella Rubber Blade Squeegee Broom, available at Target for easy reach and to protect your back, hips, shoulders, and neck, if you have pain in those areas and find it difficult to bend down or reach up.

What to Shop

Meet the Expert

Did you know there are some things you can declutter to prevent damp and mold this winter? targeting moisture magnets is a great way to protect your home from damage in the holiday season.

Every year, as the temperature drops in fall, moisture skyrockets in homes. If left unchecked, it can lead to nasty smells, mold, and mildew.

That's why I'm snapping up this $39.99 Kloudic dehumidifier from Walmart. Not only is it discounted from $99.99, but it's small enough to take around the house, so I can manage the humidity levels in every room.

Since I learned that a dehumidifier is the easiest way to control humidity in the home, I've been waiting for the right one to come along so I don't have to spend $100s, and can live in a home that's free of muggy odors over the winter.

Why I'm buying the Kloudic dehumidifier at a steal price

Excess moisture does more than create musty smells and stuffiness. It can explain why your house feels damp, create a breeding ground for mold and dust mites, and even affect your health and wellbeing.

I feel this every fall, and as someone with asthma, I can't afford to let the humidity affect my breathing and allergies. Luckily, the fix is simple: Maintaining the best humidity levels with a handy dehumidifier.

They don't require much upkeep either. All you have to do is empty the water tank once it's full by pouring it down the drain. It's the quickest way to reduce humidity, and with this discounted Kloudic dehumidifier, I'm excited to finally breathe more easily at home during these colder months.

It can cover spaces up to 480 square feet, runs super quietly, and it's compact enough for me to take to whichever room needs it.

The Kloudic Dehumidifier is available for $39.99 at Walmart.

More to shop

Shopping around? Here are a few more of our recommendations to improve your air quality this fall and winter.

All prices correct at time of publication.

Next, learn the mistakes compromising your home's air quality and how to quickly fix them.

Just because our windows and doors are closed more often now that summer's over, we don't have to be trapped inside with musty, stale air and odors. An air purifier is all you need to suck away unpleasant smells and cooking gases, as well as remove pollutants and viruses from your air.

Amazon Renewed is selling a refurbished version of the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX for just $187.99. That's almost $200 less than the retail price on the best air purifier we've tested at Homes & Gardens.

I've been using the Shark NeverChange MAX for over a year, and it still works as quickly as it did when I first unboxed it. Here's why it's our favorite, and why refurbished picks are a great way to get stellar tech at affordable prices.

Why I rank the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX above all others

The Shark NeverChange MAX works by pulling in air, trapping the particles within it, then releasing cleaner air back into your space. This is how it's able to capture common household allergens like dust, pollen and dander, using a HEPA filter just like the best vacuums.

And when it comes to gases, odors, and smoke, the air purifier uses an activated charcoal filter that removes these non-solid particles. I use the NeverChange MAX almost every day, and it works rapidly to remove smells from a room (sometimes I forget to turn it off when lighting an incense, then act surprised when I can't smell anything).

Typically, an air purifier with this functionality costs anywhere from $250 to $500+, as you can see with the Molekule Air Mini+, which covers a smaller area. So, this refurbished model, which has been restored to full working order, is a welcome loophole to save big on one of the highest-performing purifiers you can buy.

And what's more, thanks to its protective pre-filters, you won't have to replace the main HEPA and charcoal filter for up to five years, saving $100s on recurring filter costs that you'd have to buy with other models.

The NeverChange MAX can cover a huge 1,400 square feet, which gives it the airflow and purification speed necessary to cleanse multiple rooms at once.

Honestly, I couldn't recommend it more. Don't be put off by the fact that it's refurbished. When stores refurbish old appliances, they meet incredibly strict standards so that they can be sold as the same product as the original. It comes with a sealed, brand-new HEPA filter.

The refurbished Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX is available for $187.99 at Amazon.

More to shop

Shopping around? Here are three more of our favorite air purifiers from the 17 we've tested at Homes & Gardens.

All prices were correct at time of publication.

Next, see why we rate the best vacuums for pet hair so highly.

I have several chronic illnesses that make heat and humidity hard to tolerate, especially at night, and it often stops me from sleeping. That’s why getting a portable AC unit for my bedroom this year has been an absolute game-changer.

And I know everyone is talking about getting ready for cozy fall, but the reality is that temperatures don’t really drop to cool enough to turn on your heating till the end of October in many areas, and for some, much later.

That’s why I am really happy to see this portable AC unit on sale on Amazon at its lowest price ever – just $129 – making now the perfect time to grab one for more comfortable days and nights whenver you need it.

Why a portable AC unit has been my best purchase of 2025

This unit comes with a remote control for easy tweaks to settings and can cool up to 350 square feet with ease.

This is a similar spec to mine, which cools down not just my bedroom, but the entire upstairs of my home. You’ll find the coolest temps in the room the unit is in, but the rest of the 350 square feet (if that space is spread out in a few rooms) will become comfortable too.

I have been using mine multiple times a day to help me deal with my disautonomia, which is a condition impacting my nervous system and causing an inability to regulate my body temperature well. This means I get easily overheated and become dizzy, faint or generally feel rubbish and unwell.

Using a portable AC unit like this is a great addition for a DIY cool room and won’t involve the large monetary outlay or hours of installation needed for built-in air conditioning.

The unit on offer, above, has three modes, just like mine: Cool, Fan, and Dehumidify. I have yet to use any besides the cooling because it is so good on mine. Plus, it’s quick, and though it can be a little noisy, it’s a white noise type of sound that I have fallen asleep to with ease every night since bringing it to my home.

And, if you get sick of the sound, once your room has become a comfortable temperature, you don't need to get up to turn it off. Just click it off on the remote (and the comfort of your bed).

As for the specific unit on offer right now on a limited-time Amazon deal, verified shoppers rave about it, including ‘T K’ who gave it five stars. They said ‘It’s a keeper’, adding, ‘Great unit, rolls nice,’ and how when it’s in its high setting, they can ‘feel it 12 feet away, strong!’ After more use, they added, ‘You could easily cool one level of your house.’

It’s worth noting that these types of units and exhaust pipes, which are an exit for the hot air removed from the room, are said to be best for slide windows and come with a full window kit to adapt yours.

My window is a push-pull, and though the window kit is not a perfect flush fit, it’s still possible to use it. I have not had any problem with hot air coming back in through the tiny gaps. It’s not perfect, of course, but for just $129, who can complain?

This is its lowest ever price, by the way, as confirmed on camel, camel, camel, which shows the price history of Amazon products, making it a great time to shop.

Just take note that you'll need to place your unit within about five or so feet of a window, due to the maximum extension of the exhaust pipe.

What to shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

For more excellent bargains, delve into our latest Amazon deals, handpicked by our team of expert shopping editors, saving you hundreds of dollars on great home goods.

Now that the colder months are upon us, it's time to shut the windows and keep the precious warmth in. But that shouldn't mean saying goodbye to fresh air.

Instead of ventilating your home, an air purifier will remove musty smells and cooking fumes, so that you're breathing clean, purified air all day long.

The Levoit Core 300 is on offer for just $84.99 at Target, and it's one of the best air purifiers we've tested that can easily tackle smoke, odor, and gas, along with the other pollutants and allergens that live in our indoor spaces, without spending a premium.

Why you should buy this budget-friendly air purifier for fall

Of the 17 air purifiers we've tested at Homes & Gardens, the Levoit Core 300 is our top budget pick. It costs $200-300 less than others with similar features, and does a stellar job of improving your air quality.

Whether you're cooking, freshening up a bedroom, or removing odors from a pet bed or litter tray, the Levoit Core 300 can quickly handle the task, while being compact enough to move from room to room easily.

It's easy to compare the benefits of plants vs air purifiers. However, while houseplants can certainly help, nothing's more effective than the multiple layers of filtration that an air purifier provides.

The Levoit Core 300 has three-stage filtration, including an activated charcoal for gases and odors, a HEPA filter, and a pre-filter. These are the essentials to remove smells, pollutants, and common household allergens from the air.

It can also run as quietly as 28 decibels, quieter than most purifiers, making it ideal for bedrooms and living rooms where loud noises can be distracting.

The Levoit Core 300 is available for $84.99 at Target.

More to shop

Considering other options? Here are six more of our favorite air purifiers with more advanced features and larger coverage.

All prices were correct at time of publication.

Next, learn the mistakes compromising your air quality at home.

Did you know that your books can grow mold? I didn’t until I saw a viral TikTok video, and now I’m scared for my precious collection.

That’s why I am snapping up these Vacplus moisture absorbers from Walmart while they’re on sale for just $19 – saving $80 – to help prevent book mold on my prized volumes year-round.

Here’s why this humidity solution works to protect my bookshelves and gets rid of mold for good.

How to prevent book mold with moisture absorbers

Controlling humidity in a home is not always straightforward, and fluctuations are inevitable.

As an avid book collector, however, I don’t want to take any risks with my bookshelf ideas. That’s why this bundle of six moisture absorber packs from Walmart is such a good investment, especially while it's reduced by $80 on sale.

These absorbers passively draw in moisture using large calcium chloride particles, and will dehumidify the area directly around my books for up to 60 days each (with this pack of six helping to prevent book mold for up to one year). They also do not need batteries or to be plugged in, making them economical to run.

Better yet, they are leak-proof, so a sudden knock to my sleeves won't send a tsunami of water all over the pages I am trying to protect. It certainly helps that they tackle odor, too, helping to make a home smell nice at the same time as preventing book mold.

Because of their compact size, they will be easy to tuck behind books, too, so they won't make styling a bookshelf too difficult.

The stellar shopper reviews certainly make me feel better about the investment, with over 72% of shoppers giving these handy packs five stars.

Verified Walmart shopper Heather shared, ‘AMAZING! I can't believe how easy these are to use. It truly amazes me how much water they pull out of the air. I have used all kinds of humidity absorbers, and I have found these work better than the other ones I have tried.’

They can be used all over the home, too, as another Walmart shopper shares, ‘So far so good. I use these in my closets in the summer to avoid moisture. I was buying the individual bags that hang in the closet. However, I had a very unpleasant surprise when one of them burst and leaked all over my clothing. That is why I switched to these.’

What to shop

Want to ensure that your books last forever? These are the bookshelf essentials you should never be without.

FAQs

How do you remove mold on books?

To remove mold from books, work in a well-ventilated area (or outside where possible) and start by gently brushing away the spores with a soft cloth.

You can then use a cloth dampened with hydrogen peroxide from Target to dab the area gently, placing some wax paper beneath the page to prevent the liquid from soaking into other pages. Allow the book to dry fully, open, before treating other areas or putting it back on your shelf.

Mold isn’t the only threat to your collections. Knowing how to identify and get rid of booklice is another essential skill for any self-certified bookworm.

It plays a huge role in comfort, which is why knowing how to control humidity in your home is vital. Too much can leave rooms feeling stuffy or turning moldy, while too little can cause physical discomfort and damage furniture. Striking the right balance is, therefore, a must.

From working out the best humidity for a home to learning how to control it with the right technology, there is a lot that goes into keeping your home dry, but not too dry.

This complete expert guide to controlling humidity in your home can help you work out why your house feels dry (or too damp), and what to do about it to restore order.

What is Humidity: And Why It Matters

Humidity refers to the amount of moisture or water vapour present in the air.

Maintaining a consistent, safe level of humidity in the air in your house plays a big role in keeping you healthy and preventing damage to the structure of your home, and the items in it, for several important reasons:

• Health: High humidity levels can increase the proliferation of dust mites and other allergens, exacerbating allergy and asthma symptoms. Additionally, it creates an environment conducive to the growth of mold and mildew, which can lead to structural damage and health problems. Maintaining a humidity level between 30-50% helps prevent the growth of bacteria, viruses, and mold and mildew, which thrive in higher-humidity environments.
• Preservation of home and belongings: High humidity can cause paint to peel, wood to warp, and metal to corrode. Reducing your home's humidity levels can help protect household objects from moisture damage.
• Comfort: High humidity levels make the air feel warmer than it is, leading to discomfort and increased reliance on air conditioning. Proper humidity levels help keep your home comfortable without overworking your AC.
• Energy efficiency: Controlling humidity levels can make cooling systems more efficient, reducing energy consumption and cutting energy bills.

Signs of Low and High Humidity

Because humidity impacts so many things in your home, there are often several warning signs that it is experiencing too high or too low humidity.

Ignoring them is a winter and summer home maintenance mistake that could seriously damage your home.

The signs to look out for will differ depending on whether the humidity in your home is too high or too low.

Warning signs for high humidity in your home include:

• Condensation: One of the main signs of high humidity in your home is condensation accumulating on the windows. Rooms might also feel 'stuffy'.
• Mold and mildew growth: Mike Powell, home inspector and structural engineer at Florida-based Red Flag Home Inspection, explains, 'When moisture-laden air becomes stagnant, it is particularly problematic for mold growth. This is why behind furniture and within closed-door closets can become issues.'
• Musty odors: Mike continues, 'When excess moisture accumulates in porous materials like carpets, drywall, or wood, it fosters bacterial growth, which releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are responsible for the perceptible odor.'
• Peeling paper or paint: High humidity levels can also cause moisture to penetrate walls and ceilings, weakening the adhesive bond of paint or wallpaper.
• Warped wood or flooring: ‘When exposed to consistently high humidity, wood absorbs moisture, causing it to swell, warp, or even rot if the issue persists,’ Mike explains.

Warning signs for low humidity in your home include:

• Respiratory discomfort: 'Dry air can worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies,' explains Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician and owner of Air Conditioner Lab. 'It irritates mucous membranes in the nose and throat, making you more likely to get colds and respiratory infections.'
• Skin irritation: Low humidity can lead to dry, itchy skin and chapped lips. Over time, it can worsen eczema and other skin conditions.
• Eye irritation: Dry environments can irritate the eyes, particularly for contact lens wearers or those with sensitive eyes.
• Cracking wood: 'Low humidity conditions can damage wood floors, furniture, and musical instruments,' says Al Fouz, owner of Abaco Air Experts. 'In excessively dry conditions, wood tends to lose moisture and shrink, leading to warping and cracking.'
• Increased static: 'Low humidity levels increase static electricity, which can be a nuisance and potentially harm sensitive electronic equipment,' warns Josh Mitchell.

Best Humidity Levels for a House

According to Josh Mitchell, indoor humidity of between 30% and 50% is recommended for most homes throughout the year. You can keep track of this using an affordable hydrometer from Walmart.

That being said, where the humidity feels most comfortable within this range will come down to personal preference, and often, the weather outside.

Josh says, 'In the colder months, humidity is generally lower, aiming for the lower end of this range (around 30% to 40%) can help stop condensation on windows and the accompanying mold or mildew growth. This will also provide enough moisture in the air to alleviate issues associated with dry air, such as irritated skin, throat, and nasal passages.'

If, however, you wake up with a sore and dry throat, it's worth sleeping with a humidifier running and using shock ventilation in the morning to reduce the risk of mold.

'During the warmer months, keeping humidity levels at the higher end of the spectrum (40% to 50%) can help make the air feel cooler and more comfortable, reducing the need to lower the thermostat and helping cut your energy bills,' says Josh.

How to Reduce Humidity

When the humidity in a home is too high, you need to reduce it quickly or risk mold. Luckily, there are several ways to do this:

• Invest in a dehumidifier: Picking the best dehumidifier, such as the Insignia 35-pint dehumidifier, from Best Buy, for your home is the quickest and easiest way to reduce humidity in your home, albeit one of the more expensive. Make sure to position it centrally in the room, away from any walls or furniture to allow good airflow and avoid the most common dehumidifier mistake of picking a machine too small for your space.
• Insulate your home: Outdoor humidity can have a drastic impact on the humidity inside your home. Josh Odmark, co-founder of IAQ urges, 'Your primary source of humidity is probably outside. Make sure your house or apartment is airtight [using waterproof sealant, from Walmart] and then reduce your water use indoors, taking fewer shorter showers, avoiding boiling large pots of water, and so on.'
• Ventilate: If the humidity outside is lower than inside, Chris Coleman, quality expert and VP of marketing at DH Lifelabs says the simplest metod to reduce indoor humidty is to open windows at opposite ends of the home to create a cross breeze, and 'use exhaust fans and hoods in the kitchen and bathroom, especially as these areas often contribute to high humidity levels.’
• Use salt: For small areas, such as reducing humidity inside of cabinets or reducing condensation on windows, Josh suggests using salt in a small bowl to help absorb some of the moisture. Silica gel packets, available from Walmart, can also work for this.
• Reduce moisture-causing activities: Indoor moisture is usually a result of cooking, showering, and drying clothes. Limiting these activities, or ventilating rooms when you do, can make your home more comfortable.
• Turn on AC: If you have an AC unit, Chris explains that AC units remove water from the air in order to cool it, helping to make the room more habitable in hot, damp weather. ‘Ensure that your air conditioner is properly maintained and the filters are clean to ensure it's operating efficiently,’ he adds. ‘This can help you to save money at home too.’
• Use houseplants: Although they work to a limited effect, houseplants, particularly the best plants for bathrooms, can have some impact on the humidity in your home, suggests Chris Coleman, air quality expert. ‘Some houseplants, like peace lilies and Boston ferns, can absorb moisture from the air. This can be a natural way to reduce humidity while also improving the aesthetics of your home,’ he explains.

How to Increase Humidity

Conversely, low humidity needs to be treated to help to protect your health. It is important to do this carefully, however, to avoid over-humidifying your home and swinging the problem the other way.

To do this, the pros suggest:

• Humidifiers: A humidifier, like the Levoit VeSync Ultrasonic Smart Humidifier from Best Buy is the most direct way to add moisture to indoor air. There are several types, including ultrasonic and evaporative humidifiers, each with pros and cons depending on your specific needs. This Small Alrocket humidifier is a best seller at Walmart.
• House plants: Adding houseplants can naturally increase the humidity through transpiration, as plants release moisture into the air. Some of the best humidifying plants include spider plants, peace lilies, Boston ferns, and areca palms.
• Ventilation: Proper ventilation helps maintain a good balance of fresh air in your home without drying out the indoor environment. Ensure air isn't leaking from overly dry areas such as attics or basements.
• Monitoring: Use a hygrometer, available at Target, to monitor humidity levels in your home. This helps you adjust the use of humidifiers or other humidity solutions to ensure levels stay within the ideal range.
• Trap shower moisture: Although we usually recommend ways to improve bathroom ventilation to reduce humidity, trapping steam from a shower can help to quickly and temporarily increase indoor humidity to alleviate dryness. Ben Baca, implementation manager and HVAC expert at SmartAC.com, explains, 'Taking a long hot shower and boiling water or cooking a meal are more temporary solutions to indoor humidity levels and are not very efficient or controlled. These methods will work in a pinch, however.'
• Heat water: Marc Jiggins, managing director at Pyramid Eco, suggests, 'Placing a bowl of water near a radiator or heating vent lets it evaporate gradually, adding gentle humidity to the air.' This method is slow, but it works in a pinch. To do this, use a glass bowl, available at Walmart, as it will not melt like plastic, and will not become as dangerously hot as a metal bowl.

Home Tech to Help Control Humidity

Humidity controlling tech is a smart home must-have, helping you to keep tabs on and control the moisture levels in your home.

Understanding what each appliance does, how they work, and how to use them can help you pick the right tools for your home and use them efficiently to maintain good humidity.

Dehumidifiers

As the name suggests, dehumidifiers lower humidity levels, thus 'dehumidifying' the space.

Bethany Uribe, dehumidifier expert from ASAP Restoration, explains, 'Essentially, a dehumidifier pulls water vapor out of the air by condensing it and collecting it in a receptacle.

'A fan takes the wet air and pushes it over the evaporator coils. These are filled with a refrigerant condensed liquid. When the wet air passes over the cooler coils, its capacity to hold the moisture is reduced. This then causes the moisture to be deposited through condensation and collected in the reservoir.'

When the reservoir is full of water, it must be emptied either by yourself or through an integrated draining system. It's one of the many things I wish I knew before buying a dehumidifier.

Humidifiers

Humidifiers do the exact opposite of a dehumidifier, adding moisture back into the air.

Brad Roberson, president of Aire Serv, explains: 'Humidifiers are used to combat dry air in homes. With proper humidification, homeowners can reduce the occurrence of allergens. Reducing the allergens in the home makes the air easier to breathe.'

Humidifiers have water reservoirs that need to be periodically filled up so that the humidifier can turn it into vapor.

Humidifiers come in various types, including evaporative, ultrasonic, and steam vaporizers. They work by using a water reservoir (that the user typically fills up themselves) and a mechanism to disperse moisture into the air, either through a fan or ultrasonic vibrations.

Air purifiers

Air purifiers are designed to remove contaminants from the air. They typically use mechanical filters (like HEPA filters) and carbon filters to capture particles like dust, dander, pollen, smoke, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

These devices work by drawing air into the unit, passing it through the filters, and then releasing the purified air back into the room. As particles are trapped inside the machine during this process, air purifier filters need regular replacement, typically around every six months.

Different air purifiers boast different particulate size performances. HEPA filters, by their standard, must be able to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns, but many air purifiers from brands like Dyson, Molekule, and Shark can trap even smaller particles.

Air purifiers usually do not control humidity in your home, unless they come with a built-in humidifier or dehumidifier.

Humidistats and Hygrometers

As the name suggests, a humidistat (or a hygrometer), available cheaply at Walmart, is a device used to measure home humidity levels.

'A humidistat measures the relative humidity (RH) level in the air, detecting if the air is too dry or too humid,' explains David Miloshev, electrician and home improvement expert at Fantastic Services.

This tiny electronic device helps you understand whether your home maintains comfortable humidity levels. 'By providing you with accurate readings, it helps you maintain a healthy environment,' adds Glenn Gault, CEO of Gault Heating & Cooling.

It's important to remember that humidistats themselves don't necessarily control the humidity unless they're hooked up to a home's HVAC system or stand-alone humidifier/dehumidifier. And, saying that, many humidifiers will already have a humidistat built in.

Ideally, every home should have one – understanding your home's humidity levels means understanding your home's air quality.

FAQs

What causes high humidity in a home?

While high humidity in a home can be caused by high humidity outside seeping in due to poor insulation, it can also be the result of poor ventilation, with moisture from everyday activities such as showering, cooking, cleaning, and even breathing being trapped inside your home.

Leaks and structural damage can also increase humidity inside your home.

What causes low humidity in a home?

Low humidity in a home is often the result of overusing heating and cooling systems, as both can remove moisture from indoor environments. Poor ventilation in a home traps this dry air indoors, resulting in low humidity.

Low indoor humidity can also be the result of low outdoor humidity seeping into a poorly insulated home.

Humidity is only one of the many things you need to consider to improve indoor air quality. There are some secret things polluting your home's air that you need to detox, too.

If the summer heat has left you considering AC for your home, I don’t blame you. My home doesn’t have it centrally, and heatwaves have been hellish, with each year feeling worse than the last.

Here, our expert guide delves into everything you need to know about having AC in your home, including the different types, how to pick the best one for your space, expected costs, and calculating the ideal capacity. Plus, HVAC pros answer your frequently asked questions and more.

In many scenarios, opting for AC, whether it's portable or central, and supplemented with the best fans, AC really is the best way to keep your home cool and comfortable.

Air conditioning types to consider for your home

Most air conditioning units operate by using a refrigerant chemical with a compressor, condenser coil, and evaporator coil, which all work together to deliver your fresh, cool air for working, relaxing and sleeping better at night. AC units remove hot air and humidity, and pump out cool air.

When choosing which air conditioner to install, Mallory Micetich, a home expert at Angi, says, ‘Think about your budget, climate, current AC setup, and home size and layout. Consider how much maintenance you’re willing to do and whether or not a noisy AC unit would bother you.

‘You should also think about the long-term costs and energy efficiency. A more efficient system will help drive down your utilities. If you’re not sure which type of AC to choose, bring in a pro to get their opinion. They’ll be able to tell you which type of air conditioner will work best for your home.’

To start you off, these are the vital things to consider when adding AC to your home:

• Budget: Air conditioning isn’t as expensive as it once was, but it is still a substantial outlay. Having a clear idea of what is necessary, the power of your units, number, type, as well as installation and maintenance costs, will all factor in.
• Size/type of space: Is it just one room that needs AC, or a whole house? For single rooms or rentals, portable or window units are the best option. Homeowners with big budgets are better off with a full central AC system, while those who need to watch their budget should go for split or ductless, or a portable unit where they can create a DIY cool room.
• Usage: Consider if the space needs cooling most of the time, some months of the year, or just a few weeks? If it’s sporadic use you have in mind, for instance, to keep cool in a heatwave, a portable AC unit may be most economical and more than enough to fulfill your home’s cooling needs.
• Limitations: Are you renting your home, or are you a homeowner? If renting, your lease will likely limit any structural changes or additions. If you own it, consider whether you will be staying in this home or if you are planning to move shortly. If you’re moving in the next year or two, installing or replacing an old AC system, though costly, may still be worth it, as it will add value to your home and make it appealing to future buyers.

Alongside the above considerations for AC, you’ll need to get to grips with features to help you pick the best air conditioner for your home.

Jack Miller, founder of How I Get Rid Of, advises looking into these three AC system functional features:

• Cooling capacity: This will depend on the square footage of your room. But if you’re dealing with a small one that’s at least 90 square feet, you'll need a unit with a capacity of up to 5,000 BTUs per hour. For rooms as big as 200 square feet, you'll need a unit with a capacity of up to 24,000 BTUs per hour to cool well and efficiently.
• Filtration system: If you’re using the AC regularly, go for a unit with top-notch filtration. In this case, ACs with anti-bacterial and dust filters are the way to go. As long as filters are kept clean, you can run it even if the outdoor air quality is bad.
• Energy efficiency: For this, you'll want an inverter unit. Not only is it more energy efficient, but it offers more consistent cooling as well.

1. Window air conditioners

Suitable for smaller rooms, window air conditioners are a great option for those with limited space, as they are usually window-mounted, saving valuable floor space.

Window AC units are easy to install as they go directly on the window frame, make use of the window's natural ventilation properties to provide consistent cooling for the whole home, without demanding too much energy in the process. Plus, you can move them anywhere, making them suitable for renters as well as homeowners on a budget.

The unit's condenser will stick out of the window, and condensation typically drips down to the pan on the bottom of the unit, where it's then distributed by a fan, throwing it against the condenser coils.

It will need ‘outdoor access for the exhaust tube to expel hot air from the room,' adds Glenn Wiseman from Top Hat Home Comfort Services.

The downside is that they’re unlikely to be aesthetically pleasing, and they block some of the window, reducing the amount of natural light. They can also be pretty noisy.

One of the most highly rated models is the MIDEA 5,000 BTU unit, available at Amazon for around $150-180 mark. The Amazon Basics window air conditioner is rated the same by customers, an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars, and costs from $120, making these cheaper than portable air conditioners.

Another brand of window air conditioner to look out for is Frigidaire. It’s a fairly basic design, isn’t that attractive and said to be noisier than the Midea but it is well priced at around $299, with occasional deals knocking $40 off.

Glenn Wiseman agrees that window ACs are generally more affordable and are very reasonably priced considering how effective they are. 'The cost per hour is usually well under $1.' This is a huge advantage if you're looking to cool your home on a regular and consistent basis on a budget, are renting (and have suitable windows) or you're moving soon.

'For example, in Ontario, window units can run 12 hours a day in the summertime and only cost the user about $20-$30 a month.'

Window units will drain themselves too, whether that's by distributing the condensation onto the condenser coils or directly to the ground below.

However, window ACs are typically noisier and will likely demand more maintenance down the line as they're a more permanent system. They're also not the most renter-friendly, and you'll need to think carefully about whether the design will work in harmony with your windows.

‘Window air conditioners are a budget-friendly way to cool down a specific room in your home,’ agrees Mallory Micetich, a home expert at Angi. ‘These units are affordable, easy to install, and energy efficient, but they can’t cool down your entire home when it’s hot outside.

'They also tend to be noisy and need to be winterized when the cooler months come around. However, window air conditioners are a great way to boost your central AC unit when it’s particularly hot outside.'

2. Portable air conditioners

‘Portable air conditioners are ideal for temporary cooling because you can pick them up and move them from room to room,’ adds Mallory Micetich of Angi. ‘They’re affordable and easy to install, but they can’t cool down an entire house on their own.’

You can expect to pay between $200 and $500 for a portable AC unit, and they’re worth watching out for in sales, especially out-of-season ones where steeper discounts for shifting the last of summer stock may help you grab a great deal.

The advantage of portable AC is that you can move the unit from room to room, whether it’s to make a DIY cool room, or to specifically cool down a hot area of the home, such as a south-facing bedroom or home office.

The downside is that they can be quite noisy and you’ll need to empty the water basin often, especially when it’s really humid.

I spoke to Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician at Air Conditioner Lab, who has more than a decade of AC engineering and maintenance experience. He explains, ‘A portable AC is a self-contained unit ideal for cooling single rooms. It’s typically mounted on wheels and can be moved from one room to another, requiring only access to a window or venting solutions using a kit or tube for exhaust. These are crucial to how they operate and are offered in single or dual-hose format. The dual hose is always the better option.

'Portable units are louder than central units, less efficient for large spaces, require window access and depending on the brand you buy, can be unreliable.'

Josh explains that portable units such as Amazon's bestselling Black and Decker 12,000 BTU unit) and central units remove hot air and reduce humidity, which helps us cool down faster, adding, ‘These are best for renters, those in smaller spaces, or homeowners who need a temporary or flexible cooling solution when Central AC is not physically available or out of budget.'

‘Central AC units use a system of ducts to distribute cooled air across multiple rooms or an entire building,’ Josh adds. ‘It involves an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, typically installed permanently in a single location.'

I have the Euhomy portable AC, available on Amazon, and have been genuinely impressed with how easy and well it cools the home. It is in my bedroom and can be noisy, but it's the sort of white noise I can block out and sleep well with. Or, a simple pair of silicon earplugs will do the job to block out the noise.

Here are the pros and cons of portable AC vs central AC:

When choosing a portable AC unit, HVAC pro Josh advises checking energy efficiency and capacity before shopping. Look for a high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating to ensure energy cost savings and make sure the BTU (British Thermal Units) capacity matches the size of the space you need to cool. These are usually detailed in the retailer listings.

For running costs of a portable AC unit, find the wattage in the manual (these are usually also available on the retailer listings), convert to kilowatts (just divide by 1000), and times by the hours you will run the portable AC unit daily. Then multiply that by the cost per kilowatt-hour charged by your energy provider. You can find that rate on your latest bill.

• Shop portable AC units at Amazon
• Shop portable AC units at Walmart
• Shop portable AC units at Target
• Shop portable AC units at QVC
• Shop portable AC units at Best Buy

3. Split or ductless air conditioners

Split systems consist of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, and can be the most cost-conscious choice when your home already has a furnace. Adam Graham, construction industry analyst at Fixr says, ‘The most common and affordable central air conditioning type is a split system, which costs between $2,500 and $7,500.'

For larger rooms, you’ll need a larger budget. The benefit of a split or ductless system is that you’ll be able to cool rooms of any size, though you’ll need to have a few thousand dollars to hand.

‘Not only do these machines provide superior cooling performance, but they also come with all the features and versatility that you could want,’ explains Alex Woollam, licensed plumber and founder and CEO of Waterline Plumbing.

‘For example, some models allow you to control your temperature in multiple rooms simultaneously, while others feature automatic climate control functionality. And if noise is a significant issue for you, check out units designed without noisy fan technology. The cost of installing a split (ductless) air conditioner typically depends on the size and type of unit and location. However, you can generally expect to pay between $1,000 and $3,000 for installation. You may also be required to purchase an annual service contract if you choose this system.’

Additionally, if you opt for a packaged system, which has its components in one unit outside to provide cooling for a home, Adam says it can cost between $3,000 and $8,000, but requires more maintenance than a split system, with a packaged HVAC system ranging from $8,000 to $9,000.’

4. Central air conditioners

The most effective and efficient solution is a central air conditioner, which can be used to cool the whole house but the cost to install varies. ‘The average cost to install central air conditioning ranges between $5,000 and $12,000, with most homeowners paying $7,000 for a 2,000 square foot home,’ adds Adam.

The central air system selected, whether there is existing ductwork, the square footage of your home, as well as its type, all count when it comes to what you can expect to pay.

Josh Mitchell, HVAC pro, adds, ‘If you're a homeowner, and happy to splurge on that initial outlay and invasive drilling and wall mounting, a fixed AC unit is a great addition to any house.

‘Central AC units are better suited for homeowners who need a long-term, robust solution for cooling large spaces like an entire family home. They do have a high cost upfront, so homeowners will need to fork out a large lump sum initially.'

To save energy, look for inverter units rather than conventional units. The difference is that once a room is cooled, inverter air conditioners lower the speed of the compressor motor to save energy.

Central air conditioners work by distributing cooled air through existing ducts in every room and all the equipment is installed outside, apart from the air handler, which is usually shared with the furnace. As well as being cheaper to run, it’s also exceptionally quiet and unobtrusive, so a great all-round choic,e though be prepared for costly annual maintenance.

‘Central air conditioners are the most popular choice among homeowners,’ adds Mallory Micetich of Angi. ‘These units are effective, quiet and easy to program, making them a great option for large spaces. However, they tend to be pricey and require a professional installation with ducts. On average, central AC units cost between $3,800 and $7,500.’

HVAC pro Josh Mitchell adds, ‘Central AC has higher upfront installation costs, need regular duct cleaning and maintenance, and installation will be complex, requiring professional help.’

It is recommended to have these units serviced professionally annually and clean filters regularly. Bear in mind, though, if you don’t have existing ductwork in your home, ducts will need to be installed in order to have central air conditioning, which means a higher bill to begin with.

‘Installing central air with no existing ductwork can cost between $1,800 to $3,300 for both labor and materials,’ adds Fixr's Adam.

5. Geothermal hybrid or dual fuel air conditioners

For an eco-friendly option, a geothermal hybrid or dual fuel system uses less energy and emits fewer harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, and uses the natural and relatively stable temperature of the earth to function.

The cost of installation is pretty steep, however, ranging from around $7,500 to $12,000.

‘These units are typically more efficient and require less maintenance over time,’ adds Alex Woollam of Waterline Plumbing. ‘Heat pumps convert thermal energy from the earth into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for heating purposes.

'The cost of installing a smart Geothermal Hybrid/dual fuel air conditioner can vary depending on the type and size of the unit that you choose. Typically, hybrid units are less expensive to install than traditional air conditioners, but they may not be as efficient in energy usage.

'Dual fuel units are more costly to install but typically use less oil or gas throughout the year, which benefits the environment. When choosing an installation company, ask about their fees and estimate how much it will cost you.’

Which AC brands are best?

Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician and Founder of Air Conditioner Lab, breaks down by AC type, the best AC brands in the US, as what works great for central air doesn't always translate to window units or portable systems:

• Best central air conditioner brands: Josh says, 'For central air, I usually recommend Trane, Carrier, and Lennox. All three have been around a long time, and their parts are easy to get. Trane systems last the longest in my experience. I’ve seen them still running after 20+ years with regular maintenance. Carrier has some of the best variable-speed units out there, which are good for controlling humidity. Lennox is efficient, but replacement parts can take longer to get.
• Best window air conditioner unit brands: 'For window units, I lean toward Midea and LG[both available at Amazon]. Midea’s U-shaped inverter unit is one of the quietest and most energy-efficient models available. It uses about 35% less energy than standard window units and has Wi-Fi control built in. LG also makes solid inverter models that are reliable and easy to service.
• Best portable air conditioner brands: 'These don’t cool as well as window units, but if you’re going that route, Whynter and Black+Decker [both available on Amazon] are the two I’ve had the least trouble with. Whynter’s dual-hose models pull heat out faster and don’t fight against negative pressure like single-hose ones do. If you want portability and basic smart controls, Black+Decker's newer models are decent for rooms up to 450 square feet.
• Best geothermal and dual fuel (hybrid) AC systems: 'For geothermal, I’ve had the best luck with Bosch, WaterFurnace, and ClimateMaster. These systems can hit 500% efficiency depending on soil conditions and loop design. They’re a bigger upfront investment, usually between $18,000 and $30,000, but they qualify for federal tax credits and can cut energy use in half over time. For dual fuel, Goodman and Trane make reliable hybrid systems that switch between gas and electric based on outdoor temperature.'

How long does it take for AC to cool a room?

'For a properly sized and functioning air conditioner, you can generally expect it to cool a moderately sized room (about 150-300 square feet) by approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit within 15 to 30 minutes,' says Josh.

‘For larger spaces or whole homes, the central air conditioning system might take longer. The cooling time can range from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on a range of factors,’ he adds.

Factors that impact how long it takes will vary depending on your space, but may include:

• Room size: 'The size of a room significantly affects how long it takes to cool,' says Aaron Adams, CEO of Aaron Services. 'Larger rooms require more time to reach the desired temperature compared to smaller spaces. If your air conditioner seems to be taking a long time to cool a large area, it may simply be a matter of the room's volume.' A small room (100-200 square feet) typically cools down in 10-20 minutes, a medium-sized room (200-400 square feet) in 20-40 minutes, and a large room (400+ square feet) could take 30 minutes to over an hour.
• AC unit power: 'Air conditioners come in various sizes and power levels. A unit that's too small for a large room will take longer to cool the space if it can achieve the desired temperature,' says Josh Mitchell. 'Conversely, a unit that is too large can cool the room quickly, causing short cycling and stopping proper dehumidification.'
• Starting temperatures: The temperature inside your home and the temperature outside play crucial roles in cooling time. The room's initial heat affects the cooling duration since higher starting temperatures make the AC work harder and longer to achieve the desired temperature. Consider other ways to cool down a room, including using the best fans to circulate cool air, and adding thermal curtains or blackout blinds to reduce or stop the ‘greenhouse’ effect. Suction-on portable blackout blinds, available at Amazon, are very effective.
• Outdoor temperatures: Air conditioners can typically cool air to about 20 degrees lower than the outdoor temperature. Aaron Adams explains, 'If it’s 90°F outside, your AC can cool your room down to approximately 70°F. This limitation means that higher initial indoor temperatures will require more time to cool down to a comfortable level. If you've already met that lower threshold of temperature decrease, you won't be able to cool the room any further from air conditioning alone.' The more significant the difference, the longer it takes to cool down with AC.
• Insulation and seals: Good attic insulation and in other areas of the home will help maintain desired temperatures faster by reducing heat exchange. Josh Mitchell, HVAC pro adds, ‘This keeps the air cool for longer, enabling the AC unit to achieve target temperatures in rapid succession. In contrast, poorly insulated rooms and air leaks let heat in, slowing down cooling and boosting energy use.’ Upgrading insulation and sealing gaps around windows and doors with caulk (a caulk tool kit is handy), weatherstripping, and expandable foam (both available on Amazon will help to improve cooling efficiency by preventing warm and cool air from escaping. Draftproofing will enhance indoor comfort and reduce cooling costs.
• High humidity: This prolongs the cooling process as the AC has to work harder to remove moisture from the air. Using hygrometers, available at Walmart, and your best dehumidifier to control humidity at home, improves AC efficiency.
• Regular maintenance: 'A properly maintained AC unit with clean filters and coils will cool a room more efficiently than one that is poorly maintained,' says Josh Mitchell. Be sure to clean your air conditioner regularly, including cleaning or replacing filters and ensuring coils are free of dust and debris for optimal performance.

The best temperature to set your thermostat to balance cooling capabilities, comfort, and costs is 78°F. According to Energy Star, a program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy, this is the ideal temperature for air conditioners in the summer.

Home servicing expert Tommy Mello, adds, ‘Each degree you raise the thermostat during the summer might result in a 1% to 3% reduction in your cooling costs.’

However, it’s worth noting that whilst this AC temperature rule works across most of the USA, for certain dry, arid regions such as Arizona, a cooler temperature may be necessary to compensate for the very low humidity.

Randy Huckstadt, a licensed HVAC contractor, says the optimum temperature range for indoor places during the summer is normally between 72°F (22°C) and 78°F (26°C).

Getting the best from your AC

A few factors to consider when trying to get the best and most efficient cooling from your chosen AC include:

• Use a SMART Thermostat: setting a sensible schedule so your home is kept consistently cool, but not running 24/7, or repeatedly cooling your house from a starting point of high heat, will help you keep it running most efficiently and without stressing the system, making it last longer with less issues. The Nest, Ecobee, or Honeywell Home T9, all available at Walmart come highly recommended by HVAC pro Josh Mitchell.
• Keep windows closed: Having them open will have your AC unit battling outside temperatures and humidity.
• Maintain: Service and maintain your AC regularly, as well as cleaning it, to help it run well. Dirt, grime, and dust can impact function, whilst failing to maintain it regularly can lead to costly repairs in the longer term.
• Ideal humidity: Josh Mitchell, HVAC pro, explains that any home with a humidity above 60% will automatically feel warmer, so you should aim for an average humidity of between 30% and 50%. Whilst one of the best dehumidifiers, such as the GE ADEL50LZ 50-Pint Dehumidifier, available at Best Buy will not make the room cooler, less moisture in the air will make your home feel less oppressive, helping your body lose heat more easily to make you feel more comfortable in hot weather.

Josh Mitchell, HVAC pro, adds, 'Make sure your thermostat or AC app supports local temperature swing settings. That lets you control how much the room warms up before the AC kicks back on.

'The default setting is often 1.5°F, but lowering it to 0.5°F keeps the temperature more stable and reduces humidity swings. It might cycle more often, but it feels a lot better in rooms that heat up quickly.'

Should you turn off AC at night?

