When I lived in Texas, we welcomed the dry air of winter as a break from very humid summers. Now that I’m living in the north, the dry winter air is problematic.
We’re suffering from dry skin, irritated nasal passages (this increases the likelihood we’ll come down with a cold or flu), and frequent static shocks. We looked into purchasing a small humidifier, but instead of spending money on one and trying to find room to store it, I wanted to see if there are other approaches that might help add moisture to our air. Here’s what I discovered.
How to add humidity to your home without a humidifier
- Use the stovetop. Cook meals on the stovetop and use a teakettle to heat water instead of a microwave. This allows you to take advantage of incidental moisture release. When you’re not cooking, you can simmer a large pot of water on the stove (add a few drops of essential oil or some lemon slices to give the air a pleasant scent). A similar alternative is to simmer water in a slow cooker.
- Set out water. Place vases of flowers or water-filled bowls of glass beads or decorative rocks out around the house. The water will gradually evaporate into the dry air. You can speed up this process by placing water-filled metal or ceramic bowls atop radiators or heat registers.
- Line dry clothes indoors. Moisture is released into the air as clothes line dry. A portable drying rack will allow you to easily dry clothes in various rooms of your home.
- Shower with the door open. If you can, leave the bathroom door open while you shower so the steam can escape and add moisture to surrounding rooms. If you take baths, then don’t drain the tub when you first get out. Allow the water to add moisture to the air as it cools, then drain it. (If you have young children in the house, then pass on this last option because the standing water is a drowning risk.)
- Get some plants. Moisture evaporates from the leaves and stems of plants in a process called transpiration. Because of this, well-watered plants add humidity to the air.
We’re going to try some of these strategies and see if they’ll help us! For additional information on adding humidity to the air in your home, visit my sources (here and here).
What do you do to add moisture to the air in your home during the dry winter months?
Shared on the following link-ups:
Living Proverbs 31, WholeHearted Wednesday, One Project at a Time, Titus 2 Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays & Monday’s Musings.
Great ideas! We used to run a humidifier and you’re right, space and cost are definitely an issue, so we stopped. And, I get stressed by white noise. Now, we’re just dry all winter from the forced air heat. I had a crock pot of water going this weekend for a tea party I hosted. I wish I had seen this before then because I would’ve maximized the leftover water and used it like a humidifier. How clever!
That would have been a great way to use the water! Perhaps next time. 🙂
My oldest daughter was boiling some water on the stove the other day to try to get some moisture in the house. I didn’t realize I could do the same by putting some water out like in vases of flowers; a pretty option.
Yes, it’s an especially nice option given there are fewer flowers in bloom during the cold months.
These are really great tips. I have a one year old who’s into everything (including the humidifier in our den), so these are fantastic and safe alternatives to battler the dry air and still keep a healthy amount of moisture in the air. Thank you for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome, Maria. I hope you’re able to use some of the ideas.
Great ideas. One thing I’m working on is getting some plants. We don’t have any, and for so many reasons I want some. Now I can add another reason to my list. Thanks.
I’m thinking of getting some, too. This is definitely a great benefit of them!
Great tips! My son and I have the worst cracked dry skin during the winter months. I love the idea of simmering water with essential oils. This will help with a few issues at once :). I’ll have to try that one!
I hope it helps both of you!
Living in Maine all my life and on a budget for adult portion, definitely had to find tricks for relieving some dryness. I have always simmered a pot of water with a bit of potpourri or rose petals. Probably doesn’t emit as strong of a fragrance but suffer with sensitivity to scents, it works well enough 🙂 Thanks for sharing these tips and your other topics as well!
I bet you have very low humidity there!
I’m glad to hear that water simmering on the stove worked for you. Personally, I think a light scent is often preferable to a heavy one.
A friend of mine boils water on the stove and his pan is ruined from it. I assume it’s from the hard water. What can I do to prevent that ? And what can you do to clean the pan after it’s already messed up ??? Great ideas btw.
What type of pan is it, Judy? I’m not certain what to do with non-stick cookware, but it’s easy to remove if it is a stainless steel pot. You can boil a mixture of water and vinegar (3:1 ratio) in the pot and let this dissolve the mineral buildup or you can use a cleaner such as Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser and Polish to remove the mineral buildup. Both of these have worked for me in the past.
Citric acid, found naturally in citrus. There is a product called Lemi Shine for dishwashers. I started using that in my dishwasher for not only dishes but to prevent mineral build up in my machine and bonus glasses look great using store brand powder dishwasher detergent . I now buy it by the 5 pd bag. You can find on Amazon or elsewhere online. I buy food grade and no worries. You can sprinkle it on minerals on sink faucets, use in coffee pots….removes rust… I can’t begin to tell you all the uses I have come up p with through the years. I am not sure about boiling it in a pan for humidity though…. Which is how i found your page, I was looking for that answer.
Thanks for sharing this, Tina. I’ve used some Lemi Shine products (such as their dish soap–that’s what I have by my sink right now). It makes sense that a citric acid product would work to remove these deposits.