Yes, you can. Bathrooms have high humidity levels because of the constant flow of water that occurs when you are taking a shower or bathing.
If your bathroom and your toilet are in the same room, when you flush your toilet without closing the toilet lid, some of the water particles travel up to 30 meters and can contribute to the humidity in your bathroom.
You can and you should put a dehumidifier in the bathroom. Most people need a dehumidifier in their bathroom to control the high humidity levels. If you have proper ventilation in your bathroom, you might not necessarily need a dehumidifier.
If you notice that your bathroom has a musty smell or if there is mold growing, then you should get a dehumidifier to absorb the excess humidity in the air.
Numerous factors determine whether or not you need a dehumidifier in your bathroom. The next part of this article will help you decide whether or not you should get a dehumidifier for your bathroom.
Can You Put a Dehumidifier in the Bathroom?
You can put a dehumidifier in your bathroom. Having a dehumidifier in your bathroom will be beneficial in improving the air quality in your bathroom.
If you are worried about using a dehumidifier in your bathroom, you should know that it is completely safe to use your dehumidifier in your bathroom.
As long as you are not planning to get in the bathtub with your dehumidifier or place it directly under your shower head, then it is completely safe to use your dehumidifier in your bathroom. Placing your dehumidifier directly under the showerhead is likely to affect its ability to absorb moisture properly.
You should ensure that you put your dehumidifier at a safe spot where it would be unlikely to drop and fall in your bathtub while you are bathing, especially if you are using an electric dehumidifier.
Adhering to safety features that govern the use of most electric devices is important if you plan to use an electric dehumidifier in your bathroom.
A dehumidifier can be placed anywhere in your home as long as the room has high humidity levels that need to be reduced. Bathrooms, especially those used by more than one person or used for long durations at a time can have high humidity levels.
If you take long showers or baths and share your bathroom with other people in your home, the high humidity levels can be difficult to control.
You can place a dehumidifier in your bathroom and use it either continuously or whenever needed to reduce the humidity levels and attain the recommended relative humidity levels.
Some of the factors that necessitate the use of a dehumidifier in a bathroom include:
Lack of vents
The lack of vents in a bathroom can interfere with air circulation in the bathroom and create a conducive environment for the growth of mold and mildew.
Lack of proper ventilation in the bathroom can also contribute to the development of musty smells, especially if you store damp towels and bathrobes in the bathroom.
If your bathroom does not have vents to promote continued airflow between the external and internal air, you should put a dehumidifier in the bathroom to help you eliminate the excess moisture.
The growth of mold and excess humidity in a bathroom without vents can increase your risk of developing respiratory health issues.
Number of Users
If you are sharing your bathroom with other people in your home, the humidity levels might be constantly high in the bathroom, especially if you do not have proper ventilation.
If you notice that your bathroom is constantly humid, consider placing a dehumidifier in the bathroom to help you control the humidity levels.
Unpleasant Smells in the Bathroom
Bathrooms have a high likelihood of promoting mold growth, which can contribute to unpleasant mouldy smells. Aside from that, other factors in the bathroom that can contribute to unpleasant smells include wet towels that have been hung in the bathroom, lack of proper ventilation, drains, and toilets.
Damp Towels
Constant dampness of towels used in the bathroom or toilet can increase the levels of humidity in your bathroom and contribute to musty odors.
The moisture in damp towels along with the high humidity levels in your bathroom create a conducive environment for bacterial growth.
While cleaning your towels regularly and hanging them or a towel rack in the bathroom can minimize the musty odors, using a dehumidifier in the bathroom could help dry your towels and reduce the musty smells in your bathroom.
Drains
Drains can accumulate dirt over time, which can, in turn, contribute to unpleasant smells. Using a dehumidifier in your bathroom could reduce the intensity of the smell from the drain but will not resolve the problem.
To address the problem effectively, it is advisable to clean your drain weekly to ensure that all the remnants of soap, toothpaste, and other detergents have been flushed down the drain properly and that the drain is clean.
