Do you ever feel like you’re taking in more than air when you breathe? Since pollution is getting worse, it’s not a surprise that the air we breathe is getting dirtier.
But what if we told you that this problem has a reasonable way to fix it? Enter essential oils.
They not only smell wonderful, but they can also clean the air in your house.
If you have a humidifier or are thinking about getting one, keep reading to learn how essential oils can improve the quality of your air and, in turn, your health as a whole.
Understanding Air Moisture and Its Effects
The Importance of Air Moisture in Air Quality
Moisture in the air, or the amount of water droplets in the air, is a key part of how good the air is.
It changes how much other poisons are in the air, both inside and outside.
High humidity can make internal air pollutants like mold and dust mites more prevalent, while low humidity can dry out your skin, make your lungs hurt, and make outdoor air pollutants like particulate matter more prevalent.
Water Vapor and its Role in the Earth’s Climate System
Water vapor is a gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere.
It helps keep the Earth’s temperature stable by receiving and giving off radiation.
But things that people do, like burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees, have raised the amount of other pollutants in the air.
These pollutants can react with water vapor to make secondary pollutants like ozone and particulate matter.
The Effects of Humidity on the Body
The amount of water vapor in the air is called humidity.
When there is a lot of humidity in the air, the warm moisture on our skin goes on longer, which makes us feel even hotter.
This can lead to hyperthermia, which is when the body gets too hot because it can’t get rid of heat well enough.
Hyperthermia can make you feel tired, unmotivated, and unable to do simple things like sleep or stay hydrated.
Both not getting enough sleep and not drinking enough water can make us feel very bad.
When our bodies get too hot, we sweat.
The sweat evaporates from our skin, which helps cool us down.
When the air has a lot of wetness in it, as it does when it’s humid, this sweat can’t get out of our bodies, making us feel hot and sticky.
To cool down, our bodies have to work even harder, which makes us sweat more, increase the speed and volume of blood flow, and breathe more.
The way we breathe can also be affected by humidity.
The best humidity level is between 40 and 60%, which can help stop viruses from spreading through the air.
If the humidity is less than 60%, fungi can’t grow, but if it’s more than that, mold will grow well.
People who are sensitive to mold can get a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, coughing, and sometimes a fever and shortness of breath from these spores.
When low humidity lasts for a long time, it can hurt many systems, like the brain, kidneys, blood flow, skin, and eyes.
It can also make you less resistant to airborne pollution, respiratory infections, and allergies.
The Importance of Maintaining Optimum Humidity
Keeping the humidity in a workplace at the right level helps employees stay healthy, which cuts down on sick days and boosts productivity.
40–60% relative humidity is the best range for our general health, for our respiratory immune system to work well, and to keep airborne microbes from spreading.
A humidifier can be used to keep a room or building at the right amount of humidity.
It adds wetness to the air, which can help people with dry skin or breathing problems and lower the amount of pollutants like dust in the air.
But it’s important to clean and take care of the humidifier often to stop mold and germs from growing in it.
Ideal Air Moisture Levels and Their Importance
Maintaining Ideal Air Moisture Levels for Your Health and Comfort
Between 30% and 50% humidity is the best range for the amount of wetness in the air inside.
But the amount of humidity in your home can change with the seasons and the weather where you live.
You can use a moisture or humidity gauge, which you can find at most hardware shops, to measure the level of humidity in your home.
Effects of High and Low Humidity Levels
Having the right amount of air in your home is important for your health and comfort.
When the humidity inside is more than 50%, you may feel uncomfortable, and the extra moisture can make asthma and other health problems worse.
Low humidity, on the other hand, can lead to dry skin, breathing problems, and damage to wood furniture and floors.
Solutions for High and Low Humidity Levels
You can use a vaporizer or mister to make the air more humid.
These devices can be used in the whole house or just in certain rooms to add wetness to the air.
If it’s not muggy outside, you can open the windows to bring down the humidity level.
If the humidity level in your home stays above 50%, you might want to think about getting a dehumidifier.
In your home, humidity levels can be different from room to room and level to level.
Because wetness from the ground can seep through the walls of a basement, the basement is often more humid than other rooms.
There are ways to get your home’s humidity levels under control if they are over 50% or under 30% in one or more zones.
Effects of Low Air Moisture Levels on Your Health
Low humidity in the air can hurt our health in a number of ways.
When you breathe in dry air, you might get asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, or nosebleeds.
Low humidity can dry out nasal passages and make less mucus, which can slow the rate at which viruses and other pathogens are cleared out of the respiratory system.
This can make it easier for viruses to get into the deepest parts of our lungs.
Low humidity can also make your skin dry, hurt your throat and nose, and make your eyes itch.
Combatting Dryness During Winter
Winter air is dry because it can’t hold as much water as warm air.
The humidity in winter is so low that what little wetness there is is quickly sucked up into the air.
This makes our skin dry, makes the inside of our nose feel like a desert, and makes our throats feel like they are on fire.
Furnaces that heat our homes can be part of the problem because they pump hot, dry air into our homes.
One way to deal with the dryness is to put a humidifier in the whole house or just in some rooms.
Putting large bowls of water around the house is another good way to add moisture to the air.
When the water disappears, it makes the air moister.
It’s important for your health and happiness to keep your home at the right humidity level.
With a moisture or humidity measure, you can find out how humid your home is and take steps to make it more or less humid as needed.
Adding a humidifier or putting bowls of water around the house can help keep you healthy and relaxed when the air is dry in the winter.
The amount of humidity in a home should be between 30% and 50%.
Benefits of Using a Humidifier
Benefits of Humidifiers
Humidifiers can be especially helpful in the winter, when the air is dry and can make your lungs, nose, and lips feel dry.
Air that is humid can also feel warmer than air that is dry, which can save you money on heating bills in the winter.
A humidifier can also help around the house because it adds wetness.
Wood floors or furniture might last longer and houseplants might look better.
Humidity can also keep wallpaper from breaking and stop static electricity from building up.
Even during the summer, humidifiers can be helpful.
If you wake up with a dry throat or a cough that doesn’t seem to have a reason, you might need a humidifier.
A fan can help with problems with breathing and the lungs.
But if there is too much moisture in the air, condensation can form on walls, floors, and other surfaces.
This can make dangerous bacteria, dust mites, and molds grow.
High humidity can also make your home feel hot and set off allergy and asthma attacks.
To avoid these risks, it is important to keep the humidity level in your home at the right amount.
Types of Humidifiers
There are four main types of humidifiers: evaporators, pump humidifiers, central humidifiers, and ultrasonic humidifiers.
Central humidifiers are part of a home’s heating and cooling system and are meant to make the whole house more wet.
Ultrasonic humidifiers use vibrations to make a cool mist, while impeller humidifiers use a spinning disk to make a cool mist.
A fan blows air through a wet wick in an evaporator.
As the air picks up water, it cools.
Choosing the Best Humidifier
Your space and needs will determine which type of fan is best for you.
If you want to add humidity to the whole house, the best way to do it is with a central humidifier.
A humidifier with an ultrasonic or fan is a good choice for a small room.
For small rooms, evaporative humidifiers are also a good choice.
If you need a humidifier for a child’s room, the Vicks Starry Night Cool Moisture Humidifier is a good choice that won’t break the bank.
When picking a humidifier, it’s important to think about how easy it is to use, how much moisture it puts out, and how much maintenance it needs.
You should also think about the size of the room you want to humidify and the amount of humidity you want.
A hygrometer can help you figure out how much moisture is in the air in your room and keep it at a healthy level.
Before you use a humidifier, talk to your doctor if you or your child has asthma or allergies.
People with dry skin, rashes, or breathing problems can benefit from using a humidifier.
They can also help keep you from getting the flu and stop you from coughing.
There are four main types of humidifiers: evaporators, pump humidifiers, central humidifiers, and ultrasonic humidifiers.
Your space and needs will determine which type of fan is best for you.
When picking a humidifier, it’s important to think about how easy it is to use, how much moisture it puts out, and how much maintenance it needs.
A hygrometer can help you figure out how much moisture is in the air in your room and keep it at a healthy level.
Before you use a humidifier, talk to your doctor if you or your child has asthma or allergies.
Improving Indoor Air Quality with a Humidifier
Indoor air quality is a crucial aspect of our overall health and well-being.
The air we breathe inside our homes can be up to five times more polluted than the air outside, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Poor indoor air quality can lead to a range of health issues, including respiratory problems, allergies, and headaches.
One way to improve indoor air quality is by using a humidifier.
A humidifier adds moisture to the air, which can help alleviate dry skin, reduce static electricity, and prevent the spread of airborne viruses.
Additionally, humidifiers can help ease symptoms of allergies and asthma by keeping nasal passages and airways moist.
By investing in a quality humidifier, you can take control of your indoor air quality and improve your overall health.
For more information:
Indoor Air Moisture: Importance, Effects & Control
Maintaining Your Humidifier
Proper Maintenance of Your Humidifier
It is important to take care of your humidifier properly if you want it to work well.
As a general rule, you should rinse and dry your humidifier every day, and every few days, you should clean it more thoroughly.
Before you clean your humidifier, you should always stop it to avoid any electrical problems.
Deep Cleaning Your Humidifier
Start by dumping the water tank and letting the humidifier dry out in the air.
Take the humidifier apart and wash all of its parts.
Use vinegar or citric acid to wipe or scrub the tank and tray.
Soak any limescale or other buildup that won’t come off in vinegar or another cleaner suggested by the maker.
Clean the humidifier before and after putting it away.
Before putting it away for any length of time, make sure to clean it well and let it dry completely.
Using the Right Water
To keep minerals from getting into the air, it is best to use water with few minerals, like pure water.
Every third day, clean portable humidifiers so that scale and germs don’t build up.
Get rid of the filters and other parts that can be replaced, and put the humidifier away in a dry place.
Maintaining Proper Humidity Levels
In any room, you shouldn’t let the humidity go above 50%, because too much humidity can help mold and germs grow.
