The heating season perfectly coincides with the period of increased incidence of infections. It is worth remembering that dry air in the house is not an ally for the respiratory tract. If you want to recover from seasonal infections faster and feel better and more comfortable in your own home, make sure that the air you breathe has the right level of humidity. How to humidify the air during the heating season?
What is the optimal level of humidity in the air?
The healthiest humidity level should be between 40-60%. When it's cold outside and we are heating our homes and apartments, this level can drop significantly - by as much as 20%.
Dry air has a number of consequences, but it should not be forgotten that air that is too humid will not do our bodies any good either. This is why it is so important to constantly control the humidity level in your home. Even an ordinary, simplest hygrometer, will be sufficient.
Why is appropriate air humidity so important?
How does the humidity level affect our health and well-being? If you feel a distinctive scratchy feeling in your throat when you're at home and can't stop yourself from grunting, it could mean that the air is too dry and irritates your airways. However, tiring grunting is not the only consequence of too dry air in the house.
Such air also dries out our mucous membranes in the nose and throat. This, in turn, makes us more susceptible to viruses that cause seasonal infections. Dry mucous membranes can exacerbate the intensity of allergic reactions. Dry air is also bad for the condition of the skin, which becomes unpleasantly rough and begins to peel. Plants will also feel bad in an apartment or house with too low humidity, and they may become weaker, dry out and grow worse.
Read also:Why humidify the air at home?
How to humidify the air during the heating season?
You've measured the humidity level in your home, and you now know for sure that you need to take care of proper humidification. How to do it? You can use the homemade methods or trust technology and buy a device that will continuously monitor the humidity level and take care of proper humidification.
Types of humidifiers
Are you planning to buy a humidifier? There are mainly three types of humidifiers on the market. Each of them works differently and has its own advantages and disadvantages. How to choose the right one?
Evaporative humidifiers
Evaporative humidifiers are great quality devices that allow you to humidify the air efficiently and safely. They use the natural process of evaporation of water. Such humidifiers are equipped with a fan that draws dry air into the device and passes it through a special humidifying mat or filter. Evaporative humidifiers are completely safe and you can pour ordinary, clean tap water into them. You don't have to worry about the air turning from dry to too humid. When the humidity in the room reaches 60%, the efficiency of the device will be significantly reduced. The disadvantage of evaporative humidifiers is their relatively high price.
Ultrasonic humidifiers
Ultrasonic humidifiers are relatively inexpensive, quiet and effectively raise the humidity level. However, they also have disadvantages. The operation of such devices is based on breaking water into very small particles using ultrasonic waves that are inaudible to humans. It is worth remembering that such sounds can be very unpleasant for some animals. Ultrasonic humidifiers spray not only water, but also all the impurities in it. For this reason, it is recommended to use distilled water, which significantly increases the cost of operating the device. Ultrasonic humidifiers can also be used to spray essential oils.
Ultrasonic humidifiers are effective, small and aesthetically pleasing
Photo by Ulla Shinami © Unsplash
Steam humidifiers
Steam humidifiers are available at very good prices. These devices are equipped with a heater that brings water to a boil. The air is humidified by the hot steam coming out of the humidifier, which can raise the temperature of the room. This type of device consumes quite a lot of energy, and because of the possibility of burning yourself, you need to use it carefully. However, the advantages of steam humidifiers include hygiene. The high temperature kills all bacteria and microorganisms. A steam humidifier can also be used with essential oils.
Home ways to humidify the air
Achieving the correct level of humidity in the air will be easiest with a good quality device, but buying equipment is not the only option. You can also use home remedies. Sometimes such solutions are completely sufficient, but it happens that even after using them the air in the house is too dry. Then it is worth reaching for the devices mentioned above.
Well, in that case, what home remedies can you try?
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Regularly ventilate the rooms - opening the windows (even in winter) is essential for proper air circulation and exchange of dry air for moist and fresh one. When ventilating rooms, remember to turn off the heating, open the windows wide, ventilate quickly and turn the heating back on only after ventilating.
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Drying laundry in the room - laundry drying on the radiator or dryer will release moisture into the air and effectively moisten it.
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Damp curtains - after washing the windows, curtains and drapes, hang clean and still wet fabrics in the windows. The curtains will release moisture into the air and make the house smell beautiful and fresh.
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Humidifier on the radiator - a ceramic container with water hung on the radiator is one of the easiest ways to humidify the air in the house during the heating season.
Drying laundry can effectively humidify the air in your home
Photo by Caroline Rogers © Unsplash
Choosing the right humidifier can significantly improve your quality of life. If you want a new device to comprehensively take care of the air quality in your home, an air purifier humidifier can also be a good choice. Then the air you breathe every day will be not only properly humidified, but also crystal clear.
Check out our other tips for healthy air at home!
