How to Put Moisture Back into Your Home’s Dry, Winter Air

It’s cold outside, your house is locked up tight and your Brooklyn furnace or boiler is pumping out hot air to keep you and your family warm and toasty.

Still, you’ve noticed your skin and nasal passages are dry, you’re coughing more and there’s a stale odor in your home.

Chances are your home’s indoor air quality is too dry. The lower temperatures in winter naturally lead to drier air since colder air cannot hold as much moisture and many heating units use combustion to warm the air. This results in drier air which draws the moisture out of our bodies.

Luckily, there are some small steps you can take to reduce your skin’s itchiness, drop the throat lozenges and freshen up the smell in your home. Keep reading to learn more or call the Brooklyn HVAC experts at Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning!

1) Invest in a Humidifier

The first and easiest step to take is to purchase a home humidifier. Most people are aware that humidifiers can relieve cold and flu symptoms but don’t consider them as a method for returning moisture to their indoor air. If a one-room humidifier isn’t doing the trick, you should also consider a whole-home humidifier that can be installed directly in line with your heating system to increase moisture levels throughout the entire house.

2) Boil Some Water

If a humidifier isn’t in your immediate budget, you can mock its effectiveness by simply boiling some water on the stove or by leaving warm bath water to sit for a while. Your heater is pulling the moisture out of the air, so replenishing the air with wet heat evaporate will help combat the dryness in the room. While you’re boiling the water, try adding orange or lemon peels to the boil. This will absorb some of the stale odors dry air brings and pump your home full of the clean smell of citrus.

3) Stop Using the Oven

Unless you’re cooking a large meal, try to use the stovetop and microwave more often. Using the oven is similar to turning up the heat in that it also dries out the air. Stovetop cooking also replenishes the moisture and keeps the oven off.

4) Let Dishes & Clothes Air Dry

Once you’ve run your dishwasher or done a load of laundry, open up the dishwasher or use an indoor clothes rack to let your items air dry. The moisture coming off of the dishes and clothes adds moisture back to the air.

5) Clean Your Home Regularly

Dusting and vacuuming aren’t just for presentation. Keeping your rooms free of dust particles also keeps the air moister. Dust particles soak up moisture and also work as breeding grounds for allergens and other irritants.

Help from Brooklyn HVAC Pros

While you may not be able to completely eliminate the dry air you and your family encounter daily, following these simple tips might make your eyes itch less, your skin feels smoother and your nasal passages and throat less irritated.

If you need help with your furnace or boiler in the meantime, feel free to reach out to your Brooklyn heating experts at Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning!