The humidity levels of your home can have an impact on your health and how comfortable you feel inside your own home. During the winter, the combination of the cold weather outside and the constant use of a heater can result in very dry air within the house. Having a humidifier in your home can help to restore healthy humidity levels and make you feel better throughout the winter. Here are some benefits of purchasing humidifiers for your home.
They Prevent Dry Skin and Hair
One of the most common complaints during the winter is chapped lips, cracked hands, and dry, itchy skin. Dry air can also have an impact on your hair, making it dry, full of static, and more prone to damage. While you can’t control the environment outside of your home, you can make sure that your skin and hair get the moisture they need while you are at home by purchasing quality humidifiers.
They Prevent Nosebleeds, Dry Eyes, and Sore Throats
If you have ever woken up with the sensation of sand in your eyes, or you were greeted by a sore throat or a nosebleed, you may have been suffering from being in an environment that is too dry. Dry air can often cause dry eyes, frequent nosebleeds, and sore throats that won’t go away until you have had a glass of water. Very dry environments can even cause a chronic dry cough or headaches. If you suffer from any of these health problems, setting up humidifiers in the rooms where you sleep or spend most of your time can make you feel much better.
They Help With Snoring and Sleep Apnea
To add to the other humidifier benefits, these systems can also help by reducing snoring, and they have even been shown to help increase the benefits of a CPAP machine in very dry climates. Be sure to always keep humidity at a moderate level, as too much moisture in the air can also inhibit your sleeping by making the room too warm.
They Keep Illness at Bay
Most germs have a more difficult time spreading when the humidity in a room is over 40%. In a more humid environment, viruses and bacteria can become trapped by the moisture, causing them to fall rather than stay airborne. Many studies are showing that well-humidified rooms help prevent the spread of the flu and other illnesses, which means that more medical practices are choosing to purchase humidifiers to keep rooms between 40% and 50% humidity. Humidifiers can also ease the symptoms of an illness once you have already contracted it, reducing congestion and helping your cough to be more productive.
They Can Be a Good Addition to a Nursery
When babies are first born, they have very sensitive skin and they can also have a lot of mucous in their nasal passages that can be difficult for them to cough or sneeze out in a dry environment. Humidifiers help keep mucous loose, which in turn helps your baby to breathe more freely. They can also reduce eczema or other problems with the skin.
They Reduce Discomfort From Allergies
When allergy season comes and your eyes and nose become itchy from the pollen, proper humidity levels can help these symptoms to be less severe. Inflamed and irritated nasal passages respond well to comfortable levels of humidity. However, it is important to make sure the room is not over-humidified as this can attract dust mites and cause mold to form, both of which can trigger allergies. Most modern humidifiers can be set to moderate levels, allowing you to find a perfect balance, and some even turn on and off according to a pre-set humidity level.
They Protect Your Home and Furniture
Anything inside your home that is made from wood can be subject to warping, cracking, or other damage when humidity levels are under 30%. Your hardwood floors, furniture, and doors can all benefit from a well-humidified area. You may also want to consider humidifiers if you own musical instruments that are made from wood such as a piano, guitars, or other stringed instruments since these costly possessions can crack in dry air. If you own a treasured collection of books or memorabilia, you should also pay close attention to the humidity levels inside your home.
They Keep Static Electricity Away
No one likes feeling a painful shock when turning on a light switch or using a faucet, but dry air can cause an abundance of static electricity making this a regular occurrence. Static electricity can cause other annoyances such as clothing that sticks together after being in the dryer, or dust clinging to the screen of your television. In large amounts, static electricity can even be a danger, though this is rare in a household setting. The appropriate amount of humidity in a room can almost completely eliminate problems with static electricity.
They Save Energy in Winter
A dry home can feel very cold, even when the furnace is working hard to keep your home to the desired temperature. There is a reason that more humid climates feel warmer. When sweat evaporates from the skin, we feel cooler. However, when there is moisture in the air, this moisture is unable to evaporate as quickly, leaving us feeling warmer. When the air is humid in your home, you will feel warmer, and you may even be able to turn down your heater a few degrees and save on your heating bill during the winter.
They are Good for Your Houseplants
Your nose and throat are not the only things that will feel better when there is moisture in the air. Most houseplants thrive when there is moisture both in their pots and in the air. If you have been noticing that many of your plants are failing to thrive, you can try investing in humidifier installations to see if your plants fare better in a more humid environment.
Balancing Humidity
No matter where you live, finding the right balance of humidity inside your home is important. In humid climates, it may become necessary to control humidity to prevent problems such as mold growth, musty odors, and increased illness or other health problems. However, many other homes suffer from a lack of humidity which can be further exacerbated by your HVAC system. Both your air conditioner and heater can remove moisture from the air, and if moisture levels are already low, this can lead to many of the problems discussed above.
Types of Humidifiers
There are many different types of humidifiers and each can be beneficial in different situations. Warm mist can be a great choice for the sick room and can be great if you want your home to feel warmer. Cool mist humidifiers are better for use around children or in hotter climates. Portable humidifiers are perfect for homes that only need humidification in certain rooms, but you can also invest in a whole-home system if you want to be able to humidify your whole house equally. Humidifiers built into your central HVAC system can be programmed to turn on and off so that the humidity levels remain constant, and they can be paired with a dehumidifier that can be used during more humid times of the year.
If you live in a dry climate, the benefits of having humidifiers to keep the humidity levels stable inside your home are virtually limitless. They can prevent health problems, and they can protect your home and possessions from damage. If you are suffering from the effects of a dry environment, consider adding humidifiers to your home.
