Is your Himalayan salt lamp wet and you are not sure why?
The simple answer to this question is that salt attracts water. Your giant block of salt get’s soggy In the same way salt shakers easily get damp and clogged up. However, unlike a salt shaker, you can’t just chuck in a spoonful of rice and forget about it. Salt lamps are fabulous but if your salt lamp leaking water is an issue then you need to look into the reason.
Salt is hygroscopic meaning it attracts water from the air. If you are using your salt lamp in a particularly humid environment it can attract so much water that the outside of the lamp feels damp, and may even start dripping and appear to be leaking water.
It’s not the Himalayan salt lamp melting, but the salt crystals doing their job as a moisture absorber.
Don’t be alarmed, this is a completely natural process and can actually be a good thing. Your salt crystal lamp is helping you as it absorbs moisture in the air.
Why removing moisture from the air is a good thing.
Although you might want to place your salt lamp on a saucer and dry it regularly to prevent any damage to furniture or the electricity, the fact that your Himalayan salt lamp is leaking is actually a good thing.
If the air in your home is particularly damp this can encourage the growth of mold which can, in turn, lead to infections and illness. The likelihood is the majority of this water comes from breathing, cooking, and taking a bath or shower so there’s not a huge amount you can do about it other than turning on extractors where you can or getting a dehumidifier. When you have a leaking salt lamp it is taking excess moisture out of the room.
However, if your lamp is constantly wet it won’t last as long so you might want to keep it away from particularly damp areas.
Whilst some people say a leaking salt lamp needs a higher wattage bulb, that won’t help and in fact may give you more leaking. As they say when a salt lamp cries it’s a sign of dampness in your house.
Keeping your Himalayan salt lamp dry
Keeping your salt lamp dry will prolong its life and stop any watermarks from appearing on your furniture.
Start by not placing it in particularly wet areas. Avoid placing your salt lamp in the bathroom, or too close to the kettle, stove, or dishwasher.
If your lamp isn’t in an area that would naturally have more humidity then you may wish to consider getting a humidifier to take some of the moisture out of the air. This will be more effective than a salt lamp and improve your air quality by reducing the likelihood of mold.
They also make the atmosphere less hospitable to dust mites and have other benefits such as your clothes drying faster. For small rooms this little one works (though you do need to buy refill tablets.
For bedrooms and other rooms where your salt lamp is getting wet. This will do all rooms up to square footage of 215.
If you are looking for a more stylish one, we love the look of this Hysure dehumidifier which is very discrete and doesn’t scream dehumidifier.
If you have a larger area, or have several rooms affected by damp then you might need to invest in a larger dehumidifier. When I had a burst pipe and a major leak I got this one and it worked really well. It’s 20L and should do an entire upstairs of a house if you have damp across several rooms.
Keeping your lamp on will also help keep it dry as the heat from the bulb warms the lamp causing moisture to evaporate. You might also need to change the bulb as energy-efficient LED bulbs by design do not produce much heat.
If your lamp does get wet the best thing to do is to dry it with a lint-free cloth. And you can even place it in a low oven to dry it out fully. Just make sure you remove the bulb, cord, and base first putting only the salt in the oven and checking it regularly.
Saltwater dropping or even accumulated salt water can damage the furniture it’s on and not only will your beautiful salt lamp fade away but that accumulated moisture has to go somewhere. Basic salt lamp care means keeping it dry and not using it as a moisture absorber.
You can just give it a gentle wipe and avoid putting it on other surfaces that may get water damage. Himalayan salt lamps absorb moisture from any room that is wet so to stop crying salt lamps, its worthwhile sorting out where the dampness is coming from or getting a dehumidifier to see
If you are wondering how long salt lamps last you can find out here.
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