They say when it rains, it pours...and lately, there hasn't been much reprieve from the downpour of La Niña. If you're feeling uncomfortably sticky and moist in your home; or noticing the couch, your clothes, or even the walls feel damp, it might be time to invest in a dehumidifier.
"Dehumidifiers maintain control over the humidity levels in your home by removing excess moisture from the air to help prevent mould, mildew, dust mites and allergens from becoming prevalent in your home," says Appliances Online category expert Colin Jones.
Differing from portable air conditioners and evaporative coolers that work to cool a room, often with moisture, dehumidifiers work by sucking air through sensors to extract moisture from the air. This moisture then goes into a water storage container which you empty when full.
"Due to their portable nature, dehumidifiers are great to use in various parts of your home that may have issues with moisture or mould.
"Depending on where your dehumidifier is placed, the storage capacity and the amount of moisture in your home, it can help to save you time, money and effort in the long run."
To help you the humidity and mould in your home at bay during the wet season, we've rounded up some of the best dehumidifiers currently on the market.
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Awarded the Sensitive Choice by the National Asthma Council Australia, this dehumidifier is a perfect buy for households with sensitive lungs. Featuring a pre-filter for dust and pet dander, two-stage air filtration, carbon filters for odours and smoke and humidity controls, asthmatics at home are in good company. Also with laundry, night and time modes, plus a child lock, this model truly has all the bells and whistles.
"Works like a dream," wrote a five-star reviewer, "It’s been terrific this wet summer!"
Compact and user-friendly, this dehumidifier is ideal for small rooms (like bathrooms, bedrooms and wardrobes) that might be in need of a little TLC come the wet season. With an LED indicator, auto shut-off, water level sensor and a HEPA filtration system to remove airborne pollutants from the air, this light-weight unit is small but mighty.
"After I plugged the dehumidifier in right when I received it, I noticed the difference in the room within an hour...now the whole room feels like a normal space after 24 hours," wrote a five-star reviewer.
Send mould and mildew packing with this quiet mini dehumidifier from Kogan. Featuring a timer control for four and eight hours, a 2L water capacity and a LED display, this humble unit works hard to help your space feel less musty, and more fresh.
"Small, but efficient for a smallish room. Easy to operate, easy to clean water out. Great product for living in the tropics!" wrote a five-star reviewer.
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The All Climate dehumidifier is a top seller - and not without reason. Perfect for both warm and cooler environments, this environmentally-friendly model works to automatically keep the ideal humidity of a room, according to its temperature. By producing negative ions that attach to floating particles, this dehumidifier also removes dust and allergens from the air - as well as reducing pet dander, odours and smoke.
"I love that it turns off when full, that it is quiet and Im surprised how much liquid it collects," wrote a reviewer who gave five stars.
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Suitably named Supreme All Seasons, this energy-efficient dehumidifier is ideal for most climates, and within open plan areas up to 105m². With variable humidity settings, 24hour timer, full water tank auto shut-off, auto pump-out drainage system and more useful features, you (and your washing) will quickly feel dry and cosy all year around.
"It's a big unit for domestic use so it's a bit loud but it is super efficient which i was looking for," wrote a five-star reviewer.
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Creating a comforting inside environment is made a breeze with this dehumidifier that features multi-stage filtration, a high speed motor and a convenient timer mode.
"These units are best placed in rooms that have a lack of ventilation or excess moisture," Appliances Online category expert Colin says, "On high humidity days, you may want to consider using these between 10 to 12 hours a day, even 24/7 if your unit has the capacity".
"Most dehumidifiers use little power, which will allow you to operate these for long periods of time. Having a unit such as a portable dehumidifier will help in protecting parts of your home and clothing."
Colin highlights there are several signs that high humidity levels are having an impact on your home and belongings, these being:
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