How To Fix Dry Air In A House
Dry air can be a real problem, especially inside your home during the coldest months of the year. Humidity already tends to be lower in the coldest weather, and as you raise heat in your home, you may actually continue to decrease the relative humidity. Before you start to get dry and itchy skin, or experience static cling every time you put on your clothes, you might want to address the humidity issue. But how do you fix the problem of dry air in a house?
Using a humidifier or smart HVAC system with humidity control are great ways to fix dry air in the home. Seal cracks in the home to prevent cold dry air from entering. Air dry your clothing in the house. Take showers with the door open and leave water in your tub until it completely cools. You can also add live plants and flowers in vases to the home.
There are all sorts of straightforward and creative ways for you to fix your home’s dry air problem. In fact, there are some things that you might already do every day, or almost every day, that you can alter slightly in order to improve your home’s humidity levels. Read our top 15 ways to help fix your home’s dry air problem in order to find out which solutions you can easily implement in your home.
15 Ways To Help Fix A Dry Air Problem In Your Home
1. Use A Reliable Humidifier
When you hear “dry air problem”, the first solution that will likely come to mind is a humidifier. There is a good reason for this. There is arguably no better way to consistently boost the humidity in a room than a reliable and strong humidifier.
Keep in mind not all humidifiers are the same, and many are designed to increase humidity in a single room. You might want to look into a larger and stronger one if you are trying to lower the humidity in your entire home with only one machine.
2. Seal Cracks In Your Home
Another way to fix your home’s dry air problem is to make sure your home is sealed tight, especially in the extra dry months of the year. Take the time to seal up any cracks in the walls, windows or doorways.
Doing this will help preserve the moisture you release in your home. If you have a drafty space, then all the efforts to increase humidity in the home will quickly escape through the cracks. Before you try to implement most of these methods, make sure your home is sealed properly.
3. Invest In A Smart Thermostat To Help Control Humidity
Thermostats are getting smarter and smarter every year, as are HVAC systems. Not only can you control the temperature in your home from your smartphone, but you can even control the humidity. Many HVAC systems now come with the ability to increase humidity levels.
This might not be the solution for everyone, but for those in dry climates with weather extremes, this might be a real game changer. Consider looking into HVAC and thermostat models with this feature next time you shop for a new system.
4. Incorporate More Plants Into Your Home
Another great way to increase humidity in your home that checks all sorts of other health benefits is incorporating more house plants. When you have house plants, especially those that require lots of watering (or even hydroponic plants), you are also casually adding a consistent source of moisture to the home.
House plants do more than just add moisture. They help increase oxygen levels in the home. Having a live plant in the home (especially in the winter months) can have a soothing and pleasant effect on your mood. They also look great.
5. Leave Bathroom Door Open When You Shower
One way to increase the humidity in your home takes almost no effort at all, and is something you already do (hopefully) every day — take a shower. When you shower, there’s a cloud of humidity that sits in your bathroom. Try opening the bathroom door while you shower.
By opening the door, the humidity does not stay trapped and instead, expands out of the bathroom. It has the chance to spread throughout the home. This is a great and simple way to boost the humidity a bit and help resolve your dry air problem.
6. Skip The Dryer And Hang Your Clothes
You might also want to consider hanging your wet clothes instead of using the dryer. Naturally, as your clothes dry on a line or drying rack, the moisture that gets released into the air helps decrease the drying. It also saves you money on your electric bill, which certainly comes in handy in the winter when you have to run the heat.
7. Incorporate More Flower Arrangements
Dry air often occurs in the winter, which is also when people tend to feel a bit depressed and lonesome. What better way to cheer you up than adding fresh flowers in water-filled vases?
Adding bouquets of flowers in water-filled vases actually helps reduce dryness in the air. It also is a great way to cheer you up, and make you forget about the dark and cold world outside.
8. Let Fresh Air In On Higher-Humidity Days
While the outside might be incredibly dry, you are bound to have beautiful weather from time to time. Any days when the relative humidity rises well above 30 percent, you should consider opening up your windows and letting some fresh air in.
Fresh air circulation has many benefits, but make sure you choose days when the humidity rises. This means checking the weather not just for the temperature, but also for humidity. Luckily, you can access this information easily on any weather app.
9. Spritz Your Curtains
A simple and easy task you can perform to increase humidity in your home is to dampen your curtains and let them dry. This is an old and easy technique that allows water to slowly evaporate, keeping the humidity level from dropping too low. Simply use a spray bottle with water and spritz your curtains from top to bottom.
10. Purchase A Decorative Water Feature
If you are trying to achieve a feng shui zen vibe in your home, consider adding a fountain. In fact, there are all sorts of different waterfalls and water features available for all types of home designs and aesthetics. Waterfall features are soothing, nice to look at, and they can help add some humidity to the air when your home is dry.
11. Try Using The Stove To Cook And Boil More Often
If you have been thinking about boiling some vegetables or pasta, now is the time. Increasing the cooking you do on your stovetop, especially boiling water, is a great way to immediately introduce some moisture in the air. Best of all, you get to eat a nice meal at the end.
12. Open Dishwasher To Allow Dishes To Dry Naturally
You can also help save your dishwasher some work while adding moisture to the air. Consider changing your dishwasher mode to allow the dishes to dry naturally. Once they are clean, open the dishwasher and let nature do the rest.
13. Put A Bowl Of Water By Your Heat Source
Another old-school method to increase moisture in a very dry home involves a bowl of water and a radiator. Simply put a bowl of water (a metal bowl is best, to prevent cracking and breakage) on the radiator or near any heater. The water will slowly evaporate as the heat pours out. This helps keep the humidity at a comfortable level as your home increases in temperature.
14. Swap Out Potpourri For An Essential Oil Diffuser
Essential oils are a great alternative to potpourri when it comes to adding fragrance to the home. In addition to an essential oil diffuser’s therapeutic benefits, it can also add some moisture to the dry air.
Essential oil diffusers act almost like miniature humidifiers with fragrance. It might be a good idea to put a few of these in your home, especially in bedrooms. Then use them religiously during the dry months.
15. Let Your Bath Water Sit For A While
If you are a fan of taking baths, you might consider lingering in the water a bit longer. Or if you don’t like to soak for too long, at least let the bath water sit in the tub until it has completely cooled. Bath water continues to evaporate into the air for some time, especially when it is still hot. So, after you take a bath, consider getting dressed and ready for your day before you pull the plug and drain the tub.
Final Thoughts On How To Fix Dry Air In A House
When you are trying to fix a dry air problem in your home, first make sure your home is not drafty and all cracks are sealed. Then try using a quality humidifier, or an HVAC system that controls humidity in your home.
Try air-drying your clothes in the home and leaving your bathroom door open when you shower and bathe. You can purchase a water feature, essential oil diffuser and even spritz your curtains with water to help increase the humidity in your home.
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Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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