A humid room can be uncomfortable and lead to problems indoors.
If you find that you need to dehumidify your room, you may be wondering what to do.
Many people will suggest lighting a candle as a quick and easy solution to dehumidify a room.
However, this might not be the right solution.
Candles are very useful for providing your room with a nice ambiance. They add a touch of light and make your home smell nice.
But, Do candles dehumidify a room?
On this page, we’re going to talk about how effective this solution really is.
Do Candles Dehumidify a Room?
Lighting a candle will not dehumidify a room. The main reason why is that when you light a candle, you are actually adding more humidity to the room.
Keep in mind, you will need to have several candles lit in a small closed-off room for you to feel an increase in humidity. Just having one or two lit for a couple of hours won’t create any significant changes.
The reason candles add to the humidity in a room is that they have hydrocarbons. Basically, once the candle is lit, it begins producing small amounts of water vapor.
While they don’t produce enough to make a room humid, it definitely doesn’t help to dehumidify a room.
While we are on the subject, you should avoid sleeping in a room with a lit candle.
This is because candles can produce small amounts of carbon monoxide, which will increase humidity and lower the oxygen level.
How to Stop Candles From Increasing Humidity In A Room
While candles can make a room more humid, there are ways to prevent this from occurring.
First and foremost, burning time plays a role. It is recommended to never leave a candle burning for more than 3 to 4 hours.
Always limit the amount of time a candle is burning to stay safe.
However, while the candle is burning, there are some ways that you can prevent it from increasing humidity.
It’s important to never have a candle burning in a room with poor air circulation. Always make sure there is an adequate amount of airflow.
Try to avoid closing the door to smaller rooms when you have a candlelit.
It also helps if you open a window, even just for a short period. This will allow some air to get in while releasing some of the unwanted fumes.
You should also ensure that the room has proper ventilation and nothing is blocking any of the vents, resulting in poor airflow.
Tip: Always trim the wick of your candle to under 1/4 inch. Long wicks can melt the wax quicker which causes more vapor.
Does Heating A Room Reduce Humidity?
When you heat a room, it will feel less humid.
However, this is just a feeling and there is still the same amount of humidity in the room. It only feels less humid because warm air can hold more moisture.
There will still be the same amount of humidity in the room even though it feels drier.
The same can be said with cooling a room.
When you use an air conditioner in a hot and humid room, it will begin to feel less humid. However, changing the temperature is not an efficient way to reduce humidity levels in a room.
How To Dehumidify A Room In 5 Ways
If you live in a humid climate, it will begin to affect your home.
This is why it’s important to take steps in preparing your home for humidity.
Luckily, there are several ways in which you can dehumidify your home. Let’s take a look at some of the top solutions.
1. Buy A Dehumidifier
The quickest and easiest solution to a humidity problem is to buy a dehumidifier.
These units are used to pull the excess moisture from the air to create a more comfortable environment.
They can also be used to reduce mildew and musty odors that humidity leaves behind.
Dehumidifiers are a great solution because they can maintain the humidity level in your room.
As the device pulls moisture from the air, it becomes condensed into water.
It will continuously run to keep your room healthy and comfortable, but occasionally you will need to empty the collected water.
2. Use Fans
Fans are a very simple solution for creating airflow in any room. When they are turned on, they can move air around which prevents them from becoming stale.
This can also help remove some of the excess moisture in the air and prevent funky odors.
3. Maintain Heating And Cooling Units
The air quality inside your home heavily depends on the condition of your heating and cooling sources.
This is why it’s strongly recommended to make sure your furnace and air conditioner are cleaned annually and get serviced as needed.
It’s also important to change the air filters regularly. When your heating or cooling solutions are clogged, it can prevent proper airflow.
4. Open Windows
Opening up your windows is a very simple way to reduce humidity in any room. It is a natural way of conditioning your indoor air.
Allowing some fresh air to seep in is one of the best ways to clean up the air inside your room. It’s recommended to open the window for at least 1 hour a day to improve air quality.
5. Use Bamboo Charcoal Bags
Bamboo Charcoal has many uses, and one of those is absorbing moisture. A very affordable method of reducing humidity in a room is by placing bamboo charcoal bags in the room.
This may sound like an odd solution, but charcoal is very absorbent.
If a dehumidifier is out of your budget, bamboo charcoal bags are a more affordable solution.
They can also last for up to 1 year or more as they continue to absorb the extra moisture in the room.
Do Candles Help With Mold?
Candles aren’t a solution for dealing with mold. Since they can add more water vapor to the air, they could add to the problem.
However, there is one exception to this. If you are burning beeswax candles, they have been known to help with mold. As beeswax candles are burned, they can remove the positive ions from the air. These are the ions that mold spores cling to, so the candles could prevent transport.
How this works is, as the candles are burned, the beeswax releases negative ions into the air.
They are strong enough to bind with the toxins that create mold spores and remove them from the air.
Final Thoughts- Do candles remove humidity
Candles have many useful purposes, but dehumidifying a room isn’t one of them. If you burn a candle in a humid room, you will actually be adding to the humidity level.
Many candles release small amounts of water vapor as they are burning. This makes them a poor solution for removing humidity.
If you want to lower the humidity level in a room, you need to think about airflow.
The most obvious solution is a dehumidifier, but if that is out of your budget range you are not out of luck. Using a fan and opening a window are also great ways to remove humidity.
I hope this post was helpful and answered your question does burning candles reduce humidity.
Related Post: Do Candles Clean The Air?
(Author)
Irene Batres is eager to help others create an indoor allergen-free home. She has years of experience testing out air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and other products designed to help with indoor air quality. Learn more about me.
