Ways to Dehumidify Your Humid Laundry Room

If you have an enclosed laundry room, you know how unbearably hot it can become when you allow the dryer to run for a certain amount of time. If you have to do loads of laundry in the room, the air can become so thick and wet that it's almost impossible to stick around for more than a few minutes. Not to mention, the condensation sticks the walls and windows. There are a number of ways that you can dehumidify your laundry room to make it bearable for you and your loved ones on laundry day.

Replace the standard door leading into your laundry room with louvered bi-fold doors.

Louvered means that it has vented panels down the entire length of the door. The slits between the panels allow heat and moisture to escape the room even when the door is closed. In many cases, you can replace the bi-fold doors on your own-just add tracks to the bottom and top of the entrance and put the door on the track.

Install a small window in the laundry room to allow air to escape.

Some window sellers can install small awning or hopper windows (commonly used in basements) made specifically for this situation. You can lift the top or bottom of the window when the machines are on to let humid air outside of the home. Remember that heat rises, so it's advisable to install these windows high up on the wall in the laundry room so that the hot air can escape.

Buy a dehumidifier to get rid of that thick, wet air in your laundry room.

This is the quickest option-you can find a dehumidifier for about $150 (less if you buy one used-check local classified listings). Just position the unit on a table somewhere in the middle of the room (keep it as far away from outlets as possible) and switch it on. The unit sucks in hot wet air and pumps out dry air in its place while storing the water in a tank. Keep tabs on the unit though, because the extreme moisture in a laundry room can fill up the dehumidifier water tank quickly. Try to find one that holds at least 25 pints of water at a time.