If you’re wondering whether to turn your AC off at night, it’s understandable. From health risks associated with poor sleep to increases in energy costs, both sleep and home energy experts suggest that the few adverse effects of running your AC outweigh the benefits of keeping cool and advise you to turn it off.

Personally, I keep my portable AC running overnight in the first few hours of being asleep and set a timer for it to turn off because usually, it’s cooler at night and the bedroom doesn’t heat up as quickly. However, if you find the heat oppressive where you are, even at night, you can temper the downsides of running it overnight by adding a humidifier and a SMART thermostat, such as the Google Nest thermostat from Amazon, to help control costs.

If you've ever woken up shivering, you know that a room that's too cold will disrupt your sleep. 'Maintaining a cool and comfortable bedroom environment is crucial for a good night's sleep,' says Alvin Pullins, a home improvement and maintenance specialist. 'However, shallow temperatures, especially during sleep, can interfere with sleep quality and overall restfulness.'

By turning the AC off at night, 'you can create a more moderate and natural sleeping environment, which is conducive to better sleep. Additionally, the absence of AC noise can contribute to a quieter and more peaceful and relaxing sleeping environment,' adds Pullins.

It can also help alleviate aches and pains, especially if you have previous injuries, as long spells of cool air can make your muscles cramp or tense up.

FAQs

What portable AC unit capacity do I need?

Measure the length and width of the room you intend to use the portable AC in, multiply the two numbers together (this gives you the square footage) and factor in ceiling height if unusually high.

Typical homes have ceilings at around eight feet, but older homes can have much more vertical space to cool. Josh Mitchell, HVAC pro, recommends adding 1000 BTU to your calculations for each foot of additional ceiling height above eight.

If the space is an odd shape, calculate accurately by splitting the measurements into rectangular sections and adding the overall square footage together.

Can I install my own central air unit?

You shouldn’t try to install your own central air unit. ‘Installing a central air unit is not a suitable DIY project as it requires a licensed professional to be installed adequately,’ says Adam Graham, construction industry analyst at Fixr.

Be sure that your contractor takes the actions recommended by US Department of Energy’s Energy Saver to ensure correct installation so the system is efficient.

Is it worth replacing my existing AC system?

‘The most efficient air conditioners use 30 to 50 per cent less energy to produce the same amount of cooling as air conditioners made in the mid 1970s,’ say the experts at the US Department of Energy’s Energy Saver. ‘Even if your air conditioner is only 10 years old, you may save 20 to 40 per cent of your cooling energy costs by replacing it with a newer, more efficient model.’

If it's 100 degrees outside and you can't get your home cooler than 80 degrees, consider implementing some additional methods to keep your space cool, such as rearranging a room to make it cooler or investing in affordable cooling products to beat the heat.

Can I get a SMART controlled air conditioner?

Yes, some systems can be remotely operated using an app on your smartphone or via voice control using Alexa or Google Assistant. You’ll need good, reliable WiFi in your home for it to run smoothly, and choose a model that is compatible with a smart app.

Some models to look for include Midea Smart Inverter Window Air Conditioner, Sensibo Sky Smart Home Air Conditioner System and the Cielo Breez Plus Smart Air Conditioner Controller.

Josh Mitchell adds, 'Most modern central ACs work with Nest, Ecobee, or Honeywell Home T9 [all available at Walmart]. I usually recommend Ecobee because it supports multiple room sensors and has better dehumidification control. It also plays nicer with dual-fuel setups.

'For ductless mini splits, Mitsubishi and Fujitsu now offer smart thermostats that integrate with their own apps. Otherwise, you’d need an adapter like Sensibo or Cielo Breez to get smart control.

'With portable and window units, only a handful offer smart integration out of the box. Midea’s U-shaped window unit supports Alexa and Google Assistant. LG’s ThinQ models do the same. Most others require a smart plug and some setup to work with schedules.'

Which type of air con is the most energy efficient?

Split air conditioners have the best energy efficiency and are more energy-saving than window or portable models. A split system will help keep energy costs down, so is worth the investment long-term.

Most efficient way to run AC during heatwave

It might feel like turning your AC as low as it can go is the best move, but this can put unnecessary strain on your unit, explains Dereck Granados, HVACR guru and mentor at Universal Technical Institute.

Instead, set it in the mid-70s and use ceiling or portable fans to help create a breeze. This will move the air around without overloading the system. Dereck adds, ‘Make sure nothing is blocking your vents, like furniture or curtains, and close doors to unused rooms so your AC can cool larger or more frequently used spaces more efficiently.’

Richie Drew, VP of operations at One Hour Heating & Cooling advises that pre-cooling your home with blackout blinds, closing windows, shutters, and blinds will decrease the amount of heat that seeps into the room, whilst raising the temperature a few degrees when you’re out will help reduce energy costs.

What happens if an AC unit overheats?

This can make the system less efficient and potentially lead to dangerous refrigerant leaks and eventually, compressor failure. If your AC unit starts to overheat, turn it off immediately to protect it from permanent and costly damage and call the pros to check it.

Should you run your AC when air quality is bad?

Dayna Hottle, general manager of C&C heating & air conditioning says, 'When outside air quality is bad, it is best to continue to utilize your air conditioning system.’ This will allow your AC system’s filters to trap and clean particles out of the air. It will also help pressurise the space to keep the bad quality air outside where it belongs.

HVAC expert Marco Radocaj, Vice President of Building Performance at Ryan A. Jones & Associates, adds that it can depend on the filter you have. 'Most current thermostats have options for extended “fan” running or circulation, which means that the indoor fan of the system will run even if the system is not cooling. This means additional filtration of your indoor air.'

A filter with a MERV 13 or MERV 16 rating will be ‘more than capable’, Marco adds. Just make sure your filters seal against the frame they’re placed into, and change them every three months.

If you are concerned about allergens and smoke particles, invest in one of the best air purifiers for peace of mind, and remember to clean your air conditioner regularly so that the filters are free of dust.

This will alleviate allergy symptoms, such as itchy eyes, headaches and difficulty breathing, which could be a result of poor air quality. If you have mold indoors, it’s best not to run the AC until the issue is fixed to avoid contamination the system. Bi-polar air ionization can help attack air contaminants, but fixing the source of the high moisture fuelling the mold is vital.

When should I turn on the AC?

Josh Mitchell, HVAC pro says, ‘The best time to turn your air conditioning back on after winter isn’t the first hot day – it’s actually a little earlier. Ideally, when temperatures are mild, you want to test your system in early spring as part of your annual spring home maintenance jobs. This gives you time to spot and fix problems before the AC is in constant use. If there's a problem, you won't be stuck waiting for a repair while dealing with the heat.'

If your area starts warming up around April or May, that’s a good window to run your AC for 15 to 20 minutes on a warmer day. It is also a good time to have your HVAC system serviced.

Listen for unusual noises, make sure the air is cool, and check that the system runs smoothly. If it’s not cooling properly or there’s little airflow, those are early signs that something needs a closer look.

If you're seeing weak airflow, hearing odd noises, or just not getting the cooling you expect, it's better to get it checked out now than wait until summer when repair calls spike.

Josh adds, 'As for when to turn on the AC during the day, the hottest part of the day is mid-afternoon, and this is when electricity demand is the highest, leading to higher energy rates if your provider uses time-of-use pricing. Early morning and late evening are better for starting up the AC or making large temperature adjustments.'

Meet the experts

AC is a powerful cooling technology, but having the best cooling sheets will help you stay extra comfortable at night.

There are myriad benefits to using a humidifier for both your health and home, but do you know about the things you should never put in yours?

While some may seem obvious, such juices or perfume, you may be using others, like tap and hot water, unknowingly, causing irreparable damage to your machine and reducing its lifespan.

Here, HVAC pros share why it's best to use your humidifier solely for increasing the humidity in a house, and not for scenting your home, relieving illness symptoms, and more.

7 things to never put in your humidifier

Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician at AirConditionerLab, begins, 'I get a lot of questions about humidifiers, and honestly, one of the biggest issues I see is people putting things into the tank that just shouldn't be there. I understand the intention. People want the air to feel better or smell cleaner, but some of these habits can damage the unit or affect your health.'

Therefore, these are the things you should always avoid putting in yours.

1. Tap water

One of the main, but less obvious, things you should never put in your humidifier is tap water.

As TJ Laury, president at Ben's ProServ, says, 'Most people probably use tap water in their humidifiers, but did you know tap water leaves behind mineral buildup, clogs parts, and creates white dust in your home?'

Therefore, TJ recommends using distilled or demineralized water, such as the Amazon Grocery Distilled Water available at Amazon, which you can also use to make scented ironing water and steam clean windows, to avoid damage and keep the air healthier.

'You'll likely find this recommendation in the instructions of your dehumidifier as well,' he adds.

If you're not sure whether your water poses a risk, Josh suggests using a basic TDS meter, such as the Water Quality Tester available at Amazon. 'If the total dissolved solids are over 120 ppm, I recommend switching the distilled water,' he explains.

2. Perfume or cologne

It makes sense that you might think adding perfume or cologne to your humidifier is a quick way to make your home smell nice, but doing so can actually damage your machine, warns Josh.

'They're full of alcohol and synthetic ingredients that can corrode internal parts,' he explains. 'Breathing them in is not a good idea either.'

Instead, try more conventional ways to make your home smell nice, or make your home smell expensive, such as lighting your best candle or investing in one of the best reed diffusers.

3. Essential oils

Similarly, essential oils are one of the things to never put in your humidifier.

'This one comes up a lot,' says Josh. 'Unless your humidifier specifically says it can handle oils, don’t add them. Humidifiers are designed to add moisture to the air, typically to alleviate dry skin, congestion, or sore throats. Diffusers are made for scent.

'Putting oils into a regular humidifier can clog the mist outlet, damage internal sensors, and shorten the life of the unit. I’ve seen small tabletop models stop working completely after just a few uses.'

You can, however, clean with essential oils, and use essential oils in laundry. For scenting, stick to using one of the best essential oil diffusers, such as the Noahstrong Essential Oil Diffuser available at Walmart.

4. Hot water

'It might seem like a faster way to get results,' says Josh, 'but using hot water can cause minerals to break down more quickly.'

Importantly, this leads to extra white dust and build-up, and also wears out plastic parts faster.

'Stick with cool or room-temperature water,' continues Josh. 'If you want to cut down on maintenance and avoid buildup, I usually recommend Poland Spring Distilled Water, available at Walmart.'

5. Vinegar or bleach

While vinegar can be used to clean your humidifier, bleach and vinegar should never be used when your unit is running.

Glenn Wiseman from Top Hat Home Comfort, explains, 'The residual fumes can be irritating to the lungs and eyes if inhaled. Harsh chemicals can corrode internal HVAC components or be dispersed throughout your ductwork.'

Therefore, stick to using these products for cleaning only (avoiding harmful bleach where possible) and thoroughly rinse the humidifier out afterwards.

6. Liquid beverages

This one should be self-explanatory, but, advises TJ, 'don't pour juice or any other liquid into your humidifier.'

'These liquids spoil, clog the machine, and lead to mold and mildew growth,' he explains. 'Apple juice isn't going to make your room smell like apples; it's going to ruin your humidifier.'

7. Vapor rubs

Finally, says Josh, it might be tempting to add vapor rubs like Vicks to your humidifier when someone is sick, but these products are too thick for most humidifiers.

'They can block the mist outlet, coat internal parts, and even damage plastic components,' he advises. 'If you want that menthol smell, only use humidifiers that come with a dedicated scent tray for those products,' such as the Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier available at Amazon.

'Otherwise, stick to applying it directly to the skin as directed,' and take extra care to thoroughly clean when someone is ill.

What to shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet our experts

Josh concludes, Try to clean your humidifier every three to four days, not just once a week. Even if the water looks fine, bacteria can grow quickly in damp environments. A quick rinse and wipe-down will help keep the unit working properly and the air safer to breathe.'

Don't forget to clean your dehumidifier, too.

I have disautonomia, which means my body cannot regulate its temperature well. I suffer a lot in extreme heat and humidity, and this summer, my sleep has been completely shot.

That’s why I took the plunge and bought an affordable Euhomy BTU portable air conditioner unit, available from Amazon right now for $206, for my bedroom, as I don’t have AC in my home.

It has proven to be a fantastic way to not only cool my bedroom, but wick away the heat and moisture from my entire second floor.

Why a portable AC unit is absolutely worth every cent

The unit is fairly heavy but compact, measuring 11.4"D x 12"W x 26.7"H, and fits nicely in the corner of my bedroom. It does need a couple of feet of clearance on either side and if it has been tipped during transport or installation, leave it standing for 24 hours before plugging it in and using it.

I have popped the long hose out of the window, and though the instructions say the metal window adapter is for slide windows only, I’ve easily fandangled it to stay put with my push-pull window.

It’s not budged since I set it up a few weeks ago to keep my bedroom cool during a heatwave, and I simply closed the triangular gap at the bottom with an old, clean towel.

This portable AC unit takes my bedroom from 82° Fahrenheit to 64°F in under 10 minutes and not only keeps it icy cool and low humidity all night, it wicks away the heat in my other two bedrooms and bathrooms, too.

It won’t make my daughter’s room, which gets all the sun in the late afternoon and early evening, as icy cold as mine, but it makes it comfortable to sleep in without issue, and she doesn’t even need a fan.

The 10,000 BTU is said by the manufacturer to cool up to 450 square feet, so that tracks, as my upper floor is around 250 square feet or so.

The Euhomy portable AC unit has been so effective in my home that if it’s running for an hour upstairs, it cools not only my upper floor, but the cool air drops down the stairs and makes the living room comfortable too, making the square footage cooling estimate very accurate.

The only trade-off for the comfort is that the unit is a bit noisier than my brilliant tower fans, though I’ve fallen asleep in the blissful cool of the AC and not been that bothered.

I do, however, wear earplugs on the nights when I am very tired or in pain and more sensitive to sound than usual. It’s no hardship as I wear soft but very effective soft, noise-cancelling silicone earplugs from Amazon.

The portable AC unit's ‘low’ AC speed, is more than adequate for cooling, but the volume of the portable AC unit in my bedroom, at my pillow, is between 50-55dB, the equivalent, my DecibelX app says, to a mechanical fan, for context.

My verdict

Amazon shoppers love it as much as I do, rating it highly and singing its praises. Verified shopper Damion calls it 'small but mighty' and I couldn't agree more.

I suffer from chronic health issues and extreme heat and humidity are my nemesis. I wear the Visible Band to track my illness and how much fatigue I suffer as a result, and for three months before getting the portable AC unit, my HRV (heart rate variability, a scientific indicator of how stable my body is), was showing as ‘poor’ and ‘out of balance,’ trending away from a healthy baseline every morning,

Every morning since I have been using the portable AC unit in my bedroom overnight, my HRV has been tracking as stable and good.

It’s shown me how much the extreme heat and humidity was negatively impacting my wellbeing, making this my favorite purchase of 2025.

I am actually blown away but the difference this portable AC unit is making to my wellbeing, and the comfort of my family. It’s a quarter of the size of the one my parents bought at Costco when I was a teenager, and half the price, despite being much more efficient at cooling, so the technology of these units have really come along in the last 20 years.

I’ll be buying another one for the first floor of my home as soon as payday hits!

What to shop

Next, learn about the essentials to pack in your emergency home cooling kit.

As temperatures rise and we spend more time balancing work, relaxation, and entertaining across our indoor-outdoor spaces, small comforts can make all the difference.

Enter the JISULIFE Ultra2 Handheld Fan from Amazon – a compact, multi-functional fan that’s quietly becoming a must-have for stylish, heat-proofed homes.

Though designed with portability in mind, this clever fan is proving its worth well beyond travel. With a sleek, foldable design, it's equally at home on a sun-drenched kitchen counter, tucked into a nightstand drawer, or brought outdoors to keep guests cool during garden gatherings. Its smooth finish and minimalist silhouette also make it a surprisingly chic addition to keep your home cool in a heatwave.

What sets the Ultra2 apart is its power-packed performance. It utilizes TurboBlaze technology to deliver a strong, cooling breeze, up to 3600 rpm, while remaining quiet enough for use during calls or quiet evenings.

A full charge provides up to 25 hours of use, and with USB-C charging, it seamlessly integrates into a modern lifestyle. Even better, it functions as both a flashlight and a power bank, making it as versatile as it is efficient. It was the perfect accompaniment to all my summer festivals and outdoor gatherings this year.

In homes where practicality meets considered design, this fan is a welcome companion. Whether you’re prepping meals in a warm kitchen, enjoying a late afternoon read in the garden, or simply looking for a smarter way to stay cool at your desk, the JISULIFE Ultra2 proves that elegance and everyday function can go hand in hand.

Shop portable fans

The JISULIFE fan collection is now significantly discounted on Amazon for Prime Day. With temperatures rising across many states and power outages becoming more frequent, now is the perfect time to invest before they sell out. I would go as far as to say it is one of the best fans around.

Since starting work at Homes & Gardens about a year ago, I've become a firm believer in the fact that every house needs a dehumidifier. Not only do they significantly reduce the risk of moisture and mold, but they also keep humidity levels comfortable and even serve to lower the air temperature, too.

But, all that technology can often make them more than a little expensive. That's why I'm recommending picking up the ALROCKET Dehumidifier available at Walmart right now, which is currently reduced from $99.99 to $49.59.

Here's why we think it's the best dehumidifier you can invest in right now, and why we'll be adding it to cart.

We recommend this dehumidifier time and time again

So, what makes this dehumidifier so good? Firstly, it's compact, portable, and lightweight, which makes it easy to ensure you're always able to keep it in the best place to put a dehumidifier.

It also features ultra-quiet technology and a sleep mode, making it ideal for use even overnight, and extracts up to 27 oz, or 800ml, of water per day. That's more than enough to dry out a room and maintain the ideal humidity for bedrooms and beyond.

The best part is that the low power consumption model with thermo-electric cooling actually helps you to save money at home, while eight, 12, 36, and 48-hour timers make it simple to avoid any dehumidifier mistakes.

With over 1000 shoppers leaving five-star reviews, praising it for being 'quiet, efficient and easy to empty,' 'good value,' 'little but strong,' and even a 'little workhorse,' it's easy to see why we recommend this dehumidifier time and time again.

So, if you've been on the fence, now's the time to snap up this great deal while stocks last.

What to shop

While they're a household essential, there are a few things you need to know before buying a dehumidifier.

The meteoric rise in popularity of sleek fans such as the Shark TurboBlade comes as no surprise. Taking pride in your home includes making sure your appliances add visual impact, too, while also being able to cool you down in the heat.

So, when Shark announced the TurboBlade with a brand-new and unique design, I was excited to see if it could be the next best fan. It has a feature never before seen in a fan: Multi-directional cooling thanks to vents that can be tilted in any direction to send air to all parts of a room at once.

I tested the Shark TurboBlade in my home during the hot summer months and a particularly gnarly heatwave to find out whether it's worth its $299.99 price. Here's what I learned.

One-minute review

After testing the Shark TurboBlade for three weeks in my home during a heatwave, I found that I love its powerful breeze, slick aesthetic, and the complete control I have over the airflow direction. Being able to rotate the fan horizontally or vertically, and tilt the vents up and down gives you total freedom to have two different airflows, sweep a breeze over the bed at night, or fill a large room while simulating natural wind.

However, you can find fans that can cool you down this effectively for around half the price. It's also quite loud, and similar fans can achieve the same airflow at around 10 decibels less. I recommend it if you're looking for something that will visually elevate a space, and if you specifically need multi-directional cooling, but otherwise I'd recommend a cheaper (and more effective) alternative such as the Shark FlexBreeze.

The Shark TurboBlade is available for $299.99 at Shark.

Shark TurboBlade: Specifications

Shark TurboBlade: Design

The Shark TurboBlade has a sleek and striking design – one which many of my friends and family have commented that they've never seen before. It's certainly a statement piece, perhaps explaining why it's one of the pricier ways to cool a room with fans.

The unique design feature of the TurboBlade is its multi-directional cooling. The fan vents are sat atop the main pole, and you can rotate them in a 360-degree circle to make it a vertical tower fan, a horizontal sweeping fan, or somewhere in-between for full room coverage. The horizontal setup is perfect if you enjoy sleeping with the fan at night.

Then, you can twist each vent individually so that you can direct air in different directions. It's ideal if you and your partner never seem to agree on the best fan angle, or for kids sharing a bedroom (perhaps with a bunk bed), or in a large living room where everyone wants to feel a breeze.

It also means you can angle both vents upwards so the air isn't directly hitting your skin, which many people prefer to avoid dryness. If you don't own one of the best air purifiers, this is a great way to minimize allergy symptoms.

The fan has four modes:

• Manual mode: Select the fan speed from 1 to 10.
• Sleep mode: The fan will run for eight hours while dimming lights, lowering fan speed to ambient noise, and muting the chimes from pressing buttons.
• Boost mode: The fan produces the highest airflow speed, above speed setting 10.
• Breeze mode: Air flow patterns will be varied to simulate natural wind.

