Have you begun to notice that your skin is feeling a bit dryer and you’ve woken up with a stuffy nose the past few mornings? If so, don’t be alarmed that you’re coming down with some unknown illness. Most likely, these things are happening due to a shift in the seasons.
As winter approaches, average daily temperatures begin to drop significantly. Even if you live in an area that experiences incredibly hot and humid summers, the change in weather that accompanies the onset of winter will suck a lot of that moisture right out of the air.
You may notice this change in several ways. As mentioned earlier, you skin might feel dryer when you wake up in the morning. You might notice that you’re getting zapped with static shocks more often, and you’ve woken up with a stuffy nose the past couple mornings. These are all signs of your body experiencing the effects of low humidity.
While there’s no cause for immediate alarm, you should know that decreased levels of moisture in the air could put you at risk for various negative side effects. Dryer air tends to increase your chances of contracting a cold or sinus infection, as dry respiratory tissue is more susceptible to irritation and infection. Even your home can suffer, as paint and woodwork can crack as a result of lack of moisture inside your home.
Increasing Moisture Levels In Your Home
If you’ve noticed that your home feels more dusty and stuffy than usual, there are many techniques for adding moisture to the air. These methods range from extremely cost-effective solutions to the more pricey solutions that often prove to be the most effective.
The simplest and cheapest method for putting moisture back into the air is by using simple evaporation. You can place a container of water on top or, or next to, a radiator to allow the water to evaporate into the air. This method also works with leaving wet towels and clothes out to dry and allowing them to introduce moisture back into the air.
As you might expect, this is a very cost-effective and energy efficient solution. However, your ability to tinker with strength and humidity controls will be very limited with this method, and the amount of available moisture will depend on the size of the container you choose. If you want this solution to be as effective as possible, you’ll need to constantly refill the container with water.
Keeping Moisture In The Air
If you’ve ever filled a vase with water during the dry winter months and observed just how quickly that water evaporates into the air, then you have some idea as to just how dry the winter air in your home really is. While the “container method” can help, it’s not always the most effective solution.
To achieve the maximum desired effect, many homeowners install stand-alone or whole-house humidifiers that are designed to mechanically inject moist air into individual rooms, or the entire heating system of your home.
If you’re skeptical about using a humidifier, you should know just how effective they could be. A properly installed whole-house humidifier is capable of raising humidity levels in your home by as much as 30 percent. This difference will be noticeable in everything from how the air feels on you skin to how you don’t wake up with a stuffy nose in the morning anymore.
Combatting dust and stuffiness in your home during the winter months isn’t a difficult task. We hope the suggestions provided above will help you keep your home feeling cool and comfortable this winter season.
