In winter, the main heating system in your house makes the air incredibly dry. Well, the lower temperatures and humidity caused the wood grain in my own antique dresser to crack, so trust me, I get it. We are not very keen on getting humidifiers for every single room, but what else is there to do, really? Are there other ways to increase the humidity levels indoors?
Well, first of all, if that’s your case too, then I want you to know that you’re not alone. As if winter wasn’t harsh enough outside, you also have to deal with dry air. When the indoor humidity drops below 30 percent during colder months, people might experience more often chapped skin and irritated eyes, noses, as well as sinuses.
And yes, you are right: low humidity might cause wood and other plant-based furniture and flooring to completely shrink and crack. Moreover, wallpaper can easily peel away from the walls, and household plants might wither when dryness is very extreme, which is below 5 percent.
However, the good news is that tweaking some of your every day habits can definitely help add more moisture to the air in your home. What do we mean by that? Well, the whole idea is to ramp up natural evaporation while still using heat sources like radiators and stovetops that could transfer water vapor into the air right away.
It’s also a good idea to pick up an inexpensive digital thermometer with a certain humidity gauge so you can efficiently monitor your moisture level. For the best results in terms of your home humidity, you should strive for levels between 30 and 50 percent.
Also, note that moisture levels above 50 percent might cause issues, too, including mold growth, structural decay, warping of wood furniture, as well as damage to painted surfaces.
The whole thing between the 30 and 50 percent range is quite standard. However, personal comfort, health, and the season should definitely guide some specifics. Winter conditions could require a certain humidity closer to 30 percent to efficiently prevent window condensation, as you might want to edge towards 50 percent in dry, hot periods to make sure you maintain skin and respiratory comfort. Here’s a list of things you might want to try:
Lower the thermostat
Central heating blows hot air into all the rooms in your home, increasing evaporation and drying the air out fast enough. To slow down the process a little bit, you can use a programmable thermostat (as advised by the U.S. Department of Energy) and keep the heat set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit, a move that’s definitely bound to decrease your energy bill throughout colder months.
Use radiant heat sources
A portable, oil-filled radiator is nothing but a plug-in heater that requires radiant energy. Radiant heat is sent via electromagnetic waves, which are then absorbed by objects in the room and warm the space.
The process resembles one of your clothes absorbing the sun’s heat. This particular type of heat is definitely less drying than the hot air that blows from your central heating system. To maintain the usage at its lowest levels, you can use the device in the room you are in with the door closed to effectively hold in the heat.
Place bowls of water on elevated surfaces to increase humidity in the room
Another easy way to add moisture to dry air is to place bowls or saucers of water on surfaces around the house. You can locate them away from foot traffic to effectively prevent accidental spills, then keep them out of reach of children and pets.
Wide window sills are perfect since sunlight can warm the water and help it evaporate much faster. If your home has built-in radiators instead of one, central heating, you can easily capitalize on these radiant heat sources by placing a bowl of water on top of every unit to humidify the room.
The heat will then naturally evaporate the water and increase the humidity. Depending on how hot the radiators can get, you can easily take care to use a cloth or even a kitchen mitt when you lift the bowls. Then, if the heat comes from air vents in your home, you also have the option to place a small bowl of water close to the vents to blow additional moisture.
Boil water on the stove when you are at home
Boiling a pot of water on the stove will automatically add moisture to the air right away. However, whatever you would do, never leave the pot or tea kettle on the burner unattended. As soon as the water boils away, the pot will turn dangerously hot. You can set the timer on your phone if you have to go away from the kitchen for a couple of minutes, but make sure you come back in due time.
Construct a plant humidifier
If you have houseplants (who doesn’t, really?) low humidity might cause brown, curling leaf tips and dried-out soil. You can fill a waterproof tray with a couple of stones and pebbles, then pour in enough water to cover the bottom and leave the upper pebbles dry.
Then, place the potted plants on the pebbles, because natural evaporation will keep them moist enough (let alone super happy), while also creating a humid microclimate in the room. You can easily mist plant leaves as often as you have to with water from a spray bottle.
Leave the bathroom door open
Well, there’s a way to efficiently increase the humidity in your house while you’re also showering. How? It’s easy: leave the door open. The steam will escape and fill your rooms with much-needed moisture.
If you’re generally the kind of person who uses a bathroom exhaust fan to wick away the humidity, just turn it off during wintertime. Moreover, if you prefer baths, make sure you don’t drain the water right away after each use, just let it sit and cool naturally instead.
Steam fabrics instead of ironing them
Well, well, who knew that laundry care might, in fact, humidity a room? A portable steamer could provide a very facile way to remove unwanted wrinkles from clothing, as well as curtains while also adding moisture to the air. All these handy devices are definitely cheaper than humidifiers, require zero filters, and heat up in seconds.
Plug in a portable humidifier
Even if you might not want a humidifier in every single room, you can put a portable unit in only one bedroom. Or, alternatively, you could go with a whole-house humidifier, even if this step is definitely among the pricier options when it comes to adding humidity to your home.
Make dinner on the stovetop, rather than the oven
Cooking in the oven might have a negative impact on the air, meaning that it can dry it out. Whereas cooking on the stovetop does exactly the opposite. Whatever you might decide to make fo dinner tonight, you should make it on the stovetop rather than the oven. In fact, through the dry winter months, every little bit of incidental moisture might help you feel more comfortable at home.
If you found this article useful, we also recommend checking: Size Matters: How to Choose the Perfect End Table for Your Living Room