You can select shut-off timers for 1-12 hours, and oscillate the fan at 45, 90 or 180 degrees. You can hold down the horizontal angle button on the remote to pivot the fan left and right from a distance. Unfortunately however, you have to adjust the vents and rotate the arms by hand.

Shark TurboBlade: Performance

The TurboBlade lives up to its promises of powerful airflow and large room coverage. I can feel the breeze from all the corners of my 172 square foot bedroom – the biggest room in my house – and it takes seconds for your body to feel cooler from any distance.

Testing in the sunny June and July, when temperatures have risen above 90°Fahrenheit, the bladeless fan has been amazing at keeping my home cool in the summer heat. Its thin vents look unassuming but release a surprisingly powerful and focused stream of air.

I've been enjoying the breeze mode as it gently simulates natural wind, fluctuating the airspeed up and down without ever getting too loud or powerful. I love having it in the background when working, feeling like I can still enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of my home.

It's handy to have a sleep mode that automatically turns off after eight hours, and that you can angle the vents horizontally and directly across the bed. The quietest fan speed produces only a gentle stream of air, so it helps that you can focus it exactly where you need to cool down the bedroom without it being noisy.

I did find however that the fan is louder than others I've tested. It can reach a maximum of around 65 decibels which isn't far off one of the best cordless vacuums, and the sound itself is an almost metallic whirring rather than spinning blades, and I found this to be a little irritating at times.

For comparison, the Shark FlexBreeze (our best-on-test fan to date) reaches a maximum of 46 decibels, and its top fan speed is more powerful than the TurboBlade's.

This and the price are the fan's biggest drawbacks. You can find this level of cooling for much cheaper and much quieter, but what you get in the TurboBlade that you won't find anywhere else is complete control over the two fan directions.

I also like that oscillation doesn't make the fan any louder, as other fans I've tested such as the Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan MC710S have a noticeable hum when they oscillate. The TurboBlade also remembers your settings when you turn it off and on again, and has all of the modes, speeds, and settings that you'd look for in a fan.

Shark FlexBreeze: Setup and maintenance

Setting up the fan was as simple as attaching the pole to the base, then inserting the fan blades into the pole. It took about five minutes to assemble it and remove the positioning and information stickers, then it was ready to go.

The packaging contained no unnecessary plastic. This sustainable design choice is something I always look for when reviewing appliances and it's great to see Shark's commitments to minimizing waste.

I think cleaning this fan might prove difficult, as the bladeless design doesn't allow for getting into the vents, unlike bladed fans that can easily be dusted or vacuumed. This is important when making sure the fan isn't blowing dust and common household allergens around, but as the vents' openings are quite thin, it'll be hard for dust to collect. I'd recommend pointing the vents downwards when storing it to minimize any collected dust.

How does it compare?

The Shark TurboBlade has excellent features and performance, but it doesn't change how expensive it is compared to fans that achieve similar results. At the time of writing it's priced at $299.99 at Shark, which is two to three times the cost of a quality fan.

The best fan we've tested is the Shark FlexBreeze, and it only costs $179.99 at Shark. This fan has been a saving grace for me even in heatwaves – not only does it powerfully cool any room, it's cordless and can be taken outdoors, has a detachable mount to switch between pedestal and tabletop cooling, and can be hooked up to a faucet to mist outdoor spaces on swelteringly hot days. And ultimately, the FlexBreeze creates a more powerful airflow than the TurboBlade, and does so much more quietly.

It's worth shouting out Dyson's purifying fans that popularized the sleek, bladeless fan design, such as the Dyson Purifier Cool TP09 that I tested last year. Like the TurboBlade, Dyson's fans are more expensive than most, and create surprisingly powerful airflows considering the thin, discrete vents. You're paying a premium for the aesthetic and high-quality builds, as compared to regular tower fans, the bladeless Dyson and Shark fans add an elevated visual statement to a room.

Should you buy the Shark TurboBlade?

The USP of the Shark TurboBlade is in its unique design and aesthetic. You can find powerful, quiet fans with all the settings you'd want for $100+ cheaper than the TurboBlade, so I only recommend it if you specifically need horizontal or multi-directional cooling, or if you like your appliances to have a premium look.

This, in my view, is what the high cost is for. It doesn't have air purification, dehumidification or app control that makes other similarly-priced fans justify the price. Instead, you can cover large rooms with complete customization over the angles. And being able to position the fan horizontally is a huge bonus for those of us who like to sleep with a breeze.

The Shark TurboBlade is available for $299.99 from Shark.

How I tested the Shark TurboBlade

I tested the Shark TurboBlade for three weeks in my own home, during two weeks of summer heatwaves where temperatures rose above 90°F. I tested every mode for their purpose (for example, testing the sleep mode during weeks of hot nights, and testing the breeze mode during the day).

I measured noise levels using the DecibelX app when sat from 20 inches away and assessed the fan's room coverage by using it in the largest room of my house.

Next, learn the benefits of having an air purifying fan to beat allergies and summer heat, and learn how to keep a home cool during a power outage.

Struggling to stay cool this summer? With temperatures across the country hitting record highs, it's no surprise. And, without built-in cooling like air conditioning, you might be finding yourself turning to more unconventional tips and tricks to keep your home comfortable and cool.

One of these that our pros recommend is so simple, yet so effective: using a bedsheet to separate your home into smaller sections, rather than trying to cool the entire space.

Here, HVAC experts explain why this sheet cooling hack works to keep a home cool in a heatwave, with advice on how to try it in your own home.

What is the sheet cooling hack?

As Michael Zohouri, founder of Pyramid Eco, explains, the sheet cooling hack involves hanging a sheet across a doorway, sectioning off a smaller space so your portable AC or best fan only has to cool one room, not the entire home.

'Smaller spaces reach a comfortable temperature faster and use far less energy,' he says.

Therefore, this clever home remedy to stay cool is also an effective way to cut energy bills, too.

Why does the sheet cooling hack work?

As Danny Pen, president at New Era Plumbing & HVAC, explains, 'Cooling an entire apartment with a single portable unit spreads the cool air too thin.' Therefore, by hanging a sheet over a doorway, you're shrinking the space you're asking your unit to cool, helping to cool down a bedroom fast, or cool down a living room.

Chuck Woosley, general manager of The Bee, agrees, adding, 'This hack works because it helps direct and retain the cool air produced by a portable AC unit, essentially creating a more concentrated cooling zone.

'By hanging a lightweight sheet around the unit or the sleeping area, you're limiting how far the cool air has to travel and reducing how much escapes into the rest of the home. Just be sure the setup doesn’t block air intake for your fan or AC or pose a fire risk.'

Additionally, says Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician and founder of Air Conditioner Lab, heat always tries to move from a warmer area to a cooler one.

'By hanging a thick sheet [such as a thick washed cotton duvet cover from Walmart], you're adding an extra barrier that helps reduce that transfer,' he explains. 'It keeps the cool air where you want it, and slows down how fast warm air can creep in from other parts of the house.'

For that reason, this hack is particularly effective if you're in need of more unusual methods for staying cool at home, without the option of simply using air conditioning.

Danny concludes, 'This isn’t a permanent fix, but it’s tactical, and works best in extreme heat, at night when you’re trying to sleep, or if you’re working from one room all day. It turns an underperforming setup into something surprisingly effective.'

How to do the sheet cooling hack

If you want to try this sheet cooling hack in your own home, here's how:

1. Choose the room you want to cool: This is likely to be where you sleep or work.
2. Pick your sheet: Then, pick your sheet. Michael advises, 'Choose a lightweight cotton sheet or curtain that is large enough to span the entire doorway and reach close to the floor. This helps create a physical barrier to contain the cooled air within one space.' You can also use a blackout curtain if you have one, which Josh says will work best, such as the bestselling Mainstays Solid Blackout Curtain Panel Pair available at Walmart.
3. Attach it to your doorway: Then, hang your chosen sheet, curtain, or blanket over your doorway, making sure it touches the floor and overlaps with the edges of the doorframe. 'Secure it with thumbtacks, command hooks, or tape along the top and sides to block airflow,' says Josh. Alternatively, you can use a tension rod, painter's tape [such as the Duck Brand Clean Release Painter's Tape available at Amazon], velcro, or magnets.' If the sheet tends to lift at the bottom, secure it with a light object like a draft stopper or tuck it under a rug,' adds Michael.
4. Run your portable AC or best fan: Finally, you're ready to run your portable AC or fan inside the room. 'Make sure the AC hose is vented out the window properly,' advises Josh. 'Shut the door if you can, or let the sheet take its place if there's no door. Cool the room for one to two hours before use, then run the AC as needed.'

Importantly, and helpfully, you don't need to run your portable AC nonstop. 'Using a timer or setting it to cool the room before you get home is a smart way to save electricity,' adds Josh.

You can also rearrange a room to make it cooler, and fix leaky attic doors, which works well in conjunction with the sheet cooling hack.

What are the drawbacks of this sheet cooling hack

As with most, if not all, tips for handling extreme heat at home, this method is not without its drawbacks.

Josh begins, 'The most obvious one is that you're sealing off a room. You'll have to push the sheet aside or unhook it if you want to move in and out, which can be inconvenient. A sheet hanging in the middle of a home also doesn't look great if you have visitors.'

To Michael, the biggest issue here is airflow. He explains, 'If you block off the space completely, fresh air circulation can be limited. And, if your portable unit needs to vent warm air through another room, you'll need to make sure that hot air doesn't leak back in.'

As Danny adds, this limited airflow can also lead to damp bedding or clammy air, which, over a prolonged period of time, could lead to flourishing mold and mildew.

Additionally, and obviously, Josh says, as this method only cools one room, the rest of your home stays warm.

But, to Benjamin Uscilla, owner of Evergreen Heating and Cooling, this hack will work, and he doesn't see any drawbacks worth noting. 'I have no problem recommending it either,' he says. 'It can work in a very simple form. You're simply creating a defined space for that cool air to stay.'

Really, there's only one way to find out if this hack works for your home – grab a bedsheet and give it a whirl. If you do give it a go, we'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

What to shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet our experts

'For anyone without central AC relying on portable units, I recommend the sheet method,' says Josh. 'It's a practical and low-cost solution that improves the efficiency of your cooling efforts. It's not a long-term fix for whole-house comfort, but it's a great way to make one room feel better fast. I've seen it help people sleep better on hot nights or stay comfortable while working from home.'

Similarly, have you heard of the 'caveman cooling method'?

If you value clean air at home, an air purifier is essential. And Coway's are among the best-performing and most reasonably priced in the market.

Right now, you can get the Coway Airmega Mighty for just $154.99 – but it's only available for Prime members. If you're not a member, don't worry, you can sign up for a month's free trial to Amazon Prime and cancel it anytime.

Besides being able to access the deal, the bonus is you'll be set to go for the first four-day Amazon Prime Day event happening on July 8-11, along with taking home one of the best air purifiers we've tested at Homes & Gardens.

Why we love the Coway Airmega Mighty

The Airmega Mighty can cover spaces up to 361 square feet. So, any large bedroom or moderate-sized living room can have its air completely cleansed by the purifier's air flow.

During testing, the Airmega Mighty almost eliminated our tester's pet allergies. As a fellow allergy and asthma sufferer, I can personally attest to how well a bedroom air purifier can reduce these symptoms.

Tester Gabriella Dyson also tried it out while cooking, positioning the purifier a few feet from the stove when cooking. The purifier automatically detected poor air quality within 30 seconds and restored it to clean air in under half an hour while neutralizing kitchen odors.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the box design. Most air purifiers are large, cylindrical devices that take up a fair amount of floor space, especially when considering the best place to put an air purifier is central to a room. But the Airmega Mighty is flatter, easier to conceal, and neutral to blend into living room aesthetics.

Buy the Coway Airmega Mighty for $154.99 at Amazon.

Sign up for a free Amazon Prime membership and enjoy countless discounts across the four-day Prime Day.

What to shop

Want to shop around? We've tested 17 air purifiers with excellent features and tried-and-tested performance.

All prices correct at time of publication.

Next, learn how to choose an air purifier, and compare the natural cleansing properties of air purifiers vs plants.

It is hot. There is no denying it, summers are getting hotter year after year, and it is getting harder to stay comfortable without AC, especially outdoors.

However, Shark has changed the game with their FlexBreeze fan and InstaCool Mist attachment, on sale now at Walmart. Not only can it work cordless, but it's made for indoor and outdoor use, too.

It’s one of the best ways to keep your home cool this summer, whether you have AC or not.

Why we love the Shark FlexBreeze

In our Shark FlexBreeze review, our expert home tech editor Dan Fauzi hailed our best fan as ‘about as perfect as a fan can be.’

They explained, ‘The Flexbreeze is a seriously powerful fan, offering a satisfying, cooling flow of air that you can feel at least 60 ft. away with zero faults after weeks of testing. Importantly, it is super quiet, meaning you can sleep with the fan on at night.

‘The best bit is the flexibility,’ Dan continues. ‘As hinted at in the name, the FlexBreeze is fully portable. You can charge the fan to use it cordlessly, convert it from a standing fan to a desk fan in seconds, and you can use it both indoors and out, meaning you can quickly convert from cooling a room with fans to staying cool when hosting outside in summer.’

We are not the only ones who love it, either.

Verified Shark customer Tana shared in her review, ‘My husband and I are in our 70's and in poor health, this Texas heat could quite literally kill us without some kind of relief. We have one in the house and two outside, one on the front porch and one on the back patio. The misting feature is absolutely wonderful at making these Texas summers tolerable.’

While we did not get the chance to test the InstaCool Misting attachment ourselves, Shark promises that 'you can enjoy immediate, on-demand cooling mist,' with the fan 'easily connecting to your hose to rapidly reduce temperatures to feel up to 10 degrees cooler.'

While increasing humidity by misting might sound like the last thing you want to try in a hot summer, science backs the FlexBreeze up.

For example, one study found that '[A] misting system was capable of reducing the ambient air temperature by 2.4–4.9 °C and increasing the relative humidity by 17.1%–17.8%. Participants in the misting condition reported lower thermal sensation and higher thermal acceptability.' Overall, 'the misting system significantly improves human thermal comfort.'

So, what's not to love?

What to shop

Meet our expert

The handy FlexBreeze fan will certainly be a worthy addition to any emergency home cooling kits.

Knowing how to make a DIY air conditioner when you are stuck without built-in AC in a heatwave is essential. Not only does it make you more comfortable, but it could keep you safe, too.

A DIY air conditioner, also known as a DIY swamp cooler, blows air over ice to reduce indoor temperatures. Also known as an evaporative cooler, this is a simple DIY project that takes around an hour and costs less than $60.

So, if you’re looking for a fast way to cool a house, give this quick project a try with our expert tips.

How to make a DIY air conditioner

It is worth noting before you begin that DIY evaporation coolers, such as swamp coolers, work best in low humidity as the cooling process naturally increases humidity in a house.

Lane Martin, Co-Founder at Modern PURAIR explains, ‘The key thing to remember is it’s most effective in dry air – if the humidity’s already high, you won’t get the same impact. But as far as quick fixes go, it’s not a bad trick to keep in your back pocket.’

As it relies on cooling a room with fans, this project is generally able to produce an air stream that is 15°F cooler than the room air. As a result, it is best used for moderate heat and should not be solely relied upon in extreme heat situations. For this, an emergency home cooling kit and a window AC is your best bet.

For a DIY air conditioner, you will need the following:

• A desk fan. We love the Shark FlexBreeze, available at Best Buy, as it can be used indoors and out, and has a 24-hour battery life so you can stay cool in a power cut, too. If you need a more budget-friendly option, the Honeywell 10” fan from Walmart is perfect for the job, too.
• A medium-sized plastic container, bucket, or styrofoam cooler, with a lid large enough for the fan to sit on top of
• A sharp box cutter tool, available from The Home Depot
• Ice or cold water. Alternatively, plastic bottles filled with water and frozen solid.
• Optional: flexible ducting or a plastic tube cut into four-inch sections, such as this two-inch PVC piping from The Home Depot, to direct the flow of air more precisely

1. Set up the cooling base

To make your DIY air conditioner and cool down a home in a heatwave, start with a large plastic container, bucket, or box. With your box cutter, cut one to three two-inch holes in the sides towards the top of the container, spacing them at least four inches apart, facing in the same direction. This will be where the cool air escapes to cool you down.

If you are using PVC piping, slot this into the small holes to help direct the cooling air. For extra precision, use silicone caulk, such as GE Window and Door Sealant from The Home Depot, to secure them in place and prevent air leaks.

For the lid, Lane says, ‘Cut a hole in the lid just big enough for the fan to sit snugly on top, blowing air down into the container.’ It can be helpful to use a permanent marker, such as a Sharpie from Walmart, to draw around the circular face of your fan to ensure it is not too big and the fan does not fall through into the container. You want it resting snugly on top so that it is facing down into the container.

2. Add the evaporative element

To actually cool down a room with a swamp cooler, you need to fill the base of the container with very cold water, ice packs, or frozen water bottles. ‘The colder, the better,’ Lane says.

Michael Zohouri, HVAC expert and founder of Pyramid ECO, adds, ‘If you can elevate the container slightly, it helps direct the cool air into the middle of the room instead of just along the floor. You’re essentially creating a small evaporative cooler, using chilled water to cool the air as it moves through.’

3. Keep it running

As with many unusual methods for staying cool at home, Michael says, ‘This system works best with a bit of maintenance. When the water warms up or the ice packs melt, swap in fresh ice or refill with cold water. Using ice packs or bottles in rotation makes it easier to keep the cycle going.’ There are a few smart ways to reuse air conditioner water around your home to help limit waste, especially if there is an active drought.

How to use a DIY swamp cooler efficiently

The best way to keep a home cool this summer is to work proactively, preventing your home from becoming too hot in the first place, rather than trying to beat the heat after it has set in.

Michael suggests, ‘Start early before the heat builds up. If the room gets too hot before you begin cooling, it’s harder to bring the temperature down. You can block sunlight with curtains or reflective blinds to reduce heat gain. And use a ceiling or oscillating fan with the setup to help distribute the cool air further.’ Just remember to set the best fan direction to cool a room and avoid making the problem worse.

Michael continues, ‘You can even point one fan out a window to draw hot air out while another cools the room from inside. Additionally, if you’re using this setup in a small room, keep the door closed to trap the cool air.’

What to shop

FAQs

How do you make an evaporative cooler colder?

To make your fan blow colder air and your DIY evaporative cooler colder, stay on top of the melting ice packs, replacing them often to maintain a constant temperature inside the cooler box.

Using frozen water bottles can be great for this as they take longer to defrost, offering you longer between refreshes.

How long does it take for a DIY air conditioner to cool a room?

How long it takes an AC to cool a room depends on several factors, including the size of the room and the starting temperature of the room.

A DIY air conditioner/swamp cooler will take a lot longer to cool a room than a built-in AC or window AC, and will only affect the overall temperature by around 3° Fahrenheit. The colder/more ice packs you use, the cooler it will feel.

For the best results, you should sit directly in front of the air outlets to cool down your body, rather than expect the whole room to cool down a lot.

Meet the experts

While it is fine to use a fan in a heatwave, there are several household appliances you should unplug in a heatwave to prevent a fire risk and reduce the temperature in your home.

Cleaner indoor air, whether from an air purifier or an air ionizer, is fast becoming a household essential. From allergens and pollution to smoke and VOCs, there’s growing awareness about what’s floating around in our homes – and how to tackle it.

Both purifiers and ionizers sound similar, but experts warn that the differences between them are important when deciding to invest in your health.

After spending more than 100 hours testing the best air purifiers in my own home, here I compare the two technologies side by side to help you decide which option is safest and most effective for your space.

Air purifiers vs. air ionizers

I caught up with HVAC and air purifier industry experts, for the full low-down on air purifiers and air ionizers.

What's the difference?

Kelly Russum, owner of KC’s 23 ½ Hour Plumbing & Air Conditioning, begins, ‘Air purifiers act like vacuums, ionizers act like magnets. Purifiers physically trap pollutants such as dust, dander, and pollen using HEPA or carbon filters. Ionizers, on the other hand, release charged ions into the air that bind to airborne particles, causing them to fall or stick to surfaces.’

It's an important distinction. What air purifiers do is physically remove pollutants from your home by trapping them in replaceable filters, almost like a vacuum cleaner for the air. Many models include activated carbon filters to target odors and gases like VOCs – a method also used in professional-grade systems, and are often confused when comparing air scrubbers vs air purifiers.

In contrast, ionizers don’t remove particles – they displace them. Negative ions attach to pollutants, making them heavy enough to fall from the air. As Lane Martin, co-founder of Modern PURAIR, explains, ‘You’re not really removing the particles, just getting them out of the air temporarily.’

It’s also worth noting that particles dislodged by ionizers tend to settle on floors, shelves, and other surfaces, meaning you’ll still need to clean them up manually. This is important to remember, alongside other air quality mistakes at home, such as ignoring dust buildup or failing to vacuum soft furnishings. The Black+Decker dustbuster furbuster at Amazon is perfect for vacuuming sofas and upholstery thanks to its powerful, handheld design that we awarded 4.5 stars on test.

