What should home humidity be in summer?

[Anonymous]

A neighbor has just discovered white mold all over her kitchen.
Her humidity level is 60% and she is using a dehumidifier to pull it down. She does use the A/C in the HVAC.... As do I, which makes me wonder about all of this.
My humidity right now is also 60%.
- doesn't the HVAC unit (a/c) serve as a dehumidifier?
- what should the humidity level be in the summer? In the winter?
It is humid in DC in the summer; but with a lower humidity inside in the winter, will that higher summer level still be probalematic?

Thanks for any feedback.

[Anonymous]

Bump.

[Anonymous]

60% is fine. I am surprised that she is having mold with 60%. The only time I have a problem with mold is in the basement, and only in rooms where the air does not circulate well. Even then, it has to be above 70% for the mold to grow there.

[Anonymous]

If you want to reduce the humidity level, simply reduce the temperature setting on the AC. Problem solved.

I aim for 50% in the home.

[Anonymous]

Mine is normally around 45%. In the winter I try to get it as high as possible, but the highest I can get it is about 35%.

60% is like a swamp. No wonder she has mold.