Low humidity can make dry skin wore, flare up allergies, static electricity, and discomfort your home in general. But I have 11 tips to help you increase the humidity in any room.
These tips range from cheap solutions like having houseplants inside to high-tech methods like finding an ultrasonic humidifier. Let’s go over them!
What is the Ideal Humidity Percentage?
The ideal level for indoor humidity is 30-50% to keep your family healthy and your home clean. When humidity levels are too low, the environment and body feel drier. You might even experience itchy skin and dried-out mucous membranes that can lead to wheezing.
Low humidity can also lead to severe home damage. Your furniture and wooden door frames might crack and shrink. They may also warp, bend, and creak more.
Meanwhile, too much humidity can also impact your home and health. Your body won’t regulate its internal temperature, and the humid room will feel warmer. Excess moisture also promotes fungus growth, dust mites, and mold.
How to Raise Humidity in a Room
It’s easy to manage the humidity levels in your home. Here’s how.
1. Use an Essential Oil Diffuser
An essential oil diffuser not only keeps your home fragrant but also increases the humidity. Choose a bigger model, like the Exqline Essential Oil Diffuser (from Amazon), for a total capacity.
There are two kinds of diffusers to choose from, nebulizers and ultrasonics. Nebulizing essential oil diffusers release pure essential oils without water but use compressed air for mist. Ultrasonic diffusers mix water and essential oils into a cool mist.
Remember that an essential oil diffuser is less effective than a humidifier.
But it’s definitely a great option for those who want to hit two birds with one stone. You get the benefits of home scent and humidity in one tool!
2. Air-Dry Your Clothes
You don’t have to spend a single cent on raising the humidity in your room. Just air-dry your clothes inside the house using a drying rack. Position it in your living room, service area, or other parts of the house that need humidity.
This method raises the humidity levels in your home due to natural evaporation. Your clothes’ moisture turns into water vapor. Then, it will circulate into the air and make your space less dry.
One benefit of air-drying your clothes inside the house is that you get to save more money. The evaporation process may take more time than a clothes dryer, but it will surely reduce your electric bills.
3. Use a Humidifier
A humidifier is the easiest and most effective way to ensure proper humidity levels in the room. The device should be big and powerful enough to humidify your entire room. I suggest getting a bigger model from a reputable brand to ensure it has complete coverage.
There are three types of humidifiers you can try:
- Ultrasonic humidifiers use a high frequency to create vibrations in the water.
- Evaporative humidifiers utilize a wick filter, fan, and a water reservoir.
- An in-duct or HVAC humidifier is part of the cooling and heating system.
Once you have chosen what type of humidifier to get, consider other factors like portability, noise, and efficiency. If you want a humidifier for a small room, get an ultrasonic humidifier. It should run overnight to maintain a consistent humidity level.
Levoit LV600HH Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier (from Amazon) can cover up to 753 square feet with its 1.5-gallon tank. The sturdy gadget can run overnight without making any noise.
4. Use Houseplants
If you have plants at home, take them inside the room that requires more moisture. It will keep them safer and ensure proper amounts of humidity in winter.
Indoor plants can increase house humidity by absorbing moisture from their roots and spreading it to the leaves and stems. Then, from the leaves, they release the moisture to the air.
Plants can also purify your air and can remove chlorine and VOCs in the air. The plant roots destroy pathogenic bacteria and viruses and convert them into new plant tissues. Therefore, it’s a natural solution to unclean and dry environments.
Try spider plants or aloe vera to maintain your room’s cleanliness. Water them regularly for a continuous increase in humidity levels. Otherwise, your plant will die, and the process will not occur.
Houseplants are the best natural alternative to humidifiers, exposure of water to heat sources, and air-drying clothes. It’s also more aesthetically pleasing!
5. Lay Bowls of Water
Get a pan, tray, glass vase, bowl, or other containers of water. Leave it near your heating vents or radiators to evaporate and increase the moisture in the air. The heating system’s temperature will promote a quicker increase in humidity.
Don’t worry about the pan ruining the style of your home. Try decorative vases that fit your theme. You can also add stylish elements like stones or essential oils to produce a fragrant smell around the house. If you don’t have essential oils, vanilla extract or citrus peels will do.
Boil water on the stovetop if you can’t place it near your radiator. Always turn it off when the hot steam has come off. Leave the boiling water for a few hours to evaporate and humidify your room.