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau, vice president of research development at Molekule, adds a further note of caution, ‘Ionizers work to remove pollutants by electrically charging airborne particles. However, ozone is a very gangrenous and toxic compound and a lung irritant even at low concentrations.’ It’s a side effect of many ionizing processes – and one that shouldn’t be overlooked when deciding on an air ionizer.

Which is best for me?

Choosing between an air purifier and an ionizer largely depends on your health and your home's priorities.

If you suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions, experts overwhelmingly recommend air purifiers. Kelly Russum says, ‘Air purifiers give tangible and visible results. You see the filters fill up, and they’re excellent at capturing allergens, mold spores, and even bad smells.’

Air purifiers are also highly effective when paired with other lifestyle changes, such as removing household items that pollute your air and improving ventilation. For urban homes, they’re especially helpful in efforts to improve air quality when living in a city.

On the other hand, ionizers offer low-maintenance convenience. With no filters to change, they’re quieter and cheaper to run. They can also help with ultra-fine particles, such as smoke.

But as Dr. Dhau warns, ‘Ozone is a toxic lung irritant,’ and ionizers that emit it are best avoided in homes with children, pets, or anyone with respiratory sensitivities. Having an indoor air quality monitor, available at Walmart, can help you stay on top of indoor irritants.

‘If you want an ionizer,’ advises Kelly Russum, ‘you need to choose models that meet California’s CARB ozone emission limits.’ These are certified to release little or no ozone – a vital consideration, especially in small or poorly ventilated rooms. This Lasko Tower Fan and Ionizer at Walmart is officially certified to meet these standards.

Some people consider using both devices or purchasing models that combine the two. However, Russum argues this is often unnecessary: ‘There’s no need to knock down pollution and push it to surfaces, if you can just get rid of it with a purifier.’

What to shop

You can find air ionizers ranging from $40 to $200+ at Walmart and Amazon to suit different homes. Here are our top three air purifiers from the 17 we've tested. All prices correct at time of publication.

Meet the experts

Next, learn how to choose an air purifier, and compare how they stack up against more natural solutions, such as air purifiers vs plants.

Want to know the differences between bladeless fans vs. regular fans? When summer heat rolls in, the right fan can mean the difference between a sticky, sleepless night and a cool, comfortable one, so it's important to know which is right for you.

While traditional bladed fans have long been the go-to solution for affordable cooling, bladeless fans have entered the market with sleek designs and futuristic promises. But do they actually outperform their traditional counterparts?

Here, HVAC experts explain the core differences between these two types of fans, including the pros, cons, features worth paying for, and the expert-backed best fans for cooling your home this summer.

Bladeless vs. regular fans: What’s the difference?

The transition from bladed to ultra-modern bladeless models has brought about plenty of questions from consumers. Are bladeless fans truly safer and more efficient, or is it mostly about aesthetics and brand hype? With prices often several times higher than traditional fans, it's worth knowing whether bladeless fans are truly worth the investment.

At first glance, the key difference between a bladeless fan and a traditional fan is obvious – one has visible spinning blades, and the other appears to be completely smooth and blade-free. But behind the minimalist design of bladeless fans lies a clever bit of engineering.

John Mitchell, HVAC technician and owner of Air Conditioner Lab explains, ‘Bladeless fans use hidden internal blades in the fan base to draw in air.

‘This air is then pushed up through a ring-shaped amplifier and out through a slit along the edge, creating a smooth, continuous stream of air.

'Regular fans, in contrast, use large external blades to chop the air and push it forward, creating a more pulsed airflow.’

So, while both types ultimately serve the same purpose, circulating air to cool a room and keep a home cool in a heatwave, they differ significantly in design, airflow delivery, and maintenance.

Bladeless fans: Pros and cons

When it comes to cooling a room with fans, bladeless models, such as the bestselling PELONIS Bladeless Tower Fan available at Amazon, have gained popularity for their modern design and safer, quieter cooling. But before investing in one, it's important to understand what they truly offer, and where they might fall short compared to more traditional options.

Josh shares the pros to consider:

• Aesthetic appeal: Sleek, modern, and often compact, bladeless fans fit seamlessly into your space.
• Safety: Without exposed blades, these fans are ideal for those living with pets or small children.
• Ease of cleaning: No grills or blades to disassemble makes cleaning tower fans without blades a breeze.
• Quieter operation: Most bladeless models run much quieter than traditional fans, making them ideal for keeping a bedroom cool, or cooling down an office.
• Advanced features: Many models include HEPA filters, the best air purifiers, timers, app connectivity, and remote control functions.

And the cons:

• Cost: Expect to pay a premium – bladeless fans can be three to 10 times more expensive than standard models.
• Cooling power: While the airflow is smooth and consistent, it may not feel as powerful as a high-speed traditional fan.
• Maintenance costs: Fewer replaceable parts and complex internals mean repairs can be costly if something goes wrong.

Regular fans: Pros and cons

While bladeless fans may be gaining popularity for their innovation, regular fans have stood the test of time for a reason. Their simple design, accessible price point, and powerful airflow make them a popular choice for cooling homes across the country, especially during a heatwave.

But as with any appliance, they come with trade-offs. Here’s what to know about the advantages of traditional fans, which are among the most affordable cooling products:

• Affordability and simplicity: You can find a reliable, high-performance fan for under $50, such as the bestselling Lasko Classic Box Fan available at Walmart. Fewer electronic parts also means fewer things that can break, helping you to likely save money in the long run.
• Powerful airflow: Traditional fans often produce a stronger, more forceful breeze, making them one of the fastest ways to cool down a house, and ideal for larger rooms or hotter climates.
• Variety: They're available in a wide range of styles – from desk fans, such as the Amazon Basics Air Circulator Fan available at Amazon, to large oscillating tower or pedestal models.

And the limitations:

• Safety concerns: Exposed blades can be dangerous for pets and children, even with a grill.
• Noise: The chopping action of blades can create a noticeable sound, which some people find distracting. This may make it difficult to sleep with the fan on overnight, for example.
• Cleaning: Dust collects on blades and grills, and disassembly can be time-consuming.

Features worth having, and those to skip

Whether you’re leaning more towards a bladeless or regular fan, not all features are worth prioritizing.

To help you make a smart choice, Asif Bux, owner and service manager at Comfort Union, an HVAC and plumbing company, has broken down the features that truly add value and those that might look impressive on the box but don’t offer meaningful performance or long-term benefit.

Here's what to prioritize when choosing your next fan:

• Oscillation: Ensures even distribution of air so you can choose the best fan direction to cool down the room.
• Multiple speed settings: Essential for adjusting airflow to your comfort level.
• Timer function: Saves energy by allowing the fan to turn off after a set period.
• Air filtration (for bladeless fans): Combines fan function with air purification. This is a great investment if you also suffer from hayfever and want to combat common allergies.

And what to skip:

• Built-in speakers or mood lighting: These rarely perform well and unnecessarily drive up the price.
• Touch screens: Often more impractical and harder to use in dim lighting.
• Smart features: Unless you're truly integrating your fan with your smart home must haves, many of these features go unused.

What to shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

FAQs

Do bladeless fans use more electricity?

As it turns out, the opposite is true. Bladeless fans use significantly less electricity than their traditional counterparts, typically between 30 and 35 watts as opposed to between 60 and 75 watts. Therefore, they're the better option if you're looking to cut energy bills.

Meet our experts

Ultimately, the choice between a bladeless fan and a traditional one depends on your priorities. If safety, design, and quiet operation top your list, and you’re willing to pay for it, a bladeless fan could be a worthwhile upgrade. However, if budget and raw cooling power are your main concerns, a well-made traditional fan still does the job brilliantly.

In truth, neither type is universally better. They simply meet different needs, and both provide a suitable alternative to other air conditioning types. The key is to balance function, style, and budget to find the fan that best fits your home and lifestyle. With the right model, you can keep your home cool and sleep better all summer long.

Dehumidifiers are one of the most effective tools for improving indoor air quality – but experts warn that they may be harming our health if used incorrectly.

While they’re designed to reduce moisture and prevent mold, dehumidifiers can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria or cause symptoms like dry skin if you’re not careful.

If you’re using a dehumidifier to reduce your home’s humidity, here’s what you need to know to make sure it’s protecting your health – not quietly undermining it.

How your dehumidifier may be harming your health

Dehumidifiers can harm your health in two major ways: dirty water tanks can result in mold and bacteria growth, and lowering the humidity too much can dry out skin and damage your home.

Dehumidifiers work by pulling excess moisture from the air – but if you’re not cleaning the machine regularly, it can start working against you. Family medicine physician Uma Darji explains, ‘That standing water becomes a perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Instead of helping your air quality, you’re pumping irritants back into your home.’

Mold spores and bacteria build up quickly in the water tank and filter, especially in warm conditions. If left untreated, the machine can reintroduce these into your living space, aggravating allergies or respiratory symptoms. As Jimmy Hiller, HVAC expert and CEO of Happy Hiller warns, ‘Mold will inevitably become your trouble if you neglect basic maintenance.’

There’s also the risk of over-drying, adds Scott Schrader, cleaning expert from CottageCare. ‘When the level of indoor humidity drops below 30%, some people might begin to experience dry skin, irritated sinuses, and can even develop nosebleeds.' These are classic signs of low humidity, which can be damaging to your home and health.

If your skin feels tight, your throat is scratchy, or you’re waking up with headaches, you might ask yourself, 'Why does my house feel so dry?’ The culprit could be running your dehumidifier without monitoring humidity levels.

According to Hiller, ‘If you keep your dehumidifier running after your indoor humidity drops below 40%, you’re making a mistake – you’re just turning one problem into another.’

Dehumidifier mistakes like this are surprisingly common. It's easy to assume that it's perfectly fine to place the unit next to your bed for white noise or convenience, but this airflow can disrupt sleep or worsen breathing issues by drying out your nose and throat.

Prevention tips

Preventing these issues takes two simple habits: regular maintenance and monitoring humidity levels.

Clean your dehumidifier at least once a week by washing the water tank using warm water and mild soap, such as Dawn dish soap, available at Walmart – especially during humid seasons. If your dehumidifier has a filter, check it monthly and replace it when it looks dusty or smells off.

Monitoring humidity is just as important. A humidistat or standalone hygrometer, also available at Walmart, lets you see if you’re overdrying or still dealing with excess moisture. Aim to keep levels between 40% and 60% – that’s the range recommended for health and comfort in most homes. For when the seasons change, refer to the best humidity levels for a home year-round.

The ideal humidity for bedrooms tends to be slightly higher for comfort at night, while the ideal humidity for a house in summer can be lower due to heat and ventilation. Adjust accordingly, and avoid running your machine overnight unless necessary.

Finally, make sure your machine is placed correctly. The best place to put a dehumidifier is somewhere central, away from walls or large furniture, and never right next to where you sleep or work. Poor airflow limits performance and may even contribute to mold or bacteria in hidden corners.

What to shop

All prices correct at time of publication.

Meet the experts

For a more gentle approach to regulating humidity, consider introducing a few houseplants for low humidity to help naturally rebalance your indoor air.

Whether it's removing pollen, pet hair, or pollution, improving your home's air quality will be a boon for your well-being. But how do air purifiers vs. plants measure up?

Plants naturally absorb gases and release oxygen, and they've been doing this self-sufficiently for millennia. But now, we have the best air purifiers that actively pull in contaminated air and release purified air, more swiftly than a plant could.

Which one works best, and can you get away with using plants instead of a new device? At Homes & Gardens, we've spent years testing purifiers and living with air-purifying houseplants. So, here's the full low-down on creating a healthy space using natural helpers or smart devices – or both.

Air purifiers vs plants

I've spent 100+ hours testing air purifiers and know the ins and outs of how they work. I also caught up with horticulturists and HVAC specialists to find out exactly whether air purifiers or air-cleaning indoor plants are best for your space.

What's the difference?

Air purifiers and plants both aim to improve indoor air, but how they do it – and how well – is very different.

‘Air purifiers are designed to actively remove airborne contaminants – things like dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke particles, and even VOCs,’ says Lane Martin, co-founder of Modern PURAIR. ‘They often use HEPA or carbon filters, which are far more efficient at capturing microscopic particles than any houseplant could manage.’

If you’re wondering what an air purifier does, imagine a vacuum cleaner for the air – it pulls in polluted air and pushes out cleaner air. Houseplants, by contrast, rely on slower biological processes.

Tammy Sons, horticulture expert and founder of plant store TN Nursery, explains that plants such as peace lilies and spider plants can remove toxins, including benzene and formaldehyde, but they operate at a slower pace.

‘Houseplants offer electricity-free charm and connect people to nature, but they’re not as swift as purifiers at removing smoke or gas particles,’ she says.

Biologist and EARTHDAY associate director Aidan Charron agrees: ‘You’d need like 100 plants per room to make a real dent in your air quality,’ he says. ‘A decent HEPA filter can remove 99.97% of particles – plants just can’t compete with that efficiency.’

Still, that doesn’t mean plants don’t help. They may not scrub the air as fast as a purifier, but they add humidity, bring a natural aesthetic and improve air quality indoors more gently.

Air quality monitors can help you measure what’s in your indoor air and track how much either option is helping, if you prefer a more data-driven approach.

Which is best for me?

Choosing between air purifiers vs. plants depends on your needs and how you live.

‘If you’re someone who enjoys caring for plants and just wants to freshen up a room, houseplants are a lovely addition,’ says Lane. ‘But if air quality is a concern – maybe you live near a busy road, you have pets, or someone has allergies – then an air purifier is the more reliable solution.’

If allergies, asthma or smoke are a concern, it’s best to know how to choose the right air purifier for your home and the best place to put an air purifier.

Speaking from my own experience, having an air purifier in the bedroom has made a huge difference in my sleep quality, almost eliminating my asthma and allergy symptoms.

Traffic fumes and outdoor pollutants can make their way inside, too. A purifier may be essential here as it's one of the best ways to improve indoor air quality when living in a city.

That said, houseplants come with unique benefits, and they help to create a non-toxic home. ‘Plants are the ultimate multitaskers,’ says Aidan. ‘They add humidity, look great, and some even smell good. And they do it all without electricity.’

Tammy adds, ‘Plants promote vitality and create a tranquil environment with natural fragrance. Those who find meaning in nurturing living things will love the slow, steady presence of greenery.’

Looking for a place to start? One of the best air-cleaning plants is the peace lily. Here’s where to place a peace lily to get the most from its air-purifying potential.

The best air might just come from combining the two. Let your purifier clean while your plants bring the calm. Just be aware of common indoor plant mistakes like overwatering, poor placement, or choosing toxic species for pets.

Next, learn the non-toxic ways to make your home smell nice, and the common household items that are polluting your air.

As summer sets in, sleeping with a fan on can feel like the only way to get through a hot, sticky night. It’s a simple, energy-saving solution – and the white noise can be soothing, too.

But while the best fans offers immediate relief, it may be causing more harm than good. According to experts, the airflow can aggravate allergies, dry out skin, and even disrupt your sleep.

So should we stop using fans overnight altogether? Not necessarily – but it’s worth knowing the risks, and how to get around them.

Can you sleep with a fan on overnight?

In short, yes – but it’s not ideal for everyone. While fans create a cooling breeze, they also stir up dust, pollen and dry air, which can irritate the skin and airways.

‘Fans can dehydrate your throat and nostrils,’ says Dr Emma Lin, sleep medicine physician and co-founder of ReadyO2. ‘They circulate dust and pollen, which might cause sneezing or coughing,’ she adds, highlighting the effects of letting common household allergens build up at home.

If you’ve ever woken up with a dry throat, itchy eyes or blocked sinuses, the fan could be to blame. Dr Hussain Ahmad, a consultant at Click2Pharmacy, explains: ‘Fans blow around allergens and dry out the air, which can make allergies worse and dry your skin.’

'If the air's already dry, fans can cause dry skin, dry eyes, or even dry out your nose and throat, which might leave you waking up with a scratchy throat or blocked sinuses,' he adds.

Even healthy sleepers can experience discomfort from overnight airflow, especially if the fan is pointing directly at the face. Over time, this dryness can affect sleep quality and increase sensitivity to airborne irritants. This is also one of the expert-recommended reasons why you should turn your AC off at night.

According to Lane Martin of indoor air quality company Modern PURAIR, the issue often lies in what’s in the air. ‘If your fan is just recirculating dust and allergens, it could be making things worse,’ he says.

How to do it safely and comfortably

If you’re not ready to give up your fan, there are easy ways to make it safer and more comfortable. My home doesn't have AC, and I sleep with a fan on overnight whenever the weather's a little too warm. Because I pair it with one of the best air purifiers, I never feel the potential side effects from running a fan overnight.

First, regularly cleaning your fan will keep it free of dust and allergens. ‘Clean your fan regularly and try not to point it straight at your face,’ says Dr Hussain Ahmad. Oscillating fans or those aimed at the wall can reduce negative effects.

Next, improve the air quality in your room. ‘Use an air purifier to remove dust and pollen,’ says Dr Emma Lin. ‘And add a humidifier if the air is too dry – it keeps your nose and throat from drying out.’ The Sharper Image Ultrasonic Humidifier at QVC is an excellent, budget-friendly choice.

Martin agrees: ‘Pairing a fan with an air purifier or clean HVAC system means you’re not just blowing irritants around all night.’

Using an air purifier in my bedroom has almost eliminated my asthma and allergy symptoms. I use the Molekule Air Mini+ as it's small, quiet and has some of the most effective purification technology available, but the Coway Airmega Aim at Amazon is a more budget-friendly option that's great at purifying a room.

Simple changes to your bedding and routine can help too. Choose natural fabrics like cotton or bamboo for better airflow, and avoid memory foam, which traps heat. ‘A warm shower before bed helps your body cool naturally,’ says Dr Emma Lin.

You can also cool down the room itself. Keep blinds closed during the day to block heat, open windows when it’s cooler outside, or try placing a frozen water bottle in bed an hour before sleep.

Finally, if you have asthma, hay fever, or other respiratory conditions, speak to a specialist. ‘There’s no one-size-fits-all,’ says Dr Emma Lin, ‘but everyone benefits from clean air and good sleep.’

What to shop

To guarantee a good night's sleep while the fan's running, free of allergies and dryness, make the most of the useful technology out there. All prices correct at time of publication.

FAQs

Can you sleep with a fan and humidifier on?

Yes, and it's one of the expert-recommended tips to ensure that your room has enough moisture when running the fan won't dry out your skin, nose or throat too much.

Can you sleep with a fan on when sick?

Running the fan overnight won't necessarily make you more sick, but it can definitely worsen your symptoms. As the steady breeze from a fan can cause dryness, trigger allergy symptoms or worsen your breathing, it's generally best to avoid doing so if you're ill.

But if you have an air purifier and humidifier set up, you should be able to have a comfortable sleep without the fan worsening your symptoms.

Can you sleep with a fan on and the window open?

This mostly depends on your area's air quality. If you live in a built-up area, a way to improve your air quality when living in a city is to avoid letting the pollutants in, and if you're running a fan at the same time, these pollutants will be pulled in and circulate around the room.

If you live in an area with cleaner air, opening the window can allow fresh air to enter your space, while letting out compromised air from cooking, candles or showering.

If the outside air is hotter or more humid than indoors, running the fan with a window open may not make you feel all that much cooler.

Can you sleep with a fan on in winter?

The air is naturally drier in the winter months, so sleeping with the fan on overnight will cause more side effects than when doing so during summer.

Plus, it's not the most environmentally friendly method. There are plenty of ways to achieve the best temperature for sleep, but running the heating and a fan simultaneously might not be the best move.

Is it bad to sleep with a fan on?

Punteha van Terheyden, Head of Solved at Homes & Gardens, has some expert tips on how to sleep better:

'Getting a comfortable night's sleep is incredibly important to our wellbeing, so if a fan helps you sleep, there's nothing wrong with using it.

'However, if you find having a fan running overnight gives you a sore or dry throat, or wakes you up from feeling stuffy or cold, use the timer function to have it turn off an hour or so after you're asleep.

'That way, you get the short-term comfort and cooling to help you drift off, but any unwanted symptoms from running it for many hours will be skipped.'

Punteha recommends the Pelonis Tower Fan with remote from Amazon, adding, 'It's quiet and has an easy-to-use timer function. The remote makes it easy to tweak when you're in bed and tired, or wake up in the night and want to change the settings with ease.'

Next, learn the mistakes compromising your air quality, and find out about the best fan we've ever reviewed, the Shark FlexBreeze, which will quietly but effectively cool any room.

We often think of air pollution as something that exists outside, but in reality, the air inside our homes can be just as polluted. Cooking, cleaning and living with pets can all contribute to poor indoor air quality that can affect our health and comfort.

That's where air quality monitors come in. These small devices offer real-time insight into what we're breathing at home, air quality, and ventilation – and ultimately improve our wellbeing.

Understanding and managing our air quality is more than a luxury, it's an essential step to living a healthier, cleaner life at home. I caught up with some industry experts for the full low-down on why these devices are so important alongside the best air purifiers.

What does an air monitor do?

Like a thermostat displays temperature and a humidistat displays humidity levels, an air monitor shows you what harmful particles are present in your indoor air.

'An indoor air quality monitor helps you understand the levels of common pollutants inside your home, like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO₂),' shares Ken Nelson, indoor air quality expert and group sales manager at Panasonic.

He adds, 'When these levels rise above safe thresholds, the monitor alerts you so you can take action to reduce exposure.'

You might find that, after cooking, dusting or executing any of the common mistakes lowering your air quality, the air quality monitor will reveal increases in certain particulate matter.

Here's a brief, simplified overview of what they mean:

• PM1-sized particles are smaller than 1 micron and include very fine allergens, viruses, and bacteria.
• PM2.5-sized particles include smoke from natural sources like forest fires and anthropogenic sources like cigarettes and fossil fuels.
• PM10-sized particles include larger particles like dust, pollen, and bacteria fragments that can irritate the body.
• VOCs (volatile organic compounds) can include harmful gases and particles like formaldehyde, benzene and toluene.
• Some air quality monitors will list formaldehyde separately as HCHO.

'Air quality monitors vary in design from simple plug-in models to more advanced handheld or integrated systems,' Ken continues.

It's really up to you how simple or comprehensive of an air quality monitor to invest in, as some can monitor humidity and temperature for a more complete picture of your home's air quality.

Why do you need an air monitor?

To be able to manage your home's air quality and breathe cleaner, healthier air, you need to understand it first. By monitoring exactly what's in your air, you'll learn what is lowering your air quality, and you'll know when it's time to take steps to improve it. This can be done by improving ventilation in your home or knowing the best place to put your air purifier.

'This real-time insight supports a healthier indoor environment for you and your family,' Ken explains, adding 'from visible pollutants like smoke and pet dander to invisible ones such as VOCs or even viruses, your air can contain a range of contaminants.'

'Some may seem harmless, but over time, they can affect your quality of life. A monitor helps you pinpoint which pollutants are present – whether from everyday activities like cooking or seasonal changes – so you can take informed steps to improve your home’s air quality,' he continues.

I can attest to this on a personal level. As somebody with allergies and asthma who's triggered by the smallest common household allergens, managing my air quality has massively reduced symptoms, so much so that I don't remember the last time I had a flare-up at home.

Asthma and allergies aside, managing your home's air quality will improve respiratory health, reduce prevent mold and mildew, improve sleep and reduce stress.

Joe Haycock, HVAC expert and vice president of Fresh Air Concepts, elaborates: 'Instead of guessing, you can clearly see when and why you need to improve the air quality. Over time, it can also identify recurring problems so you can deal with them consistently, not just occasionally.'

Home air quality essentials

Here are some of the best-rated air quality monitors available, as well as the best air purifier we've tested, the Shark NeverChange MAX.

Meet the experts

Next, find out how to choose an air purifier based on your home's needs, or learn how to clean your air purifier to return it to its former purifying glory.

We all love the sunshine, but with warmer weather comes more home maintenance, and spotting the signs it's time to replace your air conditioner will help you enjoy a comfortable, cool home this summer.

Knowing when it's time to replace your AC system is just as important as knowing how to use it, say pros. Here, HVAC experts share their expertise on the five tell-tale signs that it's time to upgrade your air-conditioning type.

1. There is a gas line leakage

As Richard Halsall, CEO of Exhale Fans, explains, a gas line leak on your AC unit will cause the condenser to freeze up, leading you to see a serious reduction in the cooling of your air conditioner, and, therefore, a significant increase in how long it takes for an AC to cool down a room.

'You can actually feel the change when you place your hand over the register,' he says. 'This is a big warning sign that it’s time to move on, as this kind of leakage is a huge waste of energy and can result in considerably higher energy bills, not to mention expensive repairs if there is damage to surrounding areas.'

Therefore, to cut energy bills, replacing your air conditioner is recommended in this instance.

2. Bad energy efficiency

Much like in the presence of a gas line leakage, Robert Mazzacone, president at Mazzacone Plumbing and Heating, advises that, if your air conditioning unit has a low SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating compared to what's available today, you're likely paying more than you should be on your energy bills.

'Newer systems with higher SEER ratings can make a noticeable difference,' he shares, and help to keep a home cool in a heatwave, without driving up your household bills at the same time.

3. The blower fan isn't working properly

When it comes to cooling down a living room, or indeed anywhere else, the main component that pushes the cool air around the space is the fan.

Richard explains if your AC unit isn't delivering cool air with the necessary force across a room, you are likely to see the compressor usage rise.

'This is a major contributor to energy consumption,' he says. 'With this, users will have to run the AC at super cold or super high, just to feel comfortable in their own home – imagine places like Phoenix, where it's hot both during the day and night.

'A faulty blower fan will also affect the dry air that is delivered, so tackling areas with a lot of moisture will be much more challenging, making way for every homeowner’s sworn enemy, mold and mildew.'

4. Your home feels unusually humid

Your home feeling humid during warm weather is to be expected, but, as David Lewis, owner of Mission AC & Plumbing, highlights, your AC is meant to help manage humidity, not worsen it.

'If your home feels damp or muggy, especially during hot months, it means your system isn’t dehumidifying like it should,' he says. 'That’s often a sign it’s no longer operating at full capacity.'

Therefore, if you do spot any signs of high home humidity, it's well worth calling in a pro to take a look at your AC unit.

5. The heat exchanger outside is broken

Finally, if your heat exchanger outside is 'on the fritz,' your air conditioner needs replacing, warns HVAC expert Richard.

'Not only does this issue cause serious disruption to energy efficiency within the home, but it also has the potential to cause major safety hazards, such as the leaking of carbon monoxide into a home, which could leak into the air and harm those inside,' he stresses. 'If the heat exchanger was in working order, such hazards would not be an issue.'

Make sure you're aware of the smells that could be a sign of danger in your home, and, crucially, where to install carbon monoxide alarms, to protect your health and your home.

We recommend the Kidde Carbon Monoxide Alarm available at Walmart, which requires no hardwiring and features a loud, 85-decibel alarm.

Troubleshooting steps

'There are a few possible reasons your air conditioning unit may not be blowing cold air – both window ACs and central units,' says Richie Drew, vice president of operations at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. 'Sometimes, it’s as simple as just needing to adjust the thermostat setting or reprogram your smart thermostat to run your AC at different times of the day.'

However, the main thing to keep in mind, stresses Richie, is if you suspect your air conditioning unit it not functioning properly, the first thing you should do is shut it off.

'This is important because running a malfunctioning AC unit can cause further damage and potentially lead to costly repairs,' he says. In addition, if you conclude that your AC is blowing warm air due to a refrigerant leak, you should always call a trusted and professional HVAC technician to make the fix.

'Inside all those coils is refrigerant,' explains Richie. 'This chemical compound is designed to convert from a gas to a liquid and back as it absorbs heat from inside and releases it outside. This can cause your AC unit to run longer than normal, increase utility bills, the AC unit to blow warm air, and more.'

That being said, if you spot any of the other signs you need to replace your air conditioner, there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot a solution before calling in a pro. Richie shares:

• Check your thermostat setting: 'Make sure your thermostat is set to cool. Sometimes someone may change the setting by accident.'
• Check your air filter: 'Dirty air filters reduce airflow, which limits the way your air is evenly distributed throughout your home.'
• Check for an obstructed condenser unit: 'The condenser unit is located outside your home. The condenser coil runs around the unit's periphery, usually protected by a removable cover or panel. It’s usually lined with thin, shiny metal fins. If these fins are blocked by dirt or grass, or covered by a tarp for protection, they can't draw in enough air, which can lead to warm air blowing into your home.'

What to shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

FAQs

What is the normal lifespan of an air conditioner?

In general, you can expect, with proper maintenance and care, that your air conditioner will last between 15 and 20 years. After that, replacement is recommended, particularly in terms of efficient cooling and lower energy bills.

Meet our experts

Have you tried eco-cooling? Whether you invest in the right window coverings or boost ventilation, these simple steps could be enough to keep your room cool, without added costs.

Are you already feeling the heat? Home cooling can be expensive, but this bestselling Dreo Tower fan is currently reduced by a staggering $220.

With high-speed spatial cooling, 90° oscillation, and four modes, there's a whole lot to love about the Dreo Tower Fan available at Walmart, which you can currently add to your cart for only $59.99.

So, if you're looking for the best fan to make your money go further right now, head to Walmart for this top-rated steal.

This popular Dreo Tower Fan is reduced by $220

It's not everyday that we get excited by a fan deal, but with the weather getting warmer, it is difficult (and expensive) to keep a home cool in a heatwave and get a good night's sleep. Well, at least it was.

This Dreo Tower Fan available at Walmart has over 4,000 five star reviews, with satisfied customers dubbing it 'Awesome,' the 'Best model of years of fans,' and even the 'Best fan ever!'

So, what makes it so good? For starters, it's as quiet as only 34 dB (comparable to a whisper) when running, perfect for cooling down a bedroom fast at night time, and leaving on overnight.

That way, you're sure to swerve any hot weather sleeping mistakes, and keep a bed cool in summer, too. With four modes; normal, natural, sleep and auto, you won't need to worry about your fast way to cool down your house becoming a common fire risk in your home, either.

At 36 inches tall, it also cools down every inch of your space, with high-speed spatial cooling at up to 24 ft/s, and a 90° oscillating cooling fan. That's also pretty compact for this level of fan technology, so it's easily portable to carry around to other rooms with the inclusion of the handy hidden handle.

Dan Fauzi, our resident home tech editor and expert tester, agrees that this is a brilliant purchase. 'I've owned a couple of Dreo's tower fans, and currently have one of their air purifying fans in my living room,' they say. 'They're honestly great at cooling down a whole room, and they're compact, quiet, and look great in your space.'

Plus, it's easy to clean this tower fan, and easy to control, with a remote control for ultimate convenience.

Shop more fan deals

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet our expert

Want to make your fan work even harder? Learn how to make a fan blow colder air by positioning it strategically, using ice or cold packs, and optimizing your fan blades.

Nighttime heat can be so disruptive, but this free bedroom cooling trick I learned from my Persian grandma kept me comfortable, and at times chilly in the blazing heat of the Middle East.

Creating a cross draft – where you open two windows at the opposite end of the house – quickly wicks away the day’s heat and allows cooler nighttime air to flow through your home. This is the cooling trick I learned to help me sleep in the heat of the Middle East when I lived there, and later when I returned for long summer trips.

Cross ventilation is so effective at cooling down your bedroom fast without AC and doesn’t cost a thing. HVAC pros agree this is a fantastic way to get comfortable on hot nights.

What is a cross draft and why does it work to cool bedrooms?

A cross draft is a column of air that enters the home on one side, travels through, and exits the other. This will quickly whisk away the heat of the day and significantly cool your home in preparation for a good night’s sleep.

Even in the height of summer in sweltering Iran, where temperatures reached a whopping 116° Fahrenheit in the day, I found this process chilled the bedroom enough to give me goosebumps when I went to bed.

My Persian grandma grew up in the heat of central Iran, where as a little girl, her hand-built village home had zero AC, but her family and all the locals used clever science know-how passed down through generations to cool down. In fact, their homes, which had thick adobe walls and courtyards were built to allow for cross drafting to reduce indoor heat quickly and easily.

From hanging dripping wet billowing bed sheets by the windows to creating a cross draft, my grandma taught me all her Middle Eastern tricks coping with extreme heat at home.

Alex Atkinson, a plumber and highly-qualified HVAC technician at Super Brothers agrees my grandma's cross draft bedroom cooling tip really works.

Alex explains, ‘A cross draft or cross ventilation is a natural method of passive cooling that can take heat from within a space by moving air through it. It consists of creating a plume through which outdoor cool air enters the home from one side, passes through the interior, and exits through another opening on the opposite side.

‘The pressure difference between both sides of your house and the temperature differentials between indoors and outdoors cause this to happen. A lot has to do with how air moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas and again from cooler spaces to warmer areas when given routes.’

Here are the cross draft steps my grandma taught me:

1. In the early morning or cooler evening, open the windows in your bedroom.
2. Open the internal doors that lead you to the opposite side of your home and wedge them open.
3. Open the windows on the opposite side to make a horizontal column of air movement. Alternatively, open a window upstairs, and a window downstairs to create a chimney cooling effect.
4. Turn off all the lights to stop bugs from coming inside and enjoy the cooling blast.

For effective cross-ventilation to cool down a hot apartment or multi-story home, Alex says it’s all about placement and timing. 'You need to have at least two openings on opposite sides of your home, either from windows or doors,' he says. 'Ideally, one of those openings would be an exterior access opening facing directly towards the direction of the wind. This opening would act as your air entry point.

‘The other external access point should be on the leeward [sheltered] side, allowing air to exit. If it's a single-story house, it can open through windows across a hallway or across an open floor plan. For multi-story homes, putting an intake window downstairs and an exhaust upstairs can create a chimney effect, thus improving airflow.

‘You can also enhance this effect with the aid of box fans or window fans; set one to pull air in and the other to push air out. Positioning is everything; aligning fans diagonally across your space helps move the air efficiently.’ Additionally, try the sheet cooling hack to further boost efficacy even more.

The best time to do this cool down your bedroom fast with this trick is late in the evening, or very early in the morning. ‘That’s when outdoor air will be much cooler than the inside air at your house. For instance, in Sacramento, once the sun goes down and temperatures dip into the 60s or 70s, that is indeed the perfect time to open everything up.’

Alex advises using outdoor air when the evening or early morning temperature is 95°F or less. ‘You would rather keep doors and windows closed and implement insulation strategies like blackout curtains, shaded awnings, or reflective window films to block heat gain rather than have the warm outside air come in,' he adds.

I also have blackout blinds, available on Amazon, in my south-facing bedroom. It’s the hottest room in the house and so in the morning when the weather is still cool, I do the cross ventilation trick, then close the windows and draw the blinds, keeping it in shade during the hottest part of the day.

Bedroom cooling essentials

Meet the expert

Now you've got my grandma's bedroom cooling cross draft trick under your hat, try these ways to cool down any room in the house.

I have a dryer, but I don’t like to use it all the time as it runs up the electricity bill. Instead, I air dry laundry on large drying racks and use a cheap dehumidifier to speed up the process, especially in spring when humidity is high with 'April showers'.

For a long time, I’d put off investing in this appliance, as I wrongly thought I had to pay out for an expensive one.

But actually, an affordable $49 dehumidifier from Amazon is just as good for my small drying space and halves the time it takes to dry my laundry indoors.

A budget humidifier will work just fine in small spaces

I bought mine to quickly dry a ceiling leak and then realized a little dehumidifier can do lots of things, including drying my laundry indoors much quicker than without.

How I use a dehumidifier to speed up air drying laundry

Knowing the best place to put a dehumidifier is the key for optimal results. I place mine on the counter directly next to wet clothes I am drying, at a distance of about 1-2 feet. Then I make sure the vents that suck in the humid air are facing my wet laundry.

This works to halve the normal time it takes for the laundry to dry, meaning I can put on more loads of laundry and not wait agonizing days for it to dry naturally.

I don’t like running the dehumidifier overnight while we are sleeping, so I put it on a 12-hour timer in the day-time, or have it run till we go up to bed around 10 pm.

As we head into April, this is especially important because the increased humidity means the air in your home may generally have more moisture than normal, slowing down the laundry drying process. It's also a time of year when chilly days creep up on us out of nowhere, leading to less ventilation in the home.

Other products to help you air dry laundry quickly

A dehumidifier isn’t only good for drying laundry quickly. I used it to dry a ceiling leak in the kitchen in a matter of days. It’s also a brilliant way to reduce the risk of mold in spring or tackle basement rooms with excess humidity and mold.

Living at home, I'm lucky enough to enjoy a spacious double bedroom with an en suite. The only problem? It's in the basement.

When we added the basement after moving into our home, the idea of an extra bedroom with an en suite bathroom was, of course, an attractive option. But, since then, dealing with humidity and subsequent mold has been an ongoing battle.

That was until I decided to take the plunge on a budget-friendly Amazon dehumidifier for my small space, which has genuinely made an unbelievable difference. It's small, compact, and really works. Now I can't live without it.

Are dehumidifiers an effective solution for damp and mold?

All prices were correct at the time of publication

Feeling disheartened about spotting signs of high home humidity in my basement bedroom, I spoke to Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician at Air Conditioner Lab.

He explained, 'Basements are one of the most common places in a home to struggle with dampness and mold. Since they’re below ground level, they tend to hold moisture, making them the perfect environment for mold to thrive. Add in an en suite bathroom, and the problem can get worse due to steam buildup. Homeowners often ask whether a dehumidifier can help with these issues – or if it’s just a temporary fix.'

Luckily, Josh assured me that dehumidifiers are one of the best ways to manage dampness, reduce humidity and get rid of mold in a basement. I've certainly noticed a difference since purchasing mine.

Most notably, it has completely helped to curb mold in my closet, coupled with hanging moisture absorbers, such as the bestselling DampRid Fragrance Free Hanging Moisture Absorber available at Amazon. This was an issue that was regularly leaving me needing to wash mold out of clothes and furiously using vinegar to kill mold and clean my closet.

As Josh explains, 'Mold thrives in environments where humidity levels are above 60%, and anything above 70% can accelerate growth. A good dehumidifier can bring indoor humidity down to a safer range of 30-50%, making it harder for mold spores to survive and spread.'

Therefore, by lowering the humidity levels in my bedroom, I no longer have to contend with – and worry about – mold and mildew.

Josh also shared that basement bedrooms tend to be more prone to dampness and mold due to poor ventilation. 'In homes with an en suite bathroom in the basement, hot showers create steam, and if there’s poor ventilation, the excess moisture lingers, making mold growth more likely,' he says. As mine doesn't have any windows, but does have french doors, I realized I shouldn't close the trickle vents, and have noticed a considerable difference in the humidity levels since opening them.

A dehumidifier won't work with windows open, but in my case the vents are small and far enough away from my appliance, so opening them hasn't affected the efficacy at all.

Beyond helping to ventilate the basement, opening the trickle vents, coupled with my dehumidifier, has also helped to get rid of musty basement smells and freshen the space, too. Therefore, I now know for certain why both of these quick fixes are things people with nice-smelling basements always do.

How to reduce moisture and prevent mold in a basement bedroom

Importantly, dehumidifiers don't kill mold that's already growing, instead helping to prevent future growth by removing excess moisture from the air. Therefore, I asked Josh for his tips on banishing bad habits that increase the risk of mold, and stop it returning for good.

He advises, 'If your basement bedroom is prone to dampness and mold, a dehumidifier is a good first step, but it works best when combined with other moisture-control strategies:

• Improve ventilation in your basement by running the exhaust fan in the bathroom for at least 20 minutes after exiting the shower, and leave the door open to allow steam to escape.
• Seal cracks and leaks where water might seep in, using a waterproof sealant such as the DAP INC White Alex Plus Acrylic Latex Caulk with Silicone available at Amazon.
• Use a hygrometer, such as the AcuRite Indoor Digital Thermometer & Hygrometer available at Walmart, to monitor moisture levels, and determine how often you need to run your dehumidifier. I've been running mine at all times.
• Increase airflow by opening trickle vents, as I have, keeping doors open, and moving furniture away from walls where possible.
• Regularly clean your basement bedroom to prevent the spreading of mold, and keep your space clean and sanitized. You can remove mold stains with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and a microfiber cloth such as the Great Value Multipurpose Microfiber Household Cleaning Cloth available at Walmart, where applicable.

As Josh adds, 'Keeping a basement dry takes more than just one solution. A good dehumidifier makes a huge difference, but pairing it with proper ventilation, sealing leaks, and managing indoor humidity will provide the best long-term results.

'If mold is already present, cleaning it properly before running a dehumidifier is important to avoid spreading spores. With the right approach, you can keep your basement bedroom comfortable, dry, and mold-free all year round.'

Meet our expert

FAQs

How can you tell if your basement needs a dehumidifier?

To determine whether your basement needs one of the best dehumidifiers, look out for telltale signs such as condensation, mold spots, musty odors and blistering paint of peeling wallpaper.

Contributing writer Natasha Brinsmead shared the incredible difference a dehumidifier made to her terrible window condensation, and says she 'couldn't be more pleased' with the results, while Head of Solved Punteha van Terheyden swears by her small dehumidifier for drying ceiling leaks and quick indoor air drying of laundry.

Does opening windows reduce humidity?

Yes, opening windows in winter does reduce condensation, and the same goes for summer, too. Even just a few minutes a day can make a huge difference, as well as helping to freshen up your space and get rid of stale smells.

When reducing humidity, don't forget to draft proof a basement, too, which is an essential part of keeping a basement warm and dry.

Your home's air quality can be influenced by many obvious things such as outdoor pollution and dust, but do you know about the surprisingly common and more subtle mistakes that are lowering the quality of your indoor air?

