Humidifiers will help you and your home this winter and with winter just around the corner, that means it’s time to start insulating the house and tuning up some appliances. The winter season can put a lot of stress on your house, as you try to stay warm and deal with the weather conditions, but this time of year also puts a lot of stress on yourself. The weather is cold, the air is dry, and that has an effect on your health and lifestyle. Luckily, adding a humidifier to your home is an easy way to combat those chilly, dry conditions.
How Humidifiers Can Make Your Life Better
Humidifiers are designed to bring moisture back into the air. Winter is a season with low humidity, and with the furnace constantly running, they both can dry out the air drastically, which is why a humidifier helps. Bringing humidity back into your home during the driest season benefits your health, your comfort, and even your furniture. Here are eight reasons why including a humidifier into your home will make life better.
- Reduced risk of viruses and infections. Viruses and bacteria can’t travel as well in the moist air. In fact, studies have proven that low humidity helps illnesses like the flu virus survive longer while increasing its chances of spreading to other people. Your home should always be in a “safe zone” of humidity, somewhere between 40 – 60 percent. To measure the humidity inside your home, you can find a hygrometer at your local hardware store.
- Softer, healthier skin. The dry air isn’t just bad for your health, but your skin. The dry air saps the moisture right out of your skin, which can cause several problems such as dryness, irritation, and flaking. People can’t function well when they’re dehydrated, and that includes your skin.
- Comfortable sinuses. You know that uncomfortable sensation you get in your nose right before you sneeze? A humidifier helps to alleviate that by keeping the air humid enough so your sinuses don’t dry out. Sleeping with a humidifier also prevents a dry, sore, and itchy throat when you wake up in the morning.
- Less snoring. Sleeping with a humidifier also prevents snoring. People tend to snore more when their sinuses and throats are dry. Keeping your house at a comfortable humidity not only keeps the snoring to a minimum, but it creates a much more comfortable environment for a good night’s sleep.
- Protects wood furnishings. Dry air doesn’t just damage your skin, but your furniture as well. The wood in your furniture, as well as the moldings and doors, can crack and split due to the dry air. Dry air also loosens the joints in your doors, making them difficult to open and close. Lower humidity can cause damage to the legs of your furniture, loosening their joints and making them a wobbling hazard. Adding some humidity inside your home helps to protect the integrity of your furniture and helps them last longer.
- Lower utility bills. Humidified air tends to feel warmer than dry air because the moisture in the air makes your sweat evaporate slower. Because a higher humidity can make you feel warmer, that can result in relying less on your furnace. Furnaces are big energy guzzlers, which means the less you use your furnace this winter, the more money you save in bills.
- Less static. Another uncomfortable nuisance of winter is the constant static shocks when you touch something. Static electricity can become a problem, especially during the colder, drier season. Enough built up static can destroy sensitive electronics, or even create sparks which can become a fire hazard. A home that is properly humidified can eliminate most of that pesky static electricity.
- Alleviates allergies. Nobody likes allergies, and they tend to get worse when the season changes. Humidifiers are a great way to alleviate the symptoms that come with allergies.
What You Need to Know First
Humidifiers are a great appliance to have, but they do come with some maintenance. Just like any other appliance in your house, a humidifier needs a routine cleaning. If you’re not careful, a humidifier can become a source of mold and bacteria for your house. It’s also important to consider the size of your home, and how many humidifiers you may need to properly humidify your living space. To get the best out of your humidifier, here are a few things to consider.
- Using distilled or de-mineralized water. Tap water is usually full of minerals and sediment that overtime, mineral deposits, and bacteria can form inside your humidifier. Using distilled or de-mineralized water instead of tap saves you the trouble of having to constantly clean out your humidifier.
- Clean it once a week. Just like any appliance, routinely cleaning your humidifier prevents the growth of mold and bacteria that can severely plague your health.
- Change the filters if necessary. Some humidifiers come with a filter, make sure you routinely change the filter if necessary.
Keep Your Winter Comfortable this Year
Dry air makes for a lousy home and it puts your comfort and health at risk. No homeowner should have to suffer through the winter season with dry sinuses and irritated skin, and luckily you don’t have to. If you’re ready to make sure this holiday season stays warm and comfortable, then it’s time to consider home humidification
Call Papalia Plumbing and Heating today for more information on humidifiers!
