Winter is in full force here in Massachusetts, and so is the dry, cold air. Chronic dry air is not only a nuisance, but a lack of adequate humidity can lead to aggravated asthma or allergy symptoms, and make you more susceptible to catch a cold or the flu.
Can you avoid allergy symptoms or increasing your chances of getting sick? The easiest way to counteract wintertime dryness in your home is to add humidity. In this article, we’ll go over a few simple ways to do it.
Use a Humidifier
A simple way to add humidity to your home is to invest in a humidifier. Humidifiers work by releasing water vapors into the air, which adds moisture to the room. Small steam humidifiers are affordable and are effective tools to introduce more humidity into your home. Steam humidifier units also don’t carry as much risk for mold growth that is common with whole-house humidifiers.
Air Dry Clothes
Did you know that the pile of laundry in your hamper can help soothe the effects of wintertime dryness? It’s true! Instead of throwing your clothes directly into the dryer after a wash, invest in a small drying rack and hang them up to dry. The moisture from damp clothes emits into the air and acts as a mini humidifier. The downside to this method is that it only impacts the location where your clothes are drying. Unless you have a lot of laundry, it’s likely that this would work for a room or two. And because you have to wait for them to air dry, your clothes are not available to use right away. Despite these objections, air-drying your clothes is a simple way to combat dryness in your home. There’s also a bonus: you can save on your electric bill as well!
Leaks
The biggest culprit of a dry home during winter is due to leaks in walls, windows and other areas in your home. Have you noticed that dry skin worsens when it’s already chapped or raw? A similar thing happens in your home. If cold air is able to come in through a crack or leak, it can quickly increase the amount of dry air in the environment. To prevent this, inspect all potential areas in your home for leaks. For example, your furnace can be a major culprit for leaks. We offer installation and service visits to keep dry air out and keep you comfortable and healthy.
While cold air in winter is inevitable in New England, you can keep the dry air out and comfortable air in. Give these tips a try and let us know which one works best for you!
