Combat Winter Dryness and Sickness With a Whole-Home Humidifier

You feel uncomfortable in your own home, despite blasting the heater and using moisturizing conditioner and dryer sheets. On top of all of that, you’ve caught a cold or a sinus infection. What gives? It sounds like you’re dealing with indoor air dryness. You could go the DIY route to fix the problem—we actually have some suggestions for you—but you should really combat winter dryness and sickness with a whole-home humidifier. This article is essentially the argument for why.

Signs You Have Dry Air in Your Home

  • Static Electricity
  • Dry Skin
  • Flaky Skin around the Creases of Your Face
  • Pets Have Dry or Flaky Skin
  • Flat Hair
  • Chapped Lips
  • Clothes Stick to Each Other
  • Itchy Eyes
  • Dry Nostrils (or a Congested Feeling)
  • Nose Bleeds

Why Dry Air Makes Us Sick

The fact that dry air makes us sick is counterintuitive, isn’t it? You’d think that germs breed in moisture, and that’s true of some allergens, like mold. So, why does dry air make us sick?

Many illnesses have respiratory origins, so you can imagine how winter dryness can lead to sicknesses like:

  • Bronchitis
  • Asthma Attacks
  • Sinusitis
  • Dehydration

You can get dehydrated by breathing out more moisture than you’re taking in when you breathe. Additionally, the dry air can dry up your mucus supply, which creates a breeding ground for bacteria, the Wicked Witch of Disease.

Causes of Winter Dryness

OK, so, we’ve pinpointed the problem with dry air and exposed how dry air makes us sick, but what’s the cause? Knowing the cause is important to discovering the solution, so let’s break it down:

Dry Weather

If there’s not a lot of winter precipitation, then the air is going to be dry, which means in the air in your home will likely be dry as well. Aside from rain dances, there’s not much we can do to control the weather. It’s one of those things we just have to accept.

But how does dry air make its way into our homes?

Air Leaks

If you have dry air in your home during the winter, it usually means you have an air leak. An air leak is any way that the air from outside can sneak into your home. You can usually find them around your windows and exterior-facing doors.

How to Know If You Have an Air Leak

  • Place your hand beside all your window and door creases and see if you feel a soft breeze.
  • If you can’t be sure where the breeze is coming from, hold a tissue up next to the windows and doors to see if it billows.
  • You can also do a “light test” around your doors. Have one person stand on the outside of your door, pointing a flashlight at the door, and stand on the other side of the door. If you can see light, air can get into your home.

How to Get Rid of Air Leaks

To get rid of air leaks, you simply have to replace the sealant around your windows. You could also consider replacing your single-pane windows with double-pane windows for added protection against the elements. For doors with air leaks, simply replace the weather stripping.

Poor Ventilation

Once dry air has seeped into your home, there are few DIY humidification solutions (coming soon) that will work if you have poor ventilation. You may have clogged ductwork (which would mean you’ve forgone duct cleaning for quite some time), a clogged air filter, closed vents, vents pointed the wrong way, or blocked vents (by furniture, etc.).

DIY Humidification Solutions

If you’re tired of the dry skin, itchy eyes, and clogged sinuses, it’s time to consider some DIY humidification solutions. Here are some easy, creative solutions you might not have considered.

Stovetop Steam

What is humidity if not steam, right? You can create your own steam by setting a pot of water on the stove and wait for it to boil. Boiling water is the fastest way to create steam (aside from using a humidifier). You can do this about once a day, until you’ve reached the desired humidity level, but we find that doing this just once makes a big difference.

Hanging Laundry to Dry Indoors

Your dryer is hard on your delicates anyway, so consider hanging your laundry up to dry instead. We’re not suggested you string a giant clothes line through your living room, but you could consider hanging some items over your shower rod (temporarily, of course). As the water from your clothes evaporates, it moistens the air in your home.

Alter Your Dryer Ventilation

If you’re completely opposed to hanging your clothes up to dry, you can always redirect your dryer ventilation. With the use of a simple, inexpensive device, you can point the moist air coming from your dryer out into your home. Instant humidification! Plus, you get the added perk of not having to crank your heater as high.

Leave the Bathroom Door Open

… When you shower, that is! This has two major benefits:

  1. It lets the steam from your shower out into your home, so you can receive instant humidification.
  2. It keeps your mirror from getting fogged up, so you can blow dry your hair without the guesswork.

Grow a Green Thumb

Did you know certain plants have respiratory benefits? You’ve probably heard as much about trees, but the only trees you ever bring into your home are either plastic or dead. No, consider nursing some house plants instead.

Humidifier

Of course, there is always the option to get a humidifier for your home. With several different models available, you’re bound to find one that meets your needs. If you place it in a high-traffic room, you can get the most out of it.

Why a Whole-Home Humidifier Is Your Best Option

A humidifier device. So, all the DIY humidification solutions we recommended are bound to work, but the trouble is that each one has range limitations. You’ll only reap the benefits in one room. If you’re especially diligent, not to mention ambitious, you could, in theory, use each of our DIY methods in different rooms of your home. That would be DIY whole-home humidification.

But that really sounds like a lot of work, and we might be a little concerned about you, to be honest, if you’re going to such great lengths to moisten your house.

Let the experts combat winter dryness and sickness with a whole-home humidifier.

Why Choose Brubaker Inc.

Here’s why you should choose Brubaker Inc. over the other guys:

  • Better Business Bureau Member
  • #1 Priority: Safety
  • Family Owned and Operated Business
  • Trusted Technicians
  • Fitted With the Latest Tech
  • Top Values: Stability, Consistency, Honesty, Integrity

About Brubaker Inc.

Brubaker Inc. got its start in 1945, so you could say we have a little experience in HVAC. We’re a family owned and operated business, so we’ve been passing our trade secrets down from generation to generation, compounding on our knowledge of the industry. After a fire destroyed our showroom in 2011, we started our “green” initiative, so you know our solutions aren’t just effective, they’re also environmentally friendly.

Ready for whole-home humidification services? Call our office and speak with one of our friendly representatives. We’ll set up an appointment for you!