How to Make a Room Humid in the Winter

Use rugs to block dry air from entering an outside door.

Blustery cold winters coupled with blasting heat from furnaces absorb moisture within a home, leaving the air dry. This moisture-less air contributes to dry skin and irritation in the throat and nasal passages, which could lead to colds or infections. High humidity may lead to mold problems within a home, but unless you have plumbing leaks or a wet basement, introducing moisture into rooms normally should not contribute to mold formation.

Things You'll Need

• Humidifier
• Buckets or pots
• Rug, towels or draft stoppers

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Instructions

1. Position a small humidifier in the middle of the room. Fill the humidifier tank to the fill line with water. Place the tank back into its slot on the humidifier and plug it in. Turn on the humidifier and check for moisture coming out from the top by moving your hand over the holes. Turn the humidifier off when an inch or two of water remains in the tank.

2. Fill buckets or pots with water and place them beside heating registers. As the heat rises, it mingles with the moisture and releases it into the room. For a dry kitchen, boil hot water on the stove and allow the steam to humidify the space.

3. Turn hot water on in a sink or shower in the bathroom and leave the door open. Avoid turning on the ventilation fan. Let the steam drift into nearby rooms to raise the humidity level.

4. Roll up a rug or towel, or use a draft stopper and place it along the gap between the floor and an outside door or along windowsills where you feel a draft. The dry air from drafts removes humidity from the room.

5. Lower the thermostat two or three degrees. The more the furnace runs, the drier the air becomes within the home.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean the humidifier tank weekly according to the manufacturer's instructions.

• Reduce the use of your humidifier if you notice moisture buildup on the inside of windows.

References

• The Weather Channel: Controlling Indoor Humidity
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: Measuring Humidity in Your Home