You can use one cup of white vinegar or mix a quarter cup of baking soda with hot water and pour it down the drain.
After cleaning the drain, a dehumidifier will offer you complimentary services by absorbing the excess humidity that might be holding on to the unpleasant smells from the drain.
Toilets
Toilets can be a source of unpleasant smells in the bathroom especially if you do not use air fresheners, incense, or have proper ventilation that can help you get rid of unpleasant smells. If your toilet and shower are in the same room, the humidity coming from the shower can make the smells in the bathroom worse.
Aside from investing in an air freshener (which you definitely should consider unless you prefer using incense or other natural ways of getting rid of the unpleasant smell), using a dehumidifier can help you reduce the humidity in the air.
Humidity traps odors and causes them to continue lingering in the air for a longer duration. As such, you should consider using a dehumidifier in your bathroom, especially if your toilet and bathroom are in the same room.
Flushing your toilet releases aerosolized droplets of bacteria-filled water from the toilet bowl. The aerosolized droplets of water from the toilet bowl can contain large numbers of airborne bacteria and other microbes, which can increase your risk of getting ill.
Since dehumidifiers reduce humidity in the air, a dehumidifier can absorb aerosolized droplets from the air and improve the quality of air in your bathroom.
People who have allergies, asthma, or other health issues that compromise their immunity have a higher likelihood of getting respiratory illnesses among other health problems from the aerosolized droplets floating around in your bathroom.
Location of the bathroom
If your bathroom is located at a central point in your home and is surrounded by other rooms, it might not have the best ventilation and might also be susceptible to excess moisture from other rooms.
The kitchen and the laundry room are huge contributors to high humidity levels in homes. As such, the location of your bathroom in your home might also contribute to the excess humidity in your bathroom and the other room in your home.
If you live in a big house and your bathroom is centrally located, you should consider placing a dehumidifier in your bathroom and in some of the other rooms that have high humidity levels.
Concerns that You Might Have About Putting a Dehumidifier in Your Bathroom and Potential Solutions
Limited Space
If you are concerned about not having adequate space in your bathroom, you should consider getting a small-sized or mini dehumidifier that will fit perfectly in your bathroom. You can place the dehumidifier on your countertop and not worry about it taking up too much space.
You can also consider buying a dehumidifier that has a hook, which can be used to suspend the dehumidifier in the air and ensure that it does not take up the space on your countertop or floor.
An example of a dehumidifier that has a suspension hook is the Eva-Dry E-500 Rechargeable dehumidifier. It is also rechargeable and does not need to be plugged into an electrical outlet throughout for it to remove humidity from the air.
Tripping over the cords
If you are concerned about tripping over the cords of your dehumidifier, you should consider placing the dehumidifier at an elevated place.
You can opt to place the dehumidifier on your bathroom counter or any other elevated place. Ensure that you place the dehumidifier somewhere where there is adequate space to reduce the likelihood of pushing and dropping the dehumidifier while moving around.
Electrocution
Some dehumidifiers need to be plugged into an electric outlet to work. If you are concerned about electrocution, you should ensure that you place your dehumidifier on the farthest end of your bathroom where it would not be close to the shower.
Ensure that you use a dry towel to wipe the electrical outlet if you notice some condensation on the socket. Alternatively, you could opt for a non-electric dehumidifier because they only need to be recharged after 20 to 30 days.
Most rechargeable dehumidifiers will allow you to enjoy continued dehumidification without worrying about stepping on electrical cords, tripping, or electrocution. Check out some of the non-electric dehumidifiers suitable for your bathroom on Amazon.
FAQs
Do you leave a dehumidifier on all the time in the bathroom?
You can leave your dehumidifier running for 24 hours in your bathroom as long as you ensure that your dehumidifier and the electrical cord are far from any water sources.
If you plan to leave an electric dehumidifier running throughout, it is advisable to place it on your countertop instead of the bathroom floor to ensure that it is far from any water sources. If you place it on your bathroom counter, you should also ensure that it is not close to the water faucets.
