Humidify Your Home

Sub Zero temperatures are hard enough to deal with, but we also have the excessively dry air to boot. Being confined indoors exposes you to artificial heat that keeps your skin dry and your throat scratchy. Many people add moisture to the air with humidifiers, but they are often bulky and relatively costly. If you are not ready to make the investment this winter season, here are some other ways to moisten the air to keep your family happy and healthy indoors. Decorate with Plants Arrange plants around the house to add moisture and fresh oxygen to the air. Spritz leaves and flowers with water to keep plants and air moist. Use vases that hold a lot of water so that there is plenty of liquid to evaporate. Heat Water Boil a large pot of water and bring it to a simmer. Keep it on the stove throughout the day so that the water will evaporate into the air. If you are too nervous to leave the stove top on for a couple of hours, boil water in a crockpot instead and keep it on a low setting to get a similar humidifying effect. Add a touch of lavender, vanilla or potpourri to the water to make the house smell fragrant. Line Dry Laundry Give your dryer a break and hang dry your wet clothes in your home throughout the dry season. Do a load of items with a large surface area such as blankets, sheets and towels so that your laundry will have plenty of moisture to offer the air. Hang dry in rooms that you find to be the most dry. Get Creative with Bowls of Water Place bowls of standing water in each room to allow water to evaporate and humidify the air. Choose a fun glass or ceramic bowl and decorate with floating candles, colored ornaments or flower petals. Let Bathwater Settle   After taking a nice warm bath, let the water sit in the tub so that the bathroom and other surrounding rooms can catch some of the moisture. Use fragrant soaps and oils to make the entire bathroom smell great.