5 Benefits of Using a Humidifier This Winter
Does your home need a humidifier? Humidifiers are used to add moisture to the air inside your home during the dry winter months. Dry air can not only be a health hazard, but it can cause issues to your heating systems efficiency and damage your home. The moist air from a humidifier can be used to protect your skin's moisture level and preserve it inside your home, protecting wood floors & furniture. Here are our top 5 Benefits of Using a Humidifier This Winter:
1. Helps Prevent the Spread of Airborne Viruses
According to allergyandair.com, a recent study found that raising indoor humidity levels to at least 43% dramatically affected approximately 85% of airborne viruses, rendering them virtually ineffective. As a result, researchers are now contemplating increasing the humidity levels in hospitals across the nation as an extra method of protecting doctors, nurses, and visitors from also getting sick.
Moisture can prevent the movement of germs, as they combine with this moisture and simply drop. This happens because the airborne particles are now too heavy to float around in the air. In turn, this helps prevent the spread of many illnesses.
2. Helps to Moisturize Skin
In the winter, heating systems often have an adverse effect on your skin because a dry and hot environment makes it hard for the body to retain moisture. During this time of year, you may notice your skin is cracked and in desperate need of some moisturizer. Skip out on parched and irritated skin by introducing a humidifier into your home. The water vapor released into the air will hydrate your skin, hair, and lips.
3. Helps Your Home Feel Warmer
During the winter, the air from a heating system is dry. That dry air has a low humidity level that will absorb moisture from you and everything inside your home. This can make you uncomfortable and wastes energy in your heating system by trying to keep you warm. Dry air does not hold heat well, so by adding water vapor from a humidifier it balances the humidity, moist air feels warmer and prevents your heater from working overtime. Therefore, a humidifier can help you and your home feel comfortable when your thermostat is set at a lower temperature helping keep your utility bills lower.
4. Prevents Damage to Wood
Dry air can also cause damage to wood furniture, drying it out and making it crack. It can loosen joints in a wood floor. Doors made of wood can change in size, making them difficult to open and close, and the legs and arms on chairs may begin to wobble as the joints loosen. This is all because wood needs a constant level of moisture to be at its best. When used properly, a humidifier can ensure that the wood features in your home and furniture will look their best.
5. Prevents Static
Static electricity is often increased in dry winter months. This electricity can be annoying when associated with your laundry or frizzy hair. Even worse, built-up static can even damage sensitive electronics; even create sparks, which could damage flammable gas or dust. Properly humidified air has the ability to limit, even prevent most problems that come from static.
Types of humidifiers
While most humidifiers have the same basic function, to add moisture to the air, many types are available:
Steam vaporizers: These use electricity to create steam, which cools before it leaves the unit. However, there is a risk of burning the skin, and people should avoid using steam vaporizers around children.
Ultrasonic humidifiers: Instead of electricity, these units use vibrations to vaporize water.
Evaporators: These produce humidity by blowing air past evaporating water.
Impeller humidifiers: These are generally child-friendly and use rotating disks, rather than heat, to vaporize water.
Central humidifiers: A person connects one of these units to the central air conditioning in the home or office to add moisture to the entire space.