When should you put a dehumidifier in the bathroom?
You can place a dehumidifier in your bathroom after your shower or whenever you notice high levels of humidity in the bathroom. If you have a hygrometer, check the humidity levels in your bathroom to determine whether the relative humidity is within the normal range.
You can also opt to place the dehumidifier in your bathroom before your bath to ensure that the dehumidifier will continue absorbing the excess moisture from the air as you take your shower.
Will a dehumidifier help in the bathroom?
A dehumidifier will help in the bathroom. The excess humidity in bathrooms can be annoying. A dehumidifier will slowly remove the excess humidity from the air and ensure that your bathroom smells fresh and clean.
A dehumidifier will also get rid of the excess heat in your bathroom. Since dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air, the moist air will be absorbed and condensed to form water droplets in the water tank, which will eliminate the excess humidity and heat in the room.
How to use a dehumidifier in the bathroom
The first step would be ensuring that you have placed it in a safe place. Preferably you can place your dehumidifier on an elevated surface to ensure that you do not kick it or step on the cord while moving around in your bathroom.
If you are using an electric dehumidifier, use a dry towel to wipe the electrical outlet if you notice any condensed water droplets on its surface then plug in your dehumidifier. Turn on your dehumidifier and leave it for a few hours to reduce the humidity levels in the air.
If you have a dehumidifier that allows you to set the level of humidity that you wish to attain, you can set the dehumidifier to the recommended relative humidity and then leave it on to do its work.
If your dehumidifier has a hosepipe for continuous drainage, ensure that you direct the hosepipe to the drain to avoid dealing with water pools on the floor.
If you do not have a hosepipe, you can rely on the water tank that comes with the dehumidifier. You should also ensure that you remember to empty the water tank after a few hours to avoid water spills from an overflowing water tank.
Unplug your dehumidifier when you are not using it and ensure that you store it properly.
You should also ensure that you dry any excess water on your bathroom floors and countertops using a rag or a mop to ensure that your bathroom remains clean after your bath. Drying water pools on the floor will not only eliminate your risks of falls but also reduce the likelihood of mold growth.
Can you run a dehumidifier while you are in the shower?
The excess steam in your bathroom and the condensation forming on your bathroom mirror can be frustrating especially when you try to use your mirror immediately after your shower. If you are wondering whether you can run your dehumidifier while you are showering, the answer is yes.
Running your dehumidifier while you are showering will help you control the steam and excess condensation in the room, while at the same time offering you’re a conducive environment to enjoy your shower or bath.
You should note that running your dehumidifier while you are taking a shower will not eliminate most of the humidity in the shower because the rate at which the moisture is released into the air is higher than the rate at which the dehumidifier is absorbing moisture from the air.
Unless you are using an industrial-grade dehumidifier in your bathroom, which is nearly impossible, the rate at which the humidity will be absorbed from the air will be significantly low.
If you wish to fasten the dehumidification process, you can increase the fan speed on your dehumidifier or check if it has any additional features for fast dehumidification. The bottom line is that you can use your dehumidifier in your bathroom while taking a shower.
Just make sure you have not placed it directly below you where the shower water will be dripping on the dehumidifier because that could be a tripping hazard waiting to happen and it will also make it hard for the dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air effectively.
Conclusion
In summary, yes, you can put a dehumidifier in the bathroom. Having a dehumidifier in your bathroom can help you deal with the excess humidity in the air. Since there is a constant flow of water in the bathroom, you should consider placing a dehumidifier in your bathroom.
Having a dehumidifier in your bathroom will help you maintain a clean bathroom, get rid of mold and mildew and avoid the destructive effects of humidity on walls and flooring. Ensure that the dehumidifier you are using in your bathroom is suitable for the space.
Remember if you are concerned about having an electric dehumidifier in your bathroom, you could opt for a non-electric dehumidifier as most non-electric dehumidifiers use silica gel technology to absorb the excess moisture in the air using capillary network techniques.
