Do Closets Need Ventilation? (Rules, Tips, & What’s Needed)
If you’ve ever reached for a shirt that’s been in your closet for a few months, you’ve probably noticed a certain ‘closet smell’. Well, that smell is most probably a sign of improper ventilation in your closet.
A closet doos need ventilation, especially if you live in a particularly humid climate. You must ensure that the air inside your closet is constantly circulating and that fresh air is available to combat mold and mildew.
Mold and mildew could have some serious health risks to humans, so in this article, we’ll look at why ventilation is important. We’ll also discuss the building regulations and how you can ventilate your closet.
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Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
Your closet needs to be ventilated to improve your room’s air quality and prevent mold and mildew from growing on your clothes. Here are the best products that you can use to ventilate your closet.
Here are the best products to ventilate your closet
1. Dehumidifier – Extracts the moisture from the air in your closet.
2. Exhaust fan – Extracts the moisture from the air and vents it through a duct out of your house.
3. Portable fan – Used to improve air circulation in your home.
Why Ventilation is Important
Proper home ventilation is vital to maintain the air quality and comfort level of your house. The constant flow of air allows fresh air to be circulated throughout your home.
Improper ventilation could have some severe consequences. The air inside your home will become stagnate and stale. Not only is this uncomfortable to inhale, but it also has some serious respiratory health risks.
Inadequate ventilation also leads to high concentrations of moisture in the air. Moisture attracts mold and mildew, which grows on surfaces throughout your house – yes, even in your closet. Mold exposure can be a serious health risk for anyone with respiratory problems.
Ventilation in Closets
It might surprise you to hear that closets also need to be ventilated. The air inside a closet can get stale and stagnate, and in areas with high humidity, a poorly vented closet could be a magnet for mold and mildew. In fact, mold is attracted to your closet since it is a dark and damp space that doesn’t get used too often.
Clothes made of natural fibers, such as wool or cotton, are more likely to attract mold growth. However, this doesn’t mean that mold won’t grow on synthetic materials. You could even have mold growth underneath the wooden shelves in your closet.
How to Ventilate Your Closet
There are various ways to ventilate your closet, although the best solution would be installing an exhaust fan. These fans are usually installed in bathrooms; however, they are extremely effective in closets as well.
If you don’t have an exhaust fan in your closet, you should try to keep the doors open as much as possible, even though this might make your room look ‘untidy’. You can use a portable fan to blow air out of the window – which improves the air circulation in your closet/bedroom.
Walk-in Closet/Wardrobe
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlights the importance of proper ventilation in a house to control moisture levels and improve air quality.
A walking closet usually leads to a bathroom, and although this is extremely functional for getting dressed in the mornings, this arrangement can be detrimental to your clothes. Since our bathrooms have the most humid air, your connected closet will automatically be exposed to this moisture.
To ventilate your walk-in closet, we would recommend placing a dehumidifier in your closet and opening a window (if you have one) or leaving the door open. Ventilating your closet will reduce the chances of mold and mildew growth.
You might also enjoy our post on Whether You Can Put a Closet in a Bathroom
How to Improve Air Circulation in Your Home
To improve the air circulation in your house or closet, follow these tips:
- Open all the doors and windows of your house for as long as possible during the day (if it is safe to do so).
- Use portable fans in rooms where you don’t have an open window or door.
- If your house has an HVAC system, be sure to turn the fan on, this will continue circulating the air in your house.
- Change the filter of your HVAC system once every three months.
- Turn on the exhaust fan in your bathroom while you are showering and for one hour afterward.
Costs to install a vent
To install an HVAC system in your house, you can expect to pay between $2000 and $4000, depending on your area and the size of your house. However, installing an exhaust fan in your bathroom and closet would cost you less than $50.
In the United States, most houses have an HVAC system to heat and cool the house during extreme temperatures, and luckily it’s quite easy to install (for a hefty price).
How to Remove Mold From Clothes
To remove mold stains or smells from your clothes, dilute white vinegar with water and soak the clothes in the mixture for one hour. Alternatively, you can throw these clothes in the wash and simply add two cups of vinegar instead of fabric softener.
The same dilution of vinegar and water can be sprayed onto wooden shelves in your closet or even the ceiling if you see visible mold spots.
You might also enjoy our post on If A Closet Can Have a Window
Final Thoughts
Closets do need ventilation, as any other room in your house. In this article, we’ve discussed how you can ventilate your closet and what the advantages thereof are. So, is your closet ventilated?
