How to Add Humidity to a Home in Winter

When the cold winter winds blow outside, people indoors jack up the heat to a higher degree. While this may allay the chill seaping into the house, it also robs rooms of valuable humidity. As the air inside dries, skin, hair, and nails dry along with it, potted plants suffer, and health is affected.

How can you add humidity to a home in Winter without the use of a central humidifier appliance? There are several inexpensive and simple ways to maintain or increase moisture levels for maximum comfort.

Add Humidity Indoors - Use Humidifiers

Electronic humidifiers are not only useful for babies and children with chest colds. Use either a warm or cool air humidifier in the main rooms of your house as well as the bedrooms to increase moisture content in the air. Be careful when running a humidifier. The steam vent should be pointed away from walls and furniture and the water level must be maintained properly.

Add Humidity Indoors - Water House Plants Well

Not only will your thirsty houseplants thank you for watering them more frequently in the dry indoor winter air, the moisture in the soil can help add humidity to the room as well. Plants constantly realease water vapor through their leaves, and the soil and tray under the potted plant can also be a source of evaporated humidity.

Add Humidity Indoors - Dry Laundry Indoors

While hanging out socks from a rack in the living room might not be in line with "House Beautiful" standards, it will help add humidity to a home in winter. Put pressure bars in doorways or hang shirts on hangers hooked to doorframes. Not only will you add moisture to the air, you will save on electricity costs by not running your dryer.

Add Humidity Indoors - Direct Water

To add even more humidity to your home in winter, set out shallow dishes filled with water here and there throughout the room. Especially put one wherever the hot air vents blow air. This will speed up the evaporatiion and circulate more moisture. You can also purchase a small spray bottle that creates a fine mist. Fill with clean water and spritz the air for a quick burst of humidity. You can even lightly spray curtaiins or furniture that can not be damaged by water.

Adding humidity to your home in winter will not only make the rooms more comfortable, but can help prevent painful dry skin, eyes, and nasal passages.