How to Keep a Home Humid

Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor in the air and is affected by several variables, including air movement and rainfall. Lack of humidity inside a space has a negative effect on humans, plant life and the home. For humans, low humidity causes a nasal and throat irritation, dries out mucous membranes and causes dehydration. It also saps moisture from plants, cracks wood flooring to leads to peeling wallpaper. Take steps to maintain your home's ideal humidity level.

Things You'll Need

• Humidifier
• Damp cloth
• Bowls
• Decorative stones
• Houseplants

Instructions

1. Install a humidifier in the room. Choose a humidifier that is recommended for the room’s dimensions in order to maintain a constant relative humidity between 40 and 60 percent. Humidity that is higher than 60 percent causes another set of issues, including mold growth.

2. Turn down the thermostat to a lower, comfortable temperature. Heat sucks moisture from the room, lowering the humidity.

3. Drape a damp cloth over a radiator. The evaporating moisture gently and safely raises the room’s humidity.

4. Set bowls of water throughout the room. Allow the water to evaporate, releasing moisture into the space. Add a decorative touch by filling the bowls with colored rocks.

5. Open the bathroom door while you are showering. Allow the steam and moisture from the bathroom to escape into adjacent rooms.

6. Mist houseplants with cool water. This will not only provide the plants with much needed liquids it also introduces moisture into the air.

7. Group three to five houseplants together in the room. The plants introduce a collective blast of moisture and humidity into the space.

References

• Apartment Therapy; How to Add Moisture to the Air Without a Humidifier; Regina Yunghans; February 2010
• CIESIN; Climate Effects on Human Health; Laurence S. Kalkstein and Kathleen M. Valimont