Find it odd that I'm talking about this in the winter? If so it's because typically humidity is discussed in the summer when too much of it causes discomfort. What happens when there isn't enough humidity in the air? This can also effect you physically - you can experience chronic sore throats, respiratory issues, dry/itchy skin, nose bleeds or sinus irritation. I would sometimes blame the coldness for my itchy skin in the winter-time and I was partially correct. The coldness lacks humidity - which is the real culprit here.
This isn't necessarily new news to me but I didn't think the humidity level in our home could really be that low. Then I started to pay attention to some of the physical stuff that family members have been experiencing - Jeter with congestion, Simms & me with the dry skin, and even the annoying shocks. The boys may enjoy rubbing their feet across the carpet and then shocking one of us but I wouldn't mind eliminating that pastime. On top of that, the house also feels really cold - I refuse to increase the thermostat so blankets are consistently piled on top of family members. Not that blankets are bad, I very much enjoy crocheting them.
All this to say that Simms and I purchased a humidifier for our home this weekend and were shocked to see that our humidity level was barely 20. Sources vary regarding the specific range of humidity that is ideal - our information stated that it should be between 35-55. Dawson, my BIL who is a mechanical engineer said it should be between 40-60. Well...3 days later with the humidifier running non-stop we are finally close to 40. I will say Jeter already noticed a difference in his congestion - meaning now he is not congested. The house also feels warmer.
One of my concerns about the humidifier is that it appears that it will be running non-stop all day and night but because it feels warmer, we have actually been able to lower the level of our thermostat which will save us money. We'll see how the bills come in next month. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the effects of adding humidity to our living space - as crazy as that may sound!
Now...because I can, here is a picture of the mechanical device that is making our lives more comfortable this winter. Notice the number on top - apparently it has raised the humidity level from 40 to 41. Yippee!
4 comments:
When our cat was still alive, we always knew to get out the humidifier once we started shocking him when we went to pet him!
We use ours all winter - it keeps pretty much the whole house at a comfortable level.
I'm with ya! We use ours from late fall to early spring, small units in each bedroom. In fact, BBE has been sick three times since we got home from China and I know it's because we are down one unit and his was the one we missed. We need to run to Walmart or Target this weekend, poor kid!
I can tell a difference within a night of running it in our rooms. My allergies in fall are far easier to control when we get the humidifiers out as soon as the AC goes off for the season.
We made the investment this year for small humidifiers in all the girl's rooms and it makes a HUGE difference with sinus issues and dry skin that seemed to plague them previous winters.
When we forget to plug them in or fill them, it is almost a guarantee that the girls will wake up with stuffy noses.
55-65%
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