7 Ways to Humidify Your House If You Don’t Have a Humidifier

By Sandy Hess

December 10, 2024

Brrrr! Winter brings cold, snowy weather and — in some parts of the U.S. and Canada — creates a natural drop in humidity levels in your home. This decrease can impact your health, home and electronics.

This May Also Interest You: Does Your Home Need a Whole-House Humidifier?

Humidifiers help prevent this dry air during winter by putting moisture back into the air. But they can be a little pricey, especially if you want to humidify your entire home.

The good news is that you don’t have to make such a large investment to increase the humidity levels in your home. There are plenty of other ways you can humidify a house.

Why Might I Need to Increase the Humidity in My House?

Cold air has significantly lower levels of moisture than warmer air. Additionally, as this air enters your home, it loses even more moisture as the furnace heats it. Lower home humidity in winter can cause problems with your health, home and personal belongings. Here’s a look at several things often impacted by lower humidity levels.

Personal Health

Low humidity levels can dry out the membrane lining of your nose and throat. This factor can affect the membrane's ability to filter out dirt, dust and other allergens before they enter your lungs. For those already dealing with allergies or asthma, this can worsen their condition. Even if you don’t have a preexisting condition, low humidity levels can negatively affect your respiratory system and make you more prone to other illnesses.

Drier air can also increase your risk for nosebleeds and dry out your skin. Without moisturizer, your skin can become dry, rough, flaky and itchy.

Home

Lack of moisture in the air can damage several parts of your home, including wood flooring, doors and windowsills. Dry air pulls moisture from wood structures to increase the humidity level in your home. This can cause parts of your home to shift, resulting in gaps around windows and doors, which allow cold air to enter. Low humidity can also cause paint to start peeling.

Personal Belongings

Dry air also affects any wood furnishings you have, including tables, chairs and bookshelves. It can cause this wood to crack, bend or warp, make book pages brittle and destroy artwork over time.

Static Electricity

One of the most notable signs of dry air is static electricity. You may notice this when you touch a doorknob, pull laundry out of the dryer or even brush your hair. An electrostatic discharge can sometimes damage electronics, such as phones, tablets and TVs.

How to Humidify a House

You don’t need to buy a humidifier to increase the water vapors in your home. Instead, you can make your own humidifier. All you need is a bowl of water and a small fan. Select a wide, shallow bowl for best results.

Place the fan directly behind the bowl of water. Be sure the fan and electrical cord aren't touching the water. Turn the fan on so it’s blowing directly over the water. This movement causes water vapors to enter the air and improves the humidity levels in your house.

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Try These Methods to Humidify Your House Without a Humidifier

Building your own DIY humidifier isn’t the only way to add moisture to the air.

1. Leave Pots or Vases in the Window

Leaving pots or vases full of water on the windowsill can add humidity to the home. The sun’s rays speed up the evaporation process, pushing more water vapors into the home.

2. Place Bowls of Water Near the Register or Vents

Similarly, placing bowls of water close to your register or vents can add moisture to the air. Be sure to fill the bowls regularly for best results.

3. Purchase Houseplants

Houseplants are a beautiful addition to any room and can help increase humidity in the space. As you water the plants, their leaves and stems will store this water, which later evaporates into the air.

4. Open the Door When Taking a Shower

Where there’s steam, there’s water vapor. When taking a shower, don’t restrict this moisture to your bathroom. Instead, keep the door open so the steam can extend into other areas of the home.

5. Cook on the Stovetop

When the humidity is low, forget the microwave and coffee maker. Instead, use boiling water for humidity when you cook. As the steam releases while cooking, it adds moisture to your home.

6. Crack Open the Dishwasher

You can also take advantage of the steam from your dishwasher. Once it's done with its cycle, crack the door open and release that water vapor into your kitchen. Alternatively, you can skip the drying cycle and allow your dishes to air dry.

7. Buy a Fish Tank

Buying a fish tank or aquarium is a great way to humidify your home. As the water evaporates from the tank, it will add moisture to the air and help increase humidity in your house.

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