These five errors revealed by our air quality and HVAC pros including lighting toxic candles, and can be as subtle as cooking food or simply walking through the house. Whilst some activities are unavoidable, you can still reduce the impact on your health by improving the air quality in your home.

Five common mistakes lowering your air quality

1. Candles and incense

'It might seem controversial, but use of air fresheners, scented candles, synthetic essential oils, or even “natural” room sprays can introduce volatile compounds,' explains seasoned HVAC expert and owner of KC's 23½ Hour Plumbing & Air Conditioning.

Sadly, many mass-produced candles are secret things polluting your home's air. They ate made from toxic paraffin wax that releases harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the air. These can irritate your eyes, throat and lungs.

This is why at Homes & Gardens we advocate learning how to pick non-toxic candles. Skip paraffin, and opt for natural waxes such as soy, and go for cotton wicks that are lead free.

It's not just candles that can be a harmful way to make a bedroom smell good for sleep.

Michael Rubino, air quality expert and founder of HomeCleanse explains, 'Incense can be bad for air quality because it releases particulate matter into the air. It also releases VOCs, including benzene, toluene, and xylenes, as well as aldehydes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.'

Regular use of incense, particularly with the windows closed, lowers your home's air quality and is harmful to your health due to the airborne chemicals. A study published in the European Medical Journal found burning one gram of incense releases 45mg of particulate matter, four time higher than one cigarette, and produces similar effects to second hand smoke inhalation.

We instead recommend low or smokeless incense as a way to make your bedroom smell like a luxurious hotel suite. This low-smoke set from Asayu Japan at Amazon contains only natural ingredients.

2. Cooking

The oils, fats and high temperatures of cooking can release unwanted compounds into the air. Whilst cooking can't be avoided, poor ventilation when cooking can be remedied to help control humidity in your home.

'High-temperature cooking methods such as frying and grilling can emit ultra-fine particles and VOCs comparable to light smoking,' shares Kelly. They add that 'even water boiling releases moisture that, without proper extraction, encourages mold growth over time.'

Improving ventilation in your home, especially in the kitchen both during and after this vital activity will definitely help reduce the harmful compounds, and reduce the risk of mold, too.

Michael adds, 'Cooking can increase humidity, creating ideal conditions for microbial growth if the moisture is present for 24-48 hours. The combustion of gas stoves releases nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), both of which are bad for your health.'

Always use the kitchen hood when cooking and leave it on until the gases and moisture have been extracted. And don't forget to clean your kitchen hood regularly so that its airflow isn't restricted.

No kitchen hood? No problem, all you need is one of the best fans and open windows. The Shark FlexBreeze is a personal favorite, it's fully portable and can be switched to tabletop mode to have it blow right over your cooker.

You can also use an air purifier to improve the quality of air in your home, but it will need to have a HEPA filter to capture the smallest of harmful particles.

3. Storing cleaning supplies under the sink

Tony Abate, indoor air quality expert and VP and CTO of AtmosAir, explains that storing your cleaning solutions under the kitchen sink is a 'bad idea as they will release TVOC into the air.'

TVOCs are organic compounds that evaporate into the the air at room temperature. Even if your cleaners are sealed in air-tight containers, these chemicals can evaporate into the air you breathe when you open the box.

They're one of the many things to not store under the kitchen sink, as well as electricals, pots and pans, and anything flammable. Instead, store your cleaning supplies in low traffic areas of your home, such as under the stairs or in the garage. Plus, decluttering under the kitchen sink is an instant way to create more storage space.

Switching to non-toxic cleaning essentials and DIY cleaning products will also reduce the toxicity of evaporated products.

4. Ignoring humidity

'Beyond the usual things like use of harsh cleaning products and not replacing HVAC filters, many people ignore humidity,' Kelly advises. It's why I always suggest investing in a new humidifier, which truly changed my home and life. You can also track your indoor relative humidity (RH) and keep it at its optimal level.

If you don't have a dehumidifier, using a digital hygrometer, available at Amazon is a simple and cheap way to keep track of your home's moisture levels. According to the EPA, the ideal RH to aim for is between 30-50%.

Air that's too dry is not only uncomfortable, but will often contain more irritants and pathogens. Air that's too humid encourages the growth of mold and mildew. Both are a nightmare for anybody with respiratory issues or allergies.

To reduce your home's humidity, open the windows for ventilation, place your dehumidifier in the best spot, or invest in some new indoor plants that can help. A Boston fern, for example, can absorb moisture from the air as a natural way to reduce humidity.

To increase your home's humidity levels, a humidifier is the surest approach, but you can also trap steam after showers or place water on a heat source.

5. Not using an air purifier

No matter the ventilation or HVAC mistake compromising your air quality, an air purifier definitely helps. It has tight filters that trap airborne particles from your indoor space while the purifier's fans pull air in. Pollutants like pollen, dander, dust, cooking gases and wildfire smoke can all be removed from the air you breathe.

'Even routine activities – like vigorous dusting or frequent door slamming – can stir up settled dust and allergens into the air,' Kelly notes. Not just that, but walking through the house, opening the windows and having the fan on can move irritants around the house. It's also why allergies can get worse after vacuuming.

So if you're ever doing a task like dusting, cleaning, cooking or vacuuming turn the purifier on. We've tested 16 of the best air purifiers and our personal favorite, and the one I still use in my own home, is the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX. It covers a massive 1,400 square feet and can even neutralize odors for a fresher-smelling room.

Meet our experts

Next, find out whether you should run your AC when the air quality is bad.

Dehumidifiers are used and loved by many for their unparalleled ability to zap moisture from the air and reduce humidity levels. But, did you know that isn't their only talent?

In fact, when exploring what does a dehumidifier do, there are many uses for all kinds of household woes – from speeding up paint drying to preventing rust and even pests.

Here, our cleaning, paint, and pest experts share their top tips for getting the most out of the best dehumidifiers, which go above and beyond simply reducing your home's humidity.

5 surprising uses for your dehumidifier

1. Stop wallpaper peeling

With so many different wallpaper ideas and wallpaper trends to choose from, getting your home looking fabulous on a budget is easier than ever, particularly if you know how to wallpaper yourself. But, more often than not, no sooner has your wall been transformed, you might start to notice some pesky peeling.

Rhonda Wilson, quality lead cleaner at FreshSpace Cleaning explains, 'When there’s too much moisture in the air, it seeps into the wallpaper and weakens the glue, making it lose its grip.'

So, to avoid curling edges and bubbles forming underneath, Rhonda recommends setting up a Dehumidifier, available at Walmart. 'Give it a few days, and you'll notice the difference,' she assures.

All prices correct at time of publication.

2. Drying clothing indoors

We're all aware of the benefits of air-drying laundry, but sometimes the weather doesn't permit hanging clothes and linens outdoors.

As Bryan Griffin, founder at Patriot Maids Cleaning Services, says, 'Drying racks are great, but clothes can end up smelling musty if the air’s too damp.'

If you're in a bid to make laundry smell better, Bryan suggests positioning a dehumidifier in the room where you're drying it, highlighting that the best place to put a dehumidifier is 'not too close to the clothes.' This works to dry clothes quickly, banishing any must odors making clothes smell sour after washing.

3. Preventing rust on tools and appliances

The places you're most likely to spot signs of high home humidity are garages, basements, and even kitchens, where steam from cooking hangs around.

'You can wipe the rust off, but it's just going to come back if you don't fix the root of the problem,' warns cleaning expert Rhonda. 'Set up a dehumidifier in your tool shed, garage, or anywhere you store metal stuff, and it'll help keep the air dry.' This is also useful to keep moisture out of a pantry and protect expensive appliances.

'If you really want to go the extra mile, lightly coat tools with oil, every now and then for extra protection,' she adds.

For this, we recommend the 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil available at Amazon, which lubricates, penetrates rust, and cleans all at the same time.

4. Speeding up paint drying

As the old saying goes, watching paint dry is truly dull. So, why not use a dehumidifier to speed up the process, and make paint dry faster?

Carr Lanphier, CEO at Improovy, advises, 'I definitely recommend dehumidifiers for helping to speed up the paint drying process, especially if you live in a particularly humid area or during damp parts of the year. I've spotted them used a lot especially during winter in humid areas, or in damp-prone spots like basements,' particularly when it's too cold to open windows.

That being said, opening windows in winter does reduce condensation, so even opening them briefly is an effective way to ventilate your home in winter without increasing energy bills.

'If paint is allowed to stay wet on a surface for too long, not only can it start to slow down your progress, it can also affect how well your paint is adhering to the surface,' Carr continues, leaving you questioning why your wall paint is bubbling. 'A dehumidifier will help suck up any excess moisture causing problems with your paint adhesion, and can result in a much better result.'

5. Preventing pests

Finally, Kyle Sebach, director of operations at All U Need Pest Control and board-certified entomologist recommends using a dehumidifier to help deal with the most common indoor pests.

'For DIY pest control, dehumidifiers are a great tool for getting rid of conducive conditions in your home,' he explains. 'For instance, plaster bagworms and silverfish are very common pests in closets, bathrooms, and other areas that are attracted to high humidity. These pests are known to cause damage to wall finishes and clothing'

So, to get rid of silverfish and other pests, Kyle suggests using a dehumidifier to 'pull the moisture they need to survive out of the air in a closet or bathroom,' effective as soon as you spot signs of a silverfish infestation.

Meet our experts

FAQs

What can you do with an old dehumidifier?

Once you've spotted warning signs it's time to replace your old appliance, it's best to recycle it, or use a local junk removal service who can safely dispose of it and reuse any parts. If you're in the market for a new one, our dedicated guide to the best dehumidifiers is the perfect place to start.

Where should you not use a dehumidifier?

When exploring, does a dehumidifier work with windows open, the answer, put simply, is no. Doing so will likely damage your appliance and may even break it. Instead, switch your appliance off before opening any windows.

However you use your dehumidifier, there are still plenty of dehumidifier mistakes best avoided. From facing it the wrong way to forgetting to clean the filter, swerve these errors to ensure a smooth-running appliance.

Dehumidifiers are worth their weight in gold when it comes to keeping your home comfortable, preventing mold and dampness, and drying laundry inside quickly and without musty smells.

But the winter months are already expensive, with energy bills often reaching their peak. Running a dehumidifier constantly will only add to this, so it begs the question, how long does it take for a dehumidifier to dry out a room?

Generally speaking, it should only take a few hours of continuous use for your dehumidifier to make a difference – but it can depend on several factors, making even the best dehumidifier work harder than necessary if not optimized.

How long does it take for a dehumidifier to dry out a room?

Brad Robson, HVAC expert and president at Aire Serv, a Neighborly company explains, ‘A properly sized whole-home dehumidifier will take from a few hours to a full day to regulate humidity levels, depending on the size of the space and humidity level when the unit is first installed.

'Sizing should take into consideration both indoor and outdoor humidity levels, square footage of the space, individual preferences, and fresh air infiltration (how tightly the home is sealed).’

The exact time it will take will change depending on five factors:

1. The size of the room

Glenn Wisemen, sales manager at Top Hat Home Comfort Services says, ‘The size of the room is a big factor because larger spaces naturally take longer to dry out.’

One of the key things you need to know before buying a dehumidifier is the size of the room you need to dry out. The square footage will dictate the size and capacity of the dehumidifier you need. An open-plan space, for example, will take a lot longer to dry out than a small bedroom.

• Small rooms (up to 400 sq ft) need a compact dehumidifier that holds around 1.5 gallons of water.
• Medium rooms (400-1,000 sq ft) need a dehumidifier that holds one to three gallons of water.
• Large rooms (over 1,000 sq ft) need a more robust dehumidifier that holds more than three gallons of water.
• To work out the approximate square footage of a room, multiply the length of your room by the width. Keep in mind for very damp spaces, you may need a bigger dehumidifier.

2. The size of the dehumidifier

Picking the wrong size dehumidifier is one of the biggest dehumidifier mistakes people make may be the why the humidity is not dropping. If you have an extra large dehumidifier in a small room, it will suck out more moisture more quickly than a tiny or DIY dehumidifier in a larger room.

Glenn Wisemen adds, ‘Dehumidifiers work gradually, focusing on maintaining healthy humidity levels over time rather than delivering instant results,’ so it is generally better to get a larger dehumidifier if you are unsure.

3. The cause of the humidity

The cause of the moisture is arguably one of the main considerations when working out how long to run a dehumidifier and how to reduce your home’s humidity.

George Crew, owner of Chicago Construction Crew points out, ‘The source of the moisture is another key factor. If the moisture is caused by a leaky pipe or a water source, it may take a long time to dry out the room, especially if the underlying issue has not been resolved.

'On the other hand, if the humidity is high because of temporary rainy weather, the dryer will work faster and use less energy. Identifying and correcting the cause of the moisture will speed up drying and prevent future concerns.’

4. Your room’s temperature

George Crew, contractor, adds, ‘Room temperature also affects how well the heater works. Illustrators work best in hot weather. If the room is too cold, especially below 65°Fahrenheit (18°Celsius), the coils inside the dehumidifier can freeze, reducing its effectiveness. For cold areas, it’s a good idea to invest in a heat-resistant unit to make it work properly, or find ways to keep a home warm all day.’

5. Your home’s insulation

Insulation does more than keep a home at a comfortable temperature. Brad Robson of Aire Serv explains that the degree of fresh air infiltration (or how tightly the home is sealed) will massively affect how quickly a dehumidifier works.

If, for instance, you have air leaks around windows and doors in the room you are trying to dry out, moist outside air will continually add humidity as the dehumidifier draws it out, creating a constant cycle. That is why good draft-proofing tips are essential (and will help cut energy bills).

It should also go without saying that a dehumidifier will not work with windows open, either.

How to pick the right dehumidifier for your home

Picking the right dehumidifier for your home will therefore come down to a combination of the above factors.

George Crew says, ‘Choosing the right dehumidifier for your space requires consideration of the size of the room and the severity of the damp problem. If you are working in a small and slightly humid area, you will need a high-density model. For large or consistently wet areas, look for higher-end models with features like an integrated pump for continuous water collection.

‘You should also consider features such as automatic shut-off [so the dehumidifier will turn off after an allotted time, or when it hits the best humidity level for a home] adjustable humidity, and energy efficiency ratings to ensure effective use and long-term efficiency of the dehumidifier, especially if you are looking for ways to save money at home.’

It is also important to find the best place to put a dehumidifier for optimal effectiveness, whether you are using a dehumidifier to help with mold at home, or drying clothes indoors in winter.

Dehumidifiers are superb at tackling damp, mold, mildew and most other excessive moisture issues in the home. But they can be pricey investments, especially when you're aiming for all the bells and whistles.

Understanding the different types of dehumidifiers, their common features and functions will help inform your decision picking the right dehumidifier. Until you've used one and know what a dehumidifier does, it's hard to know what to look out for and what to avoid.

I'm H&G's home tech editor and I regularly test appliances like dehumidifiers and purifiers, but I also caught up with a couple of veteran HVAC experts to find out the key things to know before buying a dehumidifier.

Things I wish I knew before buying a dehumidifier

Once you get to grips with the following to work out how long it will take a dehumidifier to dry out a room, you'll easily find the right dehumidifier for your home and to best suits your needs.

1. There are different types

The most popular dehumidifier you'll find is a compressor one, which essentially uses condensation to remove humidity from the air. It has coils, which are cooled for the warm, moist air to condense against.

Another common dehumidifier type is a desiccant dehumidifier. Instead of condensing the moisture, a desiccant dehumidifier absorbs the moisture using a wheel that acts similarly to an extractor fan or sponge. A heater and fan work consistently to regenerate this element for continued use.

The main difference here comes down to where you place your dehumidifier and when you're using it. Compressor dehumidifiers work best in warm environments as the coils work less efficiently in cooler temps (60°F or less). Desiccant dehumidifiers work year-round and tend to be lighter and quieter, but don't typically have the high extraction rates of compressor dehumidifiers.

So, desiccants are ideal for colder rooms like basements, while compressors are better for inside the home. Desiccant dehumidifiers can also release warmer air into the room, helping to further dry those cold, wet areas.

You can also find non-electric dehumidifiers. They aren't nearly as effective but they can provide affordable, small-scale dehumidifying if you don't need as much power. I use one in my car for example, and it removes overnight moisture so that the windows are clear in the morning.

2. Get the right size

Like the best air purifiers, a dehumidifier's size dictates how much indoor space it can cover. You'll also want to consider its capacity, too; as most dehumidifiers need to be emptied manually, the bigger the tank is, the less often you have to empty it. This will also affect how many dehumidifiers you need for your space.

'Choosing the wrong size can frustrate you if the unit can't keep up with the moisture in your space,' says Josh Mitchell, seasoned HVAC technician from Air Conditioner Lab.

Josh adds that dehumidifiers are usually measured in 'pints per day' – measuring how much water it can remove from the air over time. 'A small 20-pint model works well for bedrooms or closets, but larger spaces like basements need at least a 50-pint unit,' Josh advises.

3. You don't have to drain it yourself

As a dehumidifier turns the moisture in the air into liquid in a water tank, it needs to be emptied. Usually this is something you'll do whenever it gets full (and most dehumidifiers will stop operating once the tank is full), but there are models with self-draining systems. If you think your dehumidifier's going to get a lot of use, it's worth considering so you can set it and forget it.

'If you don't want to empty the water tank daily, choose a model with a built-in pump or continuous drain option,' explains Josh.

A continuous drain setting works by attaching a hose from the dehumidifier to a drain, then gravity does the work. But if you invest in a dehumidifier with a pump, it will automatically drain the water once it reaches a certain level, and can empty it vertically or horizontally.

If you have a floor drain or low access to a water outlet, a dehumidifier with continuous drain is all you need. If not, spend a bit extra for a self-draining pump. It'll make all the difference.

4. Humidity settings help

Cheaper models, like this budget dehumidifier from Amazon that our writer found kicked condensation to the curb are able to remove moisture from the air but won't always be able to achieve the right relative humidity (RH).

What a dehumidifier does is remove moisture from the air. But not all dehumidifiers have an accurate humidistat to be able to reach a desired relative humidity (RH), 'between 30% and 50% is ideal for comfort', according to HVAC pro Josh Mitchell.

'When the air in a home is too dry, it typically contains more irritants and pathogens, which are better to avoid for people with respiratory diseases, particularly allergies,' explains Glenn Gault, CEO of Gault Heating & Cooling.

Too humid air is a favorable environment for mold and mildew growth, which is also bad, because mold and mildew are serious allergens.'

A dehumidifier without humidity control can easily leave the room either too dry or too humid, so it's worth opting for one with more control, even it costs a little extra.

5. Think about noise and energy levels

You might start getting annoyed at your choice if your dehumidifier is constantly disturbing your sleep, work or relaxation time due to its noise level when operating.

'Most dehumidifiers, especially larger ones, emit a noticeable hum,' says Josh. 'Check the decibel rating if you place it in a living area or bedroom. Anything below 50 dB is relatively quiet.'

You can also find ones with dedicated sleep modes with quieter operation.

A dehumidifier, like any electrical appliance, will also cost you to keep running. Over time, the energy efficiency of your unit will influence how much you're paying in bills, so it's a smart move to choose one that's efficient, even if the initial outlay is more.

'Dehumidifiers can be energy-intensive if used regularly,' Josh Mitchell adds, so it's important to look for those with an ENERGY STAR rating.

6. Extra features make a difference

This is strong advice when buying any long-term appliance, but read into what extra features are available, to see if they're worth the spend by making your life easier.

An example would be air purification, so instead of having both a dehumidifier and air purifier, you can choose a dehumidifier that does both, saving floor space and the cost of another unit. Look for ones with HEPA filters for effective air purification.

A special laundry mode is a savior when you're looking for ways to dry clothes quickly with your dehumidifier. It'll increase fan speed in a localized area to minimize laundry drying time, which will make a difference come winter.

The Frigidaire Gallery 50-Pint Dehumidifier we've reviewed has WiFi connectivity and app controls, which means you can safely use and monitor your dehumidifier when you're not in the room.

If you're not choosing with one that self drains, this is a great way of notifying yourself every time you need to empty it as it'll pause itself when it's full.

My top dehumidifier picks

Next, find out how to make DIY dehumidifiers for mild moisture control around the whole house, and whether you should a dehumidifier during the day or at night.

Living in an old house comes with lots of benefits – bags of charm and character included – but there are also some less welcome aspects.

Our home was built in the early 1900s and still has some of the original windows meaning, when winter hits, not only is it a pretty chilly place, but also that the glass tends to be streaming with condensation when we wake up and open the curtains.

This is not only a pretty bad look, but it also leaves the wooden window frames and sills covered water which, it turn, causes mold and the need for repainting them more often than we'd like.

Last year we did a bit of research into the best dehumidifiers around and ended up with the Meaco 20L Low Energy dehumidifier and, honestly, I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

Why I love using a dehumidifier overnight

The condensation levels we were dealing with

Once colder weather set in, ,our windows resemble the inside of a shower screen in the mornings. I had put our dehumidifier away during the summer months but the condensation returning was my signal that winter was firmly here and its magic condensation removal properties were being called for.

