Living in Melbourne means you’re essentially playing a game of weather roulette every single day. One minute you’re enjoying a latte in the sun, and the next, you’re sprinting for cover as a humid front rolls in from the bay.
While we love our city, that ‘four seasons in one day’ vibe can wreak havoc on your living room. But with a bit of strategy and a few local tricks, you can keep the “Melbourne funk” at bay.
Want to know how? Let’s dive into the best ways to keep your home fresh, dry, and clean.
Master the Art of Airflow
The first rule of surviving a humid Melbourne afternoon is to never let the air get stagnant. This is where moisture loves to settle, turning your beautiful home into a tropical greenhouse.
Open your windows on opposite sides of the house to create a cross-breeze whenever the outdoor humidity isn’t peaking. This literally pushes the heavy, moist air out the door before it can sink into your carpets.
If the air outside feels like a warm, wet blanket, it’s time to lean on your tech. Set your air conditioner to Dry Mode for an hour or two to strip the moisture without freezing yourself out.
Tackle the Morning Condensation
In the colder months, Melbourne homes are notorious for ‘crying windows’ as the warm indoor air hits the chilly glass. If you leave those droplets to run down the pane, mould will soon find a cosy home to settle in.
Make it a morning ritual to grab a microfibre cloth or a squeegee and wipe down the glass. It takes all of two minutes and saves you hours of scrubbing black spots off your timber frames later.
Keep your curtains open during the day to let the sun do its job. Even that weak winter sun provides enough UV and heat to help dry out the window tracks and sills naturally.
Focus on the Damp Rooms
Your bathroom and laundry are the ground zero of humidity, especially when you’re drying a load of towels on a rainy Tuesday. Without proper care, these rooms can start smelling like a soggy gym bag within days.
Always run your exhaust fan for at least fifteen minutes after your shower has finished. Most people flick it off as soon as they’re dry, but the lingering steam can settle on walls and ceilings, encouraging mould growth.
If you don’t have a fan, crack the window and leave the door open. You want the steam to flow into a bigger space, not sit trapped in a tiled room.
Use Bicarb and Vinegar
When the humidity brings out that subtle musty scent, don’t reach for the heavy chemicals just yet. Good old Aussie staples like bicarb soda and white vinegar are your best mates for refreshing surfaces.
Sprinkle a bit of bicarb on your rugs or upholstery and let it sit for twenty minutes before vacuuming. It’s great at pulling moisture and odours out of the fabric fibres before they become a permanent feature.
For hard surfaces, a quick spray of diluted vinegar helps kill off any early-stage spores. It’s cheap, effective, and won’t leave your home smelling like a lab—just fresh and clean.
Tame Dust Mites
Humidity and dust mites go together like Melburnians and black puffer jackets—they are practically inseparable. High moisture levels make your mattress and sofa the ultimate breeding ground for these tiny, unwelcome guests.
Wash your bedding in water that’s at least 60°C to keep the dust mites under control. On those rare, crisp, sunny days, hang your doonas outside to let the fresh air and sun work their natural disinfectant magic.
Try to avoid dry dusting with a feather duster, which just moves the particles back into the humid air. Use a damp cloth instead, so the dust is removed rather than just stirred around.
Fight Off Damp and Mould
There’s nothing more heartbreaking than pulling out your favourite leather jacket only to find it’s grown a fuzzy green mould beard. Wardrobes are often pushed against external walls, which stay colder and trap dampness.
Leave a small gap between your furniture and the wall to allow air to circulate behind the backboard. This simple five-centimetre space can be the difference between a fresh wardrobe and a damp disaster.
You can also use those moisture-absorbing tubs or even small bags of chalk or silica gel. They act as little sponges, pulling the damp out of the air before your clothes can soak it up.
Call in the Reinforcements When Needed
Let’s be realistic: sometimes life in Victoria gets busy, and the humidity wins the first few rounds. If you find yourself staring at a house that feels constantly “sticky” despite your best efforts, it might be time for help.
Professional cleaners have the industrial equipment, like high-grade HEPA vacuums and steam cleaners, that DIY methods can’t match. They can reset your home’s cleanliness level, making it much easier for you to maintain.
If you're looking for a deep refresh, searching for house cleaning in Melbourne can connect you with locals who understand our unique climate. They know exactly where the damp hides and can give your home that factory-fresh feel again.
Prevent Problems Before They Start
The easiest way to keep a clean home is to stop the moisture from getting comfortable in the first place. This means fixing leaky taps and checking your roof tiles after those classic Melbourne hailstorms.
Keep an eye on your indoor plants, too; while they look great, overwatering them adds unnecessary moisture to the air. Group them in well-ventilated areas so they don’t create humidity pockets in the corners of your rooms.
A little bit of daily vigilance goes a long way in this city. A wipe here and a window opened there will keep your home feeling light and airy, no matter what the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is predicting.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve officially graduated from the Melbourne School of Humidity Management with flying colours. You now have the tools to keep your home feeling like a fresh sanctuary rather than a humid rainforest.
By staying on top of the small tasks, you’ll ensure your living space stays healthy, clean, and smelling like a dream. Now, go put the kettle on, open a window, and enjoy that crisp, clean air you worked so hard for.
Angela Spearman is a journalist at EzineMark who enjoys writing about the latest trending technology and business news.