Use a hygrometer to find out how wet it is.
Every time you use your humidifier, you should empty it, let it dry, and then fill it up again.
Check your filters or cartridges often and replace them as instructed by the maker.
The Dangers of High Humidity
High amounts of humidity in the air can be bad for both your health and your home. When the humidity is higher than 60%, it can cause mold and mildew to grow and cause damage to furniture, wallpaper, paint, floors, and walls. Low humidity has been linked to the fast spread of viruses like the cold, flu, and even Covid-19. High humidity can cause too much moisture and condensation, which can lead to mold or rot. Bronchospasm and asthma symptoms can be brought on by more wetness in the air, especially when the temperature is high. Mold and dust mites thrive in places with a lot of humidity, which can be bad for people with asthma.
Preventing High Humidity
To avoid having too much wetness in the air, you should keep the humidity in your home as low as possible, no more than 50%, all day long.
You can keep the amount low with an air conditioner or a dehumidifier.
At a home improvement shop, you can buy a meter to measure the humidity in your home.
Make sure the air can move freely through your house.
In the kitchen and bathroom, use air fans that go outside.
Make sure that your dryer’s vent goes outside.
Use items that kill mold to clean the bathrooms.
If you can’t dry wet rugs and furniture right away, take them out or get new ones.
Measuring Air Moisture Levels and Natural Solutions
Maintaining Proper Humidity Levels in Your Home
The ideal humidity amount in a home is between 40% and 50%, which is between 30% and 60%.
To avoid health problems and damage to the home, it is important to keep the humidity at the right amount.
Too little humidity can make the air dry, which can bother your lungs and houseplants.
Too much humidity, on the other hand, can cause mold, bacteria, and water damage.
Homeowners can keep their homes warm and healthy by checking the humidity levels on a regular basis.
Measuring Humidity Levels
A hygrometer or room humidity monitor is the best way to find out how much humidity is in a home.
You can buy these things at a hardware shop and put them in each room to test.
Once the device is set up, it will show the amount of humidity as a percentage.
If you don’t have a hygrometer, there are other ways to figure out how wet it is.
Putting ice cubes and water on a table in the room and leaving them there for about five minutes is one way to do this.
If mist forms on the outside of the glass, it means that there is a lot of moisture in the air.
Natural Ways to Increase Air Moisture Levels
Yes, there are ways to add wetness to the air that don’t involve a humidifier.
- Houseplants: One way is to add houseplants to your home. Plants help moisten the air through a process called transpiration, where water in a plant evaporates back into the air through its leaves.
- Water-filled vases: Another way is to place water-filled vases on sunny window sills. The sunshine will slowly evaporate the water, releasing moisture into the air.
- Pot or bowl of water: You can also place a pot or bowl of water near your heat source, either on a radiator or near a vent. As it heats up, the water will evaporate into the air, increasing moisture.
- Boiling water: Boiling water is another fast way to humidify a room. Boil water on the stove and let it simmer for a while. The steam will add moisture to the air.
- Air-drying laundry: Air-drying your laundry instead of using a dryer is also a great way to add moisture to the air. The damp clothes will release moisture into the air as they dry.
- Glass of water: You can also leave a glass of water out in a space that feels dry. Slowly but surely, the water will evaporate and slightly moisturize the air.
- Showering with the door open: Showering with the door open can also help add moisture to the air.
- Essential oil diffuser: Using an essential oil diffuser can also work to improve humidity.
- Cooking on the stovetop: Cooking on the stovetop can take advantage of incidental moisture release.
- Spray bottle: Using a spray bottle filled with water to spray into the air can also work to improve humidity.
- Houseplants or indoor fountain: Finally, getting a few houseplants or an indoor fountain can help add moisture to the air and be a decorative solution to keep dry air at bay.
It’s important for your health and the health of your home to keep the humidity in your home at the right amount.
You can make a comfortable and healthy place to live by measuring the humidity and using natural ways to add wetness to the air.
Conclusion
In the end, air quality is an important part of our everyday lives.
It affects our health, our ability to work, and our well-being as a whole.
Putting essential oils in a fan is one way to make the air better.
Not only do they smell nice, but they are also good for your health in many ways.
But it’s important to remember that you should be careful when using essential oils.
Some oils can be bad for pets or people with breathing problems.
Before you use essential oils in your home, it’s best to do some study and talk to a health professional.
In the end, buying a humidifier and using essential oils can make a big difference in how good the air is in your home.
It’s a small but important step toward making the place where people live healthy and more comfortable.
So, if you want to improve the air quality in your home, don’t forget about the power of essential oils in a humidifier.
With some planning and study, you can make a space that not only smells good but also helps you live a healthy and happy life.
Looking for a new Humidifier?
Choosing a gadget can be very difficult if you know nothing about the technology.
Some will pay for features they do not need while others may not consider what they really want.
So I created this quick, newbie guide to help you focus on what is really important to you:
The Best Humidifier (For You!)
Links and references
- “Use and Care of Home Humidifiers” (PDF publication by US EPA)
- “Air Pollution and Environmental Health” (book)
My article on the topic:
