Humidity in a UAE home comes from two places: outdoor air that gets in, and water made indoors by people, showers, cooking and laundry. The steps below are ranked by effect.
Where the moisture comes from
- Outdoor air through open doors, windows and leaky ducts.
- Showers, kettles, cooking and laundry dried indoors.
- An AC with a wet coil or blocked drain.
- A sealed envelope that keeps it in.
The twelve steps
- Keep balcony doors and windows closed in summer.
- Run the AC in auto, never off for the day or a holiday; UAE advice while away is 26 to 28 °C in fan or auto mode.
- Fix the AC drain and clean the coil.
- Run extractors during and after showers and cooking.
- Stop drying laundry indoors.
- Pull furniture off exterior walls and leave wardrobe doors ajar.
- Seal duct leaks in older villas.
- Service the AC on schedule.
- Use moisture absorbers (about AED 27 to 90) only inside closed wardrobes.
- Put a 12 to 20 L portable in the worst room.
- Rule out leaks and rising damp.
- Install a whole-home ducted dehumidifier controlled to 45 to 55%.
What works without a dehumidifier
Steps 1 to 9 cut the load and may be enough in spring and autumn. In June to September they slow the rise; they do not hold a level.
The limit
Only step 12 holds a set humidity in August, in every room, while you travel. See high indoor humidity and mould and condensation.
Key points
- Steps 1 to 11 reduce the moisture load; only step 12 holds a set humidity in August.
- Keep doors and windows closed, run the AC in auto rather than switching it off, and never dry laundry indoors.
- Fix the AC drain and coil first: a wet coil can push 88% RH air into the room.
Step by step
How to reduce humidity in your house
- 1
Keep balcony doors and windows closed
Outdoor air in summer carries far more moisture than the room; every opening lets it in.
- 2
Run the AC in auto, not off
Switching the AC off for the day or a holiday lets the home climb to outdoor humidity. UAE advice while away is 26 to 28 °C in fan or auto mode.
- 3
Fix the AC drain and clean the coil
A blocked drain or dirty coil keeps water in the unit and sends it back into the room.
- 4
Extract in bathrooms and the kitchen
Run the extractor during and after showers and cooking, and keep wet-room doors closed.
- 5
Do not dry laundry indoors
A load of washing releases litres of water into a sealed apartment.
- 6
Pull furniture off exterior walls and open wardrobes
Still air behind wardrobes and inside closed cupboards is where mould starts.
- 7
Seal duct leaks
Older villas may have cracks in ductwork or walls that draw humid air into the ceiling void.
- 8
Service the AC on schedule
Annual servicing keeps the coil clean and the drain clear.
- 9
Use moisture absorbers only as a patch
Sachets and boxes (about AED 27 to 90) help inside a closed wardrobe; they do nothing for a room.
- 10
Put a portable in the worst room
A 12 to 20 L unit handles one bedroom or wardrobe room, with a tank to empty daily in summer.
- 11
Rule out leaks and rising damp
A damp patch that stays wet when the humidity is low is a leak or waterproofing problem, not air moisture.
- 12
Install a whole-home dehumidifier
A ducted unit holds 45 to 55% in every room, drains to waste and keeps working while you travel. This is the only step that holds a set level in August.
