Find out if a humidifier is really necessary
As soon as it gets chilly outside (and with that, inside), people turn up the heat in their homes. But when the air in your house gets warmer, that same air also gets drier. And that can cause issues like dry skin or a dry throat and nose. Some people use a humidifier to deal with dry air, but do you really need one in your home?
Humidifier
A humidifier is a device that will increase the humidity level of the air in your house. The humidity level is determined by the amount of moisture in the air. And your humidifier just sprays little particles of moisture into the air to give those moisture levels a much needed boost. If you have plants, you might already know all about humidity, and that there is a perfect level of humidity for your home that helps your plants thrive (between 60% and 70% humidity). A humidifier would definitely be recommended in that case.
But the perfect level of humidity for humans is lower than that; between 30% and 60% (depending on the season and weather). So, do you really need one of these devices?
Issues
When the air in your house is dry, it can possibly cause problems. Especially for people with asthma, allergies, dry sinuses, throat or skin, frequent nose bleeds or for people with congestion. But according to scientists from the University of Twente, a lot of the issues mentioned above aren’t caused by low humidity levels in the air. They even found that the majority of houses don’t have extreme dry air levels. Not the level of dryness that is needed for those symptoms to occur.
According to these scientists, the complaints you might have are caused by the quality of the air in your home, not the humidity levels. The air inside your house is filled with smoke (from candles or cooking), dust and other irritating substances. In that case, it would be wiser to invest in an air purifier that cleans the air of harmful substances.
Caution
If you do want to use a humidifier, just make sure to clean it properly. If you don’t clean your humidifier regularly, things like mold, fungi and bacteria can grow inside of it. And those particles lower the air quality in your house. Humidifiers also have a filter that needs to be replaced every three months.
And don’t put a bowl of water on your radiator. Some people find the costs of a humidifier too steep and they use this low-cost hack. But a bowl of water on your radiator is a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. And particles of the mold and bacteria will lower the air quality in your house, causing your symptoms to get worse.
So, in this case, keeping track of the air quality in your home is more important than the humidity levels. And a humidifier isn’t a must-have for your home.
Also read: Here’s How To Make Your Own Air Freshener Very Easily