Everything you need to know about indoor air quality during winter

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The colder and drier air of winter can wreak havoc on everything from wood furniture to your chances of catching the flu. 

As the colder weather settles in, the humidity drops, boiling down to the fact that warmer air holds more moisture and colder air doesn’t. 

Fun fact, the water content of air roughly halves with every 10C decrease in temperature. 

Not only does the humidity drop outside, it drops indoors too. 

To make matters worse, as we heat the indoor air, it additionally dries it out, making for a myriad of problems. 

Warping and cracking of wood furniture and flooring, and damage to musical instruments, wallpaper, photos, art, and electronic equipment can all happen when the moisture in the air gets too low.

Low humidity levels can also affect living things from houseplants to pets and humans.

Pets can become thirsty more often and must be let out more frequently.

Low humidity levels can make an impact on us too – like bloody noses, chapped lips, cold-like symptoms, static electricity, and allergy flare-ups. 

The symptoms, itchy or scratchy throat, static electricity, and allergy and asthma flare-ups. 

The dry air helps pathogens like viruses and bacteria, allowing them to travel farther and survive longer.

According to the National Institutes of Health, maintaining indoor humidity levels between 40 and 60% can minimize adverse health effects.

Studies have shown that living in environments with these levels lowers the risk of respiratory infections.

The population of allergenic mites and fungi indoors is also affected by humidity, with mite populations minimized below 50% and fungi requiring humidity above 60% to grow.

To track  the air moisture you live in, just do the humidity iced water glass test. 

Place a few ice cubes into a glass of water and stir, then wait for three to four minutes. 

If you see moisture forming on the outside of the glass, the humidity may be too high. 

If there is no moisture forming, the humidity is too low. 

It’s best to perform this test in a room other than the kitchen to avoid skewing the test results due to cooking vapors.

Easy ways to increase indoor humidity levels include lowering the thermostat, placing containers of water on elevated surfaces, boiling water on the stove, frequent watering of houseplants, leaving the bathroom door open during showers, and, of course, plugging in a portable humidifier. 

When it comes to humidifiers, evaporative or steam humidifiers work the best. 

Cool mist humidifiers can actually spread aerosols contaminated with allergens.

By taking control of indoor humidity, you can improve your indoor air quality, protect wood furnishings and instruments, and minimize adverse health effects caused by relative humidity.