Does anyone have a formula for a homemade packet for a closet dehumidifier? In the summer I go through 1 a day in each of my closets, of the tub type sold at Wal-Mart.
By Cricket from Parkton
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I hope this is what you are looking for.
You can begin on page 102 under 'TYPES OF DESICCANTS', and through page 103.
www.oldspirit.net/
I have the same problem (mostly in my craft room) & I've been wondering the same thing. I looked into buying a REAL dehumidifier machine, but they need a drainage line drilled for the water to escape from. Maybe you could empty them twice a day. They cause around $200, but I'm sure they are WELL worth the cost!
I've found that descant in bulk is MUCH cheaper than in individual packets & they have it a Lowell's & maybe also at Home Depot. Make sure you keep the bulk container sealed well or put the stuff into a large zip-lock bag or jar so it stays fresh! (maybe you could buy it bulk on line) I've also found the price varies greatly from store to store. So it pays to shop around!
* One tip I've read that can help suck moisture from the air is: You take a leg from a pair of old pantyhose & fill the leg up with cheapie clay-based cat littler then hang this in your closet. The littler will suck moisture from the air. After several days, you put the leg full of litter in the hot sun to dry then switch out with a new one while the old one dries out. This "recipe" was originally posted for moist or moldy car trunks, but I'm sure it would also work for a closet.
? I've often wondered if the newer cat litters that "clump" might work better because the litter is made to suck up quite a bit of moisture, but I have no idea if this would work. There's also the newer "crystal" based cat litter, it holds about 10 times it's weight in moisture. It's also worth a try (in the pantyhose leg). The trick is to be able to re-use the litter by drying it out in a hot place (maybe inside a hot car as it sits in the sunshine?).
---> I'd love to know what works for you! Please re-post here or send me personal mail here on ThriftyFun.
If you can find the clay based litter, it does work in a panty hose leg or any other cloth sack. You can dry it out by putting it in the oven on a low temp for a bit until dry if the weather does not allow for drying outside.
I use the (unscented) crystal cat litter (=large/medium grain size silica gel) for this, in old socks or pillow cases. Good idea to wear a dust mask when pouring as the crystals do produce some dust during handling, and its not good to breathe it. I place them in a sunny spot on a warm dry day outside to revive after a while in the closets, or in the oven (200 degrees preheated; turn off oven and leave the packs in there for a few hours, depending how much moisture they gathered.). This also worked GREAT when I accidentally left my sunroof open in my car and a downpour happened all night long! I shop-vacuumed out as much water out of the rugs as possible, and put 3 pillowcases full of pre-dried in oven- crystal cat litter in the car on the rugs / floors. Reheated the packs a few times over a week and put them back in the car to make sure all moisture was absorbed. Worked like a charm. No mold, no steamy windows etc. Now 2 months later, still good!
You need to find the source for all that moisture. If your closets backs a bathroom, chances are you have a leak in the water lines or drains
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