Keeping closets and other small areas mold-free

One thing I've found myself worrying about here in Japan is the humidity and the way it affects things in our house. I'd never dealt with living in a humid climate before living here - I'd always lived in places that had dry summers - so it was a bit of a shock to the system battling the sticky, sweaty summers here.

We have an upstairs bedroom in our house here that we use more as an office, and the closets in that room get used as storage - and last year some woven rattan baskets that I had forgotten about in there started growing mold. I didn't even know that baskets growing mold was a possibility...and it grossed me out (and wasted my money by having to throw them out!)

This summer I wanted to be more diligent and aware of the things I could do to prevent mold from occurring. We run a couple of large dehumidifiers, but in places like closets I feel like a little extra help doesn't hurt. I asked in the questions section a few weeks back about ways to dehumidify without necessarily needing power - and one of the suggestions were these guys.

You can buy them in bulk on Amazon (follow the link here) but I found them at my local Welcia. They're nice and inexpensive, too - I found them for only 170 yen for three tubs. Basically, they are filled with calcium chloride, which is said to be around seven times as absorbent as silica gel for drawing moisture out of the air.

Each container is said to be good for use for around 3 to 6 months - obviously their shelf life is dependent on the humidity at the time. We've popped a few of them into the closets and other small areas in the house and so far, so good. I'm hoping that things stay that way!

Any other useful gadgets you've come across to keep your house dry and mold free? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!