Put simply, low humidity in your house is terrible for you and your health.
An ideal humidity level is about 45%. That rarely happens naturally. In the summer, humidity tends to get too high, which may require you to buy a dehumidifier. In the winter, it’s far too low.
When you have low humidity in your house, it does the following things:
1. Dry Air Feels Cold, So You Spend More on Heat
Air without the right level of moisture in it can’t retain heat well. That’s why the air in your home feels so cold when the heat is off.
To compensate for the air feeling colder, you jack up the heat – but since furnaces do dry out the air in our home, it becomes a never-ending cycle.
This also means it’s costing you more to heat your home, because the air in your home isn’t able to retain most of the heat you’re supplying.
2. It Makes You Feel Like You Have a Cold All the Time
Low humidity levels are also to blame for that perma-cold feeling. Dry air is the cause of your itchy eyes, scratchy throat, and dried-out mucus membranes.
That’s not even the worst part.
When your mucus membranes dry out, they can’t protect you from real colds, flus, and viruses. One study found that certain flu viruses actually survive longer and spread more easily if humidity levels are low.
This explains why we always get sick at least once in the winter.
3. Dry Air Damages Anything Made of Wood
Anything made of wood, including your floors and furniture, needs moisture to maintain its integrity. The problem with dry air is it sucks up moisture wherever it can find it – including wood.
This causes the wood in your home to crack, splinter, and shrink. This damage is irreversible and can be expensive to repair or replace.
4. It Gives You Dry, Itchy Skin
Do you notice a significant uptake in your body lotion use during the winter? That’s because of dry winter air and low humidity in your house.
While moisturizers and special shampoos provide temporary relief, you still spend most of the season miserably itchy and uncomfortable.
5. It Can Literally Peel Your Paint
Even your walls aren’t immune to the detrimental effects of low humidity. Paint and wallpaper will dry out as well, leading to chips or peels.
6. Everything You Touch is Charged with Static Electricity
Dry air creates the perfect atmosphere for static electricity. That means almost every time you touch something like fabric or your doorknob, you’ll get a little jolt.
How to Increase Humidity in Your House
None of that sounds like any fun. So here are some ways to bump your humidity levels back up.
1. Leave the Door Open When You Shower
This may not be possible if you have kids and pets running around, but a steamy shower is a great way to introduce some moisture back into your home’s air.
Tip: If you have a hot bath, let the water stand for a while after you get out. This will also help increase humidity in your home. Again, if you have pets or small children, we don’t recommend this trick.
2. Use Water Everywhere
There are a few ways you can manually introduce water back into your air.
- Boil water on the stove
- Leave bowls of water around your house
- Gently boil water in your slow cooker to produce steam over a longer period of time
These are great for a short-term fix, but are not recommended as permanent solutions to dry air.
3. Have a Cup of Tea
Instead of coffee, make a pot of tea on the stove. The extra steam will help your air, and the steam from the cup will help the skin on your face – plus, what can’t a cup of tea make better?
4. Let Your Clothes Air-Dry
Instead of using your dryer, hanging up as many of your clothes as possible after you wash them. Not only will you save a little something on your electricity bill, but you’ll help combat the low humidity in your house.
5. Invest in Some Houseplants
Even if you don’t have the greenest of thumbs, houseplants are a relatively easy and attractive way to increase your home’s humidity levels. This is because plants release moisture from their leaves and stems – as long as you take good care of them.
If you’re not sure what to get, these plants do a great job of adding moisture to your air, and are tough little fights – even a novice gardener can help them flourish.
6. Cook on Your Stovetop
Instead of ordering out or baking in your oven, use your stovetop for home-cooked meals. The steams and vapours generated from the no-doubt delicious dinners you prepare will add moisture to your air.
7. Turn Down Your Heat
Turning down your heat will not only help prevent your air from drying out as quickly, but it will also make your heating bills a little lighter.
You may have to bundle up with an extra sweater and socks, but the savings will feel extra good.
Win the Fight Against Dry Air with a Whole-Home Humidifier
All of these tips will help battle low humidity in your house – but to solve the problem, you need a whole-home humidifier.
A whole-home humidifier works with your furnace to change the humidity level of your entire home – this gives you the most consistent air quality and comfort and lets you use your furnace more efficiently.
This is way more effective than a single room humidifier. It’s also more convenient.
Instead of having an ugly box cluttering up your living room and having to fill it with water whenever the tank runs dry, a whole-home humidifier connects directly to your water supply and is installed out of sight.
We have a variety of models to choose from, and would be happy to walk you through your options.
Once we’ve helped you find the right humidifier, we’ll perform a clean, professional installation. You’ll be happy, healthy, and itch-free in no time.
Check Out Some of Our Humidifiers