You can also set vases of water on your windowsill to heat the water. It’s a wise choice if you do not have floor HVAC registers. But it takes time before the humidity increases.
6. Take Advantage of the Shower
Skip cool showers, take a long, hot shower every night, and leave your door open. Hot water will allow the steam to circulate in your room and increase the moisture.
But if you don’t want to compromise your privacy, leave the shower curtain and door open when you’re done. Turn off the built-in fan in your bathroom. It will only suck the wetness from the air. Instead, use a stand fan to blow the air into your room.
I also recommend not draining the tub right away after a bath. Wait for the water to cool so that the heat will add moisture to your surrounding areas. Only pull the plug when the bathwater is cool already.
7. Open the Dishwasher Door and Air-Dry Your Dishes
Some home appliances have more purposes than you would expect, like your dishwasher. Who knew this device could also offer much-needed humidity for your kitchen?
Maximize your dishwasher by opening its door after the last rinse cycle. The dishwasher steam will allow the water to evaporate into the kitchen and humidify the house.
Try air-drying your dishes instead of operating the device. It will save you more energy and money in the long run. And you also get to have additional moisture in the air!
8. Change Your Doors and Windows
Trap the heat and moisture in your room using sturdy and efficient windows and doors. Doors that are not well-built can also increase your heating costs because the cold, dry air outside is overpowering your heating system.
Install new, efficient windows and doors to maintain the indoor humidity in your room. It will also provide extra moisture because the dry air won’t enter your house.
But if new doors and windows are too expensive for you, use weather stripping to seal open spaces and cracks.
9. Spray Some Water
If you have a cheap water spray bottle, you’re already halfway through raising your room’s humidity level. Fill it with water then spray around the house. Spray bottles are a low-tech, effective solution for extremely dry rooms.
A better method for this is by using a spray bottle that produces a very fine mist. But don’t spray too much because mold, mildew, and bacteria growth may occur on your furniture.
10. Have an Indoor Water Fountain at Home
Having an indoor fountain can offer a relaxing vibe to your home. The decorative item is also helpful because it promotes optimal humidity. Place it in the dry part of your room close to a heat source to allow for evaporation. You can also position it close to direct sunlight.
11. Cook on the Stovetop More Often
Ditch the microwave during wintertime. Stovetop cooking will increase your home’s moisture level and make your food taste better. Use your stovetop more often than your microwave or oven every time you get the chance because ovens can cause humidity loss.
Why Increase Your Home’s Humidity?
Increasing the humidity level in your room can prevent common illnesses like the flu and common cold. These viruses get more contagious in dry air, especially when the environment makes you vulnerable to a sore throat.
A healthy humidity level also helps you control the dust in your room and maintain your furniture. It keeps your home clean and your hardwood floors and other wooden furniture less prone to cracking or warping.
In the wintertime, humidity levels drop and suck up all the moisture from your body and environment. You’ll notice having more chapped skin and dry lips. You can avoid dry skin and degrading furniture by raising your indoor humidity levels.
Signs of Poor Humidity at Home
The proper moisture levels at home guarantee your comfort and safety. Here are some warning signs that your home has issues with humidity levels.
You’re Not Sleeping Well
Heat issues, specifically dry heat, can be one reason you’re tossing and turning in bed.
Not only does it lead to a worse quality of sleep, but it also irritates your throat. Taking care of plants indoors or spraying water in the room is a practical yet low-tech, crude solution.
Irritated Skin
Poor humidity also affects your body. It leads to dry and itchy skin, swollen eyes, and flu-like symptoms. Some experience worse symptoms, such as a nosebleed or asthma flare-ups.
Add extra humidity inside your home by using a diffuser or humidifier. And monitor it with a humidity gauge.
Damaged Furniture
A deficient level of humidity can cause drywall, hardwood floors, furniture, and wooden instruments to dry out. Your books, magazines, and papers will feel more brittle. Some experience high static electricity, which can give you a shock.
Take care of furniture by laying a stone tray, pebble tray, or ceramic bowl of water. Place them under radiant heat sources to warm up and humidify the room.
Wrap Up
Did you enjoy this tutorial on how to raise the humidity in a room? We hope it encouraged you to try our solutions, whether it’s cooking on your stovetop or buying a humidifier.
Increasing your ambient humidity levels will help you avoid poor health and a damaged home.
Share your insights and experiences in the comments below. And share if you liked this article! For more great tips, check out our guide to the best humidifiers.
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