Glenn Wiseman, manager at Top Hat Home Comfort Services says, 'Condensation happens when warm, humid air hits a cold surface, like your window, causing moisture to collect as droplets. Since we naturally release moisture while we sleep, bedrooms tend to get more humid, making them prone to this issue. A dehumidifier pulls in that moist air, removes the extra humidity, and releases drier air, which lowers the chance of moisture building up on cool surfaces like windows.'

If you are wondering how to stop condensation on windows overnight then read on to see the amazing difference our dehumidifier makes.

Without the dehumidifier, one of the first jobs of the morning used to be pulling out the most absorbent cloths we had and manually dry our windows off.

What I love about our dehumidifier

I live in the UK and our dehumidifier is the Meaco 20L Low Energy Platinum Dehumidifier And Air Purifier, which comes complete with a free HEPA filter. That's designed to remove things like dust mites and mold spores from the air which really offered us peace of mind given the age of our house. Before, we were constantly looking into how to remove mildew, but now there is no need.

Alongside whisking away the majority of the excess moisture that seems to get produced overnight, we love the fact that this model also has a laundry mode, meaning that it runs continuously for six hours before automatically switching off, regardless of the humidity in the room.

With no tumble dryer and limited space to hang out wet laundry, this is unbelievably useful when putting laundry to dry outside is no longer an option – plus it is cheaper to run.

Emptying the water tank is strangely satisfying

There is something oddly pleasing about sliding out the water tank on the dehumidifier in the mornings to see how much water it's managed to remove from our sleeping quarters during the night. In fact, it is hard to believe quite how much water is hanging around in the air. The 20 litre tank tends to be around half full after a day of running.

We were really keen to ensure that we were getting the most out of our dehumidifier so made sure we researched the best place to put a dehumidifier.

Simon Allen, co-founder at Fountain Filters says, 'To maximize the effectiveness, place the dehumidifier in areas prone to higher humidity, such as near the window or close to the bed, where exhaled moisture accumulates throughout the night.

'Starting the dehumidifier an hour before sleep allows it to bring humidity down to an optimal level before moisture levels peak,' continues Simon. 'This prevents the environment from reaching the critical point where condensation forms.'

Keeping the bedroom door closed also seems to help – we definitely notice the difference when we leave the door open a crack compared to when it is firmly shut. Oh, and be sure to look into how to clean a dehumidifier to keep it in tip top condition.

Other things we do to reduce condensation

While the dehumidifier is such a help in our battle against bedroom condensation, there are other things we have done over the years which we find really helps with the issue.

One of these is to ensure you look into ways to improve ventilation in your home – simply opening the windows helps, although it does mean upstairs is pretty arctic. This is something Ottilie Blackhall, news writer on Solved here at Homes & Gardens also found helped her basement bedroom humidity and mold, along with an affordable dehumidifier from Amazon.

We also opted for thick, lined curtains and try to keep the temperature as steady as we can to avoid extreme fluctuations.

'Yes, using a dehumidifier can help reduce condensation on windows, but it’s effective mainly when paired with other methods,' confirms Jon Gilbertson, president and CEO at Chris Heating & Cooling. 'Consider combining a dehumidifier with a humidity-absorbing window film or moisture-wicking window treatments,' continues Jon. 'These specialized products are designed to work with the dehumidifier, capturing excess moisture directly on the window surfaces while the dehumidifier maintains lower room humidity levels. This dual setup can create a more balanced moisture control system, focusing both on the air and window surfaces.

'Since condensation forms due to temperature differences, insulating windows with thermal curtains or adding an insulating film can also help prevent those chilly surfaces that attract moisture, complementing the dehumidifier's effect.'

Take time now to look into how to weatherproof your windows and you will reap the benefits in the depths of winter.

How much better is our window condensation using the dehumidifier?

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical that anything was going to help with our window condensation – but how wrong I was.

I am not saying there are never any traces of moisture on our windows when we use the dehumidifier, but the condensation problem is far more under control. In the instances where a little condensation still shows up, it tends to have been a very cold night and we do sometimes use the radiators in our bedroom to dry laundry which definitely makes things worse as the clothing's moisture rises into the air and eventually cools down on our windows.

Overall though, I wouldn't be without our trusty dehumidifier and highly recommend you give one a go if condensation is troubling your home.

FAQs

Is a dehumidifier noisy to run at night?

No dehumidifier is going to be totally silent when running and we all know how sounds seems to be magnified during the dead of night.

Ours does emit a little humming sound which is audible at night. This absolutely doesn't bother me – in fact I find it kind of soothing and, according to the manufacturer's specifications, it only has a noise level at one meter of a maximum of 46 dB.

My husband, on the other hand, likes things totally silent when sleeping so we do sometimes switch it off just as we go to bed and on again when we wake and it still works really well.

Bear in mind that a slight nighttime hum is better than spotting signs of mold in your home that could lead to health issues.

Meet the experts

Still unsure whether you should invest in a dehumidifier? Research what does a dehumidifier do before making your decision.

Colder weather is upon us, which means frosty mornings, festivities – and condensation.

Creeping into homes, this creates damp patches which allow mold and mildew to thrive. The best solution is a dehumidifier, but what if you don't have one, or aren't ready to make the investment?

Here, we spoke to HVAC experts to find out their best alternative options to reduce your home's humidity, with budget-friendly DIY ways to control humidity and curb condensation.

DIY dehumidifiers

1. Charcoal

Wondering how to use activated charcoal in your home? Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician and owner of AirConditionerLab, suggests using it as a DIY dehumidifier, as an alternative to your best dehumidifer.

He says, 'Activated charcoal absorbs moisture and odors, making it ideal for damp spaces. It's also inexpensive and readily available. Choose activated charcoal, as this type is best because its porous surface absorbs moisture effectively.'

Then, using a breathable container, such as a mesh bag, coffee filter, old sock, or plastic container with holes punched in the lid, place the charcoal container in areas with excess moisture. This might be in closets, or any basement ideas and bathroom ideas.

'Swap out the charcoal every two to four weeks, depending on the humidity level,' recommends Mitchell. 'When the charcoal stops absorbing moisture, it's time for a replacement.

All prices correct at time of publication.

2. Silica gel

As a brilliant way to keep moisture out of a pantry, silica gel, such as the Dry & Dry Premium Silica Gel Packets available at Amazon, make an effective alternative to dehumidifers, says HVAC expert Mitchell.

'Silica gel absorbs moisture and doesn't create messes like other methods,' he explains. 'It's also compact, and reusable, making it cost-effective for long-term use.'

To use silica gel, you can either save packets from product packaging, or buy silica gel in bulk. Then, using a breathable fabric pouch, such as the Tatuo 3 x 4 Inches Muslin Bags Cotton Drawstring Bags available at Amazon, small mesh bag, or open container, place silica gel packs in moisture-prone spaces.

'These might be closets, drawers, or storage bins,' adds Mitchell. 'For larger areas, use bulk silica gel in containers. When the gel becomes saturated (often indicated by a color change if it's a color-indicating type), dry it out in an oven at 200°F for one to two hours to restore its moisture-absorbing properties.'

You can also use silica gel to dry flowers, to preserve beautiful blooms. However, wherever you place yours, keep out of the reach of children and pets as they are not to be ingested.

3. Rock salt

You can make a DIY dehumidifier using rock salt, says Steve Pacholski, brand president of Varsity Zone HVAC, who uses this cheap salt trick to get rid of condensation.

'Rock salt is a great option for larger spaces,' he suggests. 'Just grab a container like a bowl or bucket, fill it with rock salt (such as the Mutual Industries Rock Salt available at Walmart) and place it in a damp area, such as a basement or bathroom.

'Rock salt naturally pulls moisture from the air, and, over time, will start to clump as it absorbs water. You'll want to check on it regularly and either replace the salt, or dry it out in the oven on a low setting to reuse it.'

You can also use Himalayan salt, such as the Natural Himalayan Salt Chunks available at Walmart, for this, which can then be used to cleanse your home with salt, according to spiritualists.

4. Baking soda

You may know about cleaning with baking soda, or how to use baking soda in laundry, but did you know it makes a great DIY dehumidifier, too?

HVAC expert Mitchell explains, 'Baking soda absorbs moisture and odors, making it ideal for smaller spaces with mild humidity issues. It's inexpensive, easy to find, and doubles as an air freshener,' to make your home smell nice.

To use baking soda, such as the Great Value Baking Soda available at Walmart, use a shallow, open containers such as a bowl, tray or baking dish, and pour a thin layer (about one to two cups) into the container, says Mitchell. Alternatively, if using this baking soda hack for closets, to banish odors and damp, you can just simply pop an open box in, which will also help to prevent damp and mold in a bedroom, too.

'The container should be placed in closets, bathrooms, or other small places where moisture is a problem,' adds Mitchell. 'Stir the baking soda every few days to keep it practical. Replace it entirely when it becomes clumpy, typically every one to two weeks.'

FAQs

What is the cheapest homemade moisture absorber?

If you're looking for ways to save money at home, rock salt is the way to go.

Not only is it affordable, it also has plenty of uses aside from absorbing moisture, from cooking in the kitchen to gritting a driveway. Therefore, it's a worthy product to bulk buy and have readily available.

Do salt lamps reduce humidity?

While salt lamps are a gorgeous way to make a bed look cozy and introduce soft lighting into your bedroom, unfortunately they aren't sufficient to significantly affect indoor humidity levels. Instead, pair them with another DIY dehumidifier, or invest in the real deal.

'DIY dehumidifiers work best in small areas,' says Mitchell. 'I recommend combining these methods with a small electric dehumidifier (such as the DAESUNG 60 OZ Dehumidifier available at Amazon) for more consistent results for larger spaces or homes with persistent moisture issues.'

Next, learn about dehumidifier mistakes to avoid.

While in winter you probably won't be tempted to throw your windows open at all times – sometimes it feel necessary. Whether to help you sleep better, air out condensation or simply for some crisp, fresh air, it's unlikely that you keep your windows sealed all season long.

But, if you have and use a dehumidifier, will it still work with windows open?

To avoid any dehumidifier mistakes, we spoke to HVAC experts who all agree you shouldn't leave your windows open when running this appliance. Instead, here's what to do, and how to get the most out of yours.

Does a dehumidifier work with windows open?

Having quizzed multiple HVAC experts, it turns out that even the best dehumidifier won't work effectively with windows open during operation.

John Gabrielli, HVAC expert and owner of Air Temp Solutions, explains, 'You can use a dehumidifier with a window open, but it's not the most effective way to operate the device. Dehumidifiers are built to pull moisture out of the air in a space that's closed.

'When you open a window, you let in air from outside, which usually has different humidity levels. This forces your dehumidifier to work overtime, trying to manage moisture from both inside and outside.' That's not only less efficient, but, like any heating system mistakes, could also increase your energy bills.

All prices correct at time of publication.

How to effectively use a dehumidifier in winter

Given that opening windows in winter reduces condensation, you should aim to open your windows in winter when necessary – to release cooking odors or to help you to sleep better for example, but, importantly, turn off your dehumidifier when doing so.

As Max Veggeberg, CEO and founder of Tetra says, 'A dehumidifier is designed to work in an enclosed space. Keeping a window open would continue to bring in humid air from outside into the enclosed space. If you are looking to use a dehumidifier most effectively, close all windows and doors into the space you are looking to dehumidify.'

But, that being said, Simon Bernath, HVAC expert and founder of FurnacePrices.ca points out that, if opening your windows only briefly for a bit of fresh air, this shouldn't cause too much of a problem. 'What homeowners can do is get a humidity sensor, and monitor the relative humidity differences, so you have a better idea,' he says.

We recommend the bestselling AcuRite Indoor Digital Thermometer & Hygrometer available at Walmart for this, which provides reliable and accurate readings at an affordable price point.

You may also want to consider using your best fan instead of opening a window, suggests Steve Pacholski, brand president of Varsity Zone HVAC. 'This will keep the air moving without affecting the humidity inside,' he says.

FAQs

Will a dehumidifier clear condensation from windows?

Yes, a dehumidifier will clear condensation from windows – in fact, it's one of the best ways to stop condensation on windows overnight, particularly if you know the best place to put a dehumidifier. Put them directly next to your windows in any rooms where humidity is a problem for the best results.

When should you not use a dehumidifier?

As well as when windows are open, you shouldn't use a dehumidifier if temperatures are under 60° Fahrenheit, as this may cause removed moisture to build-up and freeze on the coils. Therefore, while a dehumidifier doesn't make a room cooler, they may be damaged irreparably by cooler conditions.

If you've got one at home, learn about the ways to reuse dehumidifier water around the home next for an eco-friendly alternative to pouring the water away.

As somebody who deals with asthma and allergies on a daily basis, breathing clean air at home is a must. Even without these ailments, breathing purified air improves your health, deepens your sleep, and reduces how often you get sick.

I test products for a living, and from the four air purifiers I've tested for H&G, there's only one I keep in my own bedroom: the Molekule Air Mini+. It's an advanced purifier that has immeasurably improved my wellbeing at home. I now barely use my asthma inhaler and, in the summer, I don't have to worry about hayfever when I'm indoors – even with the windows open.

It's certainly one of the world's best air purifiers.

What makes the Molekule Air Mini+ so great

Here’s what I think makes the Molekule Air Mini+ worth your money this Black Friday if you’re looking for an appliance that will give you cleaner, healthier air at home.

In my review for the Molekule Air Mini+, one of the most incredible and unique features I discovered was Molekule's patented PECO filtration. Standard air purifiers will typically have a tight mesh filter (like a HEPA filter) to capture particles, and an activated carbon filter to deal with gases and odors.

But Molekule's Air Mini+ and the bigger, more expensive Molekule Air Pro utilize a third layer of filtration, known as PECO tech, that actively destroys pollutants at the molecular level. So rather than just filtering out these harmful particles from your air, it deactivates the contaminants, making everything even safer when re-released back into your indoor space.

From my four months of using the Molekule Air Mini+, and testing three other purifiers alongside it, I can confirm that its effects are among the best.

At its lowest setting it can run quietly in the background, often going unnoticed when I'm working or sleeping in the room. At its highest settings, it can rapidly remove smoke, viruses and other pollutants from the air, and you can see just how quickly it does the job on the Molekule app with detailed air quality data over time.

Before being available to consumers, Molekule had great success developing air purification systems for commercial spaces like hospitals. The Molekule Air Mini+ and the Molekule Air Pro are two of the only air purifiers that are FDA-approved as Class II medical devices thanks to their unique ability to destroy harmful matter.

This tech, naturally, comes at a price, as the Molekule Air Mini+ is usually priced at $360. Now that the price is down to just $209.99 for Black Friday, its lowest of all time, you can bring this market-leading air purifying technology into your home for a fraction of the usual cost.

Trust me, you won't get a better air purifier at that price.

If you're looking for more coverage (the Air Mini+ covers 250 square feet), the Air Pro can cover up to 1,000 square feet. It's also on offer for Black Friday with a whopping $420 discount.

• Shop the Molekule Air Mini+ for $209.99 at Molekule
• Shop the Molekule Air Pro for $594.99 at Molekule

Next, compare dehumidifiers vs air purifiers to find out what your home needs.

As colder weather approaches, there is one thing you will find in most homes to remove moisture, mold, mildew, and musty odors from the home – a dehumidifier.

But, while these cleverly control humidity levels, what can be done with all the collected water, usually tipped out at the end of each day?

Here, we spoke to HVAC experts for their tips on how to reuse water from your best dehumidifier around the house, which is a brilliant way to live more sustainably while having a positive impact on the environment.

3 ways to reuse dehumidifier water around the house

1. To water plants

According to John Gabrielli, owner at Air Temp Solutions, one of the best ways to reuse your dehumidifier water and be sustainable at home is to water houseplants with it.

He says, 'It's perfect for watering your non-edible plants! This water, pulled right from the air in your home, is free from the salts and chemicals typically found in tap water, which makes it a good option for your greenery.'

Firstly, Gabrielli recommends collecting the water from your dehumidifier's tank, and letting it sit for a few hours to allow any dust or particles to settle at the bottom. 'Then, carefully pour the clear water into a clean container (or watering can, such as the Watering Can for Indoor Outdoor Plants available at Amazon) and go ahead and water your plants,' he adds. 'Just make sure to steer clear of using this water on any plants you plan to eat, as it might carry bacteria or other impurities.'

If you're not sure how often you should water indoor houseplants, the general rule of thumb is to do so once a week, but this will depend on the type of plant, as well as humidity, temperature and light levels in your home.

All prices correct at the time of publication.

2. To clean floors

Dehumidifier water is actually suitable for most household chores you should be doing weekly, and Simon Bernath, HVAC expert and founder of FurnacePrices.ca recommends using it for cleaning your floors.

He says, 'You can use is for certain cleaning, like floors, but I would avoid say washing countertops with it. It's best to use it with something that will kill any bacteria or mold spores in the water, like Lysol Disinfectant Spray available at Amazon, or Clorox Disinfecting Liquid Bleach Cleaner available at Walmart, or most other general purpose cleaners.'

If you're not sure how to clean a floor without streaks, our expert-led guide delves into the details. And, if you prefer not to use harsh chemicals, why not try using your dehumidifier water to make a baking soda streak-free floor solution – all you need it baking soda, white vinegar (we recommend the Great Value Distilled White Vinegar available at Walmart), liquid dish soap and hot water.

3. For ironing

Next time you make scented ironing water, or even just refill your iron, why not use your dehumidifier water, suggests Al Fouz, owner of Abaco Air Experts.

He says, 'Dehumidifier water is soft and mineral-free, reducing limescale buildup in irons, which can make them last longer. Just collect the water in a clean container (such as the NORPRO Funnel Pitcher available at Amazon) and fill your iron's reservoir as needed.'

FAQs

Can you put dehumidifier water down the sink?

While it's much better, and environmentally-friendly, to reuse your dehumidifier water, it certainly isn't one of the liquids to never pour down your sink. It's perfectly safe to pour straight down, but can be put to better use around your home without being wasted.

Next, learn about the best place to put a dehumidifier to improve efficacy.

Have you ever woken up with a scratchy throat that does away after your morning coffee? Or have you wondered why your skin is dry and cracking despite your moisturizing routine? It might be that your home has low humidity.

But what causes a house to feel dry? HVAC experts suggest there are five possible causes of low humidity, from ventilation to a ‘thirsty’ home. Luckily, they are all super easy to fix and restore balance.

Here, they explain why it is bad to have low humidity in a house, and how to fix it without breaking the bank.

Why does my house feel so dry?

Managing humidity in a house is a delicate balance. Too high and you risk dampness and mold. Too low, however, and your house can feel dry.

Generally speaking, the best humidity levels for a home year-round is between 30-50%. Max Veggeberg, CEO at Tetra explains, ‘This can impact your wellbeing; dry air and low humidity can irritate your nasal passages, throat, and skin, making allergy and respiratory illness symptoms like congestion, coughing and dry, itchy eyes difficult to manage.

‘If your home has low humidity, wooden furniture and fixtures in your home may lose their luster and crack,’ he adds.

There are 5 main causes for this problem

1. Poor ventilation

Andy Shu, HVAC specialist at ZapFixers explains that good ventilation can help let dry air out of your home and humid air in to balance humidity levels. If your home has little to no ventilation, however, dry air can be trapped inside (this is worse in summer when you might be running your AC for long periods of time, or in homes with forced air heating systems).

Andy adds: ‘This is especially true in modern, energy-efficient buildings.’

The trick here is to simply improve ventilation in your home to allow for better air transfer. This can be as simple as opening windows (even opening windows in winter) or, for a longer-term fix, installing vents around your home.

2. Too much ventilation

However, as with anything, ventilation is a delicate balance. Too much ventilation could be pulling all the humid air out of your home, leaving the air dry. If you have constantly running extractor fans or a dry air pump to improve bathroom ventilation, this is likely the case for your property.

Andriy Boyko of A.O. Handy Inc. asks, ‘Ever left a bathroom fan on for hours? Or constantly cracked open a window “for fresh air”? It’s great for airflow but terrible for humidity. Those fans and open spaces suck the moist air right out and bring in dry, outdoor air, especially in colder months.’

Turn these fans off every once in a while to keep warm humid air in.

3. You have run your AC, dehumidifier, or heating too long

AC units, forced air heating, and the best dehumidifiers are all essential for most homes. However, running them for too long, or using a combination of them at the same time, can all lead to a dry feeling at home, explains Max Veggeberg, home service expert. ‘Running your AC or dehumidifier too often – removing too much moisture from the air – can also cause low humidity.’

Andy Shu, HVAC specialist adds, ‘Forced-air heating systems, especially gas or electric furnaces, dry out the air by warming it without adding moisture. This is a significant issue in winter when heaters run continuously.’

Knowing when to turn an AC on is a must for proper indoor air maintenance.

4. You have a ‘thirsty’ house