Unless you’re an HVAC or air quality expert, you might not know that humidity can help you have a more comfortable winter. During summer, it’s true that high humidity levels lead to sweat, misery, and overheating. Although humidity might make summers worse, high humidity levels make winter infinitely more enjoyable.
How Does Humidity Help in the Winter?
Our planet never has a uniform worldwide humidity level. Rather, humidity readings change all across the earth. This is also true for buildings and structures, which often have different relative humidity levels from the air immediately outside of them.
While you’ll never be able to adjust the humidity outside, you can always control the humidity level inside your house.
When the air’s humidity is low, it can take more water from your body. Harsh winds can also make your body lose more water than normal. Considering that this combination is common during winter, you’re highly likely to suffer from scaly skin, cracked lips, and dry eyes.
Low humidity can keep respiratory infections around longer. If you’re prone to having unwavering coughs that linger for days or weeks at a time, a lack of humidity can make these coughs hang on. Another downside of low humidity is that some viruses, especially influenza, can infect people more easily.
The greatest benefit of humidifying your home during winter may be the potential of saving money on utility costs. Heaters dry out your home’s air supply. Raising your home’s humidity can make lower temperatures feel comfortable. By lowering your home’s temperature, you could see substantial energy savings this winter.
Ways to Humidify Your Home This Winter
It goes without saying that humidifiers are specifically designed to increase indoor humidity levels. However, by using these novel home humidification tips, you could save some money without even purchasing a humidifier.
Steam Is Your Friend
In most cases, the naked eye can’t see water vapor. Boiling water over a stovetop is one exception to this rule of thumb.
To raise your home’s humidity level, welcome as much steam into your home as possible. One easy way to do this is by boiling water a few times each day. If you’d rather not boil water for no reason, start including things that naturally produce steam into your daily routine.
Instead of using coffee machines, try making your coffee on the stove. Think about adding more pasta, rice, or oatmeal to your diet. After taking showers, open your bathroom door to let the steam flow throughout your home.
Embrace Your Inner Green Thumb
Colorado is filled with natural beauty. Much of this beauty takes the form of plants. If you don’t already have houseplants, gather plants from outside, pot them, and bring them indoors.
As you know, plants need water to survive. When you water plants, most of the liquid actually evaporates. This will increase your home’s humidity. For additional humidity, try leaving some or all of your plants on windowsills or in well-lit areas.
If You Use a Dishwasher, Try This Trick
Almost all dishwashers have drying cycles, which work by raising the temperature. These drying cycles take away a great opportunity to add extra humidity to your home’s air.
Instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle, open your dishwasher immediately after it finishes. By letting your dishes air-dry, you can get some extra humidity into your environment.
When You Bathe, Let the Water Sit
After a bath, let your water linger until it gets cold. The warmer the water is initially, the more humidity it will produce.
A Final Tip
Although low humidity during winter has several major disadvantages, too much humidity can be a bad thing. Excessive humidity levels can lead to mold growth, unattractive odors, wall stains, pests, and even water damage. Rather than risking these outcomes, consider buying a hygrometer.
Hygrometers measure the air’s relative humidity. In general, your home’s relative humidity shouldn’t exceed 50% to 55%. If your hygrometer indicates excessive indoor humidity, try scaling back on these humidification tips to achieve a lower reading.
Interested in Reliable Humidification Help This Winter?
Based in Northglenn, Colorado, Unique Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. is one of the Denver Metropolitan area’s most reliable HVAC companies. We offer a full line of heating and cooling services, including installation, repair, and scheduled maintenance. At Unique Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., we also handle a wide variety of HVAC equipment, including humidifiers and UV air purifiers. If you’d like assistance with home humidification this winter, get in touch with us today!
