Can a Humidifier Cause Mold on Walls?

If you’ve recently purchased a humidifier for your home, one of the first questions that come to your mind may be whether or not it is safe to use. 

Understandably, you want to keep your family and pets healthy and comfortable, but what about mold? 

Can humidifiers cause mold on walls?

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell. Yes, your humidifiers may cause mold to grow on your walls, but there are more to that.

If this sounds like something that might concern you, keep on reading.

This post will help answer this question by exploring what causes mold growth indoors. 

Further below, we will also talk about how to prevent mold from growing in your home.

Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Do Humidifiers Cause Mold on Walls?

No, your humidifiers do not cause mold on your walls by themselves. 

What causes mold to grow on walls is humid conditions – and unfortunately, your humidifier can also contribute to that.

The humid conditions in which your humidifier operates are also a contributing factor to mold growth on your wall and should be addressed as well.

Humidifiers are designed to increase the humidity of your room, which is necessary for those with asthma or allergies.

So, if you put your humidifiers in an already humid room, mold can grow in your rooms.

That is why it is essential to check the humidity in the room before you run your humidifiers.

Mold can grow on your walls if the humidity level of your rooms exceeds 55%.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the recommended humidity level of your house should be between 30% – 50%. 

With this humidity level, you will also see fewer insect pests such as roaches and mites in your house because they hate places with low humidity levels.

If you’re looking for a humidifier, the best thing to do is buy one that has an auto-off feature. 

That way, it will turn off when it reaches a certain level of humidity. 

This can help prevent mold from growing on your walls and furniture as well!

Also read: 8 Benefits of Humidifier Every Homeowner Should Know!

Does Humidifier Make Mold Worse?

Yes, your humidifier may contribute to the mold in your home getting worse if you don’t take precautions.

Humidifiers are a great way to add moisture back into your air, but they can also contribute to unwanted mold growth if you use them carelessly.

If you’re going to use a humidifier, it’s essential to keep track of the room humidity levels. 

For instance, if it is already too high, your humidifiers might be helping mold to grow on your walls.

The excess water droplets from the humidifier may create an environment for unhealthy and unsightly mold growth on walls or furniture.

There is this neat tool that you can use to check the humidity levels in your house called the Hygrometer.

It is relatively cheap ($10 – 20), so you better have it on hand to prevent moisture from building up to help mold grow.

Can Humidifiers Cause Fungus?

Just like mold, no, your humidifier will not bring the fungi by itself.

We have mentioned above that humidity is the one that causes mold and fungus to grow in your home, and your humidifier by itself will not make it so.

According to several studies and recommendations by experts, you should always maintain the humidity levels of your house between 30% to 50%.

The best environment for fungus is a humid one. 

A humidity level above 60% is an ideal environment for bacteria and fungus to grow.

For example, if your home’s humidity level goes above 60% for too long, you run the risk of developing mold and fungus into your walls and furniture.

How to Prevent Mold when Using a Humidifier?

First of all, If you’re using a humidifier, it is crucial to maintain the humidity level of your house between 30% and 50%. 

Doing so will minimize the potential for mold growth.

According to studies, mold will only grow if the humidity level exceeds 55%.

So take precautions before you run your humidifier.

Check the humidity level of your room or house by using a hygrometer.

Next, you should also clean your humidifier regularly.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that dirty humidifiers are the ideal breeding ground for bacteria and fungi to grow!

Not only should you clean your humidifier regularly, but it’s also important to keep the water in them filtered. 

You should use a filter that is designed for your humidifier to keep the water clean. 

This will help prevent any unwanted bacteria and mold from growing inside of it, which could lead to mold and fungus growth into your walls.

These bacterias and mold also can lead to potential health risks when they are released in the mist form by your humidifiers.

To keep your humidifier in optimal condition, it’s important to change the water inside of it every day. 

When you want to replace the water, make sure that you empty out all of its contents first!

Last but not least, to stay healthy and avoid mold, be sure you use distilled or demineralized water in your humidifier. 

Tap water may contain too many minerals that can lead to bacteria growth, so it’s best not used for this purpose.

Conclusion: So Can Humidifiers Cause Mold to Grow on Walls?

So there you have it.

If you’ve been using a humidifier and have noticed an increase in mold on your walls, it’s important to note that this is not because of the humidifier itself. 

Mold can grow anywhere when there are high levels of humidity – which means your humidifier may just be contributing to this issue by making conditions more favorable for growth. 

The best way to remedy this problem is by lowering the moisture content in the air to not provide any additional fuel for mold growth.

We highly recommend you purchase a hygrometer to help you monitor the humidity level of your house.

And don’t forget to follow our tips above on how to prevent mold when using a humidifier!