With summer temperatures reaching over 38°C (100°F), the CubeSensors at our office in Ljubljana and at PSFK’s Future of Home Living Exhibition in New York often have a common complaint: the relative humidity is dancing above the recommended 55%. Why does this even matter and what can you do about high humidity levels?

High humidity causes health problems

The most easily noticeable consequences of relative humidity rising over 60% and above are the air feeling stale, your hair getting frizzy, and feeling hotter than it really is. That’s because more humidity in the air means your sweat is not evaporating as fast as it usually does. In other words, your body’s natural cooling mechanism starts breaking down.

High humidity also has other, more serious side effects. From causing sleeping problems, to putting up a big, shiny welcome sign for various moulds, harmful bacteria and dust mites. And moulds are not just an eye sore. They release mould spores into the air you breathe throughout the day. Some of these spores can trigger allergies, asthma attacks, irritate your eyes, nose or throat, and bring on a whole bunch of other respiratory problems. That can be especially dangerous if you have existing respiratory conditions. Children and the elderly are also more vulnerable to mould.

Dealing with high humidity at its source

It’s pretty obvious that you don’t want to be growing moulds in your home or office. And the best way to declare war on moulds is to keep the relative humidity below 55% in all rooms. The good news is that moulds need 24 to 48 hours of elevated moisture to begin growing. So you shouldn’t worry if your kitchen gets temporarily more humid while cooking, as long as you can bring the humidity back down into the recommended range.

A lot of other common activities can also increase the relative humidity in your home or office. Hot showers and baths make your bathroom one of the most humid rooms of your home. Doing laundry, running the dishwasher, air drying clothes, having houseplants with exposed soils, and even breathing brings additional moisture into the air. The best way to deal with this type of humidity is to keep your home thoroughly ventilated. Exhaust fans can be especially helpful in humidity hot spots like the kitchen or bathroom.

Humidity can even be a problem in new homes that trap moisture inside due to their high efficiency. Good ventilation can again help in this case, so make sure to open your airtight windows regularly. In older homes, watch out for leaking pipes, taps, walls, roofs. Fix any leakages immediately and make sure to inspect your home at a regular basis.

Air conditioning is your friend, watch out for dust

Once you’ve dealt with common sources of moisture in your home or office, it’s time to call technology to the rescue to keep humidity within reasonable levels. Air conditioning units take out moisture from the air while cooling, so that’s a perfect solution for high humidity on hot summer days. Many A/C units also have a “dry mode” that will remove some of the humidity in a room without blowing out cold air. High humidity can also be an issue during winter in unheated spaces such as basements. If you notice condensation, you can install extra insulation or just keep the room warmer. It can also help to get some natural light in, as mould thrives in dark spaces.

It gets tricky though if you live in a region with high outdoors humidity. In this case, opening windows to ventilate won’t do you much good. Try to lower your indoor humidity levels with air conditioning. For extra help, you can also get a dedicated dehumidifier. Especially if your relative humidity levels are regularly above 65%. Whole home dehumidifiers require installation and are more expensive, but you can also get a more affordable portable dehumidifier that you can move around the house as needed. If you’re on a budget, you can even try making your own dehumidifier using rock salt.

A final word of advice. If you have an existing mould problem, it can be challenging to get it removed completely. Moulds are especially fond of organic materials. Carpets, wood, wallpapers, fabrics, furniture are all examples of materials mould loves to hide in even once it runs out of moisture. Mould is also very fond of dust, so a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter can help you keep mould away.

Can’t wait to meet our Cubes in person? Living or traveling in New York in the next month? We’ve got good news! New York’s PSFK is showcasing over 70 products and services in a 4,500 square foot gallery as part of their Future of Home Living report. The report, now available online, identifies the major themes and ideas that will be shaping the homes of tomorrow. And we are delighted to have CubeSensors among the showcased products.

The Future of Home Living exhibition, styled as an interactive apartment, is free to visit with an RSVP at 101 West 15th Street in New York from July 23rd to August 15th. The Cubes we sent over for the exhibition are still prototypes, but you will be able to play with the latest beta version of our companion app to check the environment at the exhibition.

If you do visit our prototype Cubes at the exhibition, please do take a photo, post it online or send us an email with more feedback. As much as we would love to visit the exhibition ourselves, we’re letting the Cubes have all the fun in New York this time. As you might imagine, we’re still busy making sure the final version looks and performs even better, and is ready to be shipped to your real homes before the end of summer.

It’s a fact: productivity suffers during summer. According to one summer survey, 20% of white-collar workers reported a decrease in productivity, a 19% dip in attendance, a 13% increase in project turnaround times, and a whooping 45% increase in self-reported distractedness. It’s hard to stay focused and productive when you’re daydream about your perfect exotic vacation!

Not too cold, not too hot

Vacations do come to an end though, so when you’re back at the office, it’s important to remember that your environment can also help you stay on task. We’re too easily tempted to crank up the air conditioning in hot summer days. However, a study has shown that we tend to make more errors when we’re in cold offices. When changing the temperature from chilly 68°F to 77°F (19°C to 25°C), the number of typing errors fell by 44% and typing output increased by 150%. Setting the AC to higher temperatures saves both energy and productivity!

On the other side, you certainly don’t want to transform your office into a laid-back vacation resort by allowing the temperatures to soar too high. A study discovered that we can only work at 91.1% of our maximum at temperature 86°F (30°C). The magic productivity zone for an office seems to be between 70°F and 75°F ( 21°C and 24°C).

Due to individual differences, it can be difficult to agree on the best temperature in a shared workplace. You can use the following chart from Grasshopper’s Summer Slump infografic as a quick guide. Just remember to be mindful of the needs of your co-workers, and dress according to your office setting.

Don’t forget the humidity!

It’s also worth remembering that humidity plays an important role in our perception of heat and overall thermal comfort. Apart from being bad for your health, relative humidity above 60% will make you feel warmer in summer than it really is. That’s because sweat can’t evaporate as quickly in humid air, essentially breaking down your body’s natural cooling mechanism. If you prefer a warmer office, don’t forget to keep an eye on humidity and try to keep it around the healthy 50% zone. You can lower the humidity with a dehumidifier or by using the dry mode on your AC.

And finally, good air quality will also make you feel better at the office. An AC in good condition can help you keep your VOC levels low. You can also get a breeze of fresh air by opening the windows early in the morning or late in the evening.