While it may seem counterintuitive, it is actually helpful to open the windows and remove the stale, dry air from your house. Open windows during the daytime to let the fresh air in. It will help you breathe easy, and your skin won't feel that dry and itchy. Plus, it will also improve your home air quality.
If the outdoor air is already humid, then opening the windows will almost certainly increase the moisture levels indoors. In that case, you may not need to run a humidifier when the windows are open.
As the air heads indoors it's humidity will fall to 55% once it has warmed up to the room temperature indoors. Witchcraft! It means if the air indoors was at 70% humidity before the window was opened it will start to fall. The air inside will actually become dryer.
By opening your windows when the air is still humid, even if it's cooler, you are letting in all that extra moisture. Results from a study conducted in Florida still ring true today. In that study, researchers focused on a central Florida that had typical furnishings and a lot of carpet.
Cracking a window or leaving a door propped open may sound harmless, but doing so allows dry air to enter your home. Assuming you use a humidifier, this dry air will replace the humid air. Keeping the doors and windows closed, on the other hand, will trap the warm and humid air inside your home.
Adding moisture to the air by placing large bowls of water around the home (the water evaporates and adds moisture) in particular near radiators. Hanging wet/damp clothes to dry in your bedroom. Keeping plants in the bedroom (moisture evaporates from the leaves)
Let's talk about what humidity levels you should keep in your home year-round, and different techniques to do so. Ideal in-home humidity levels should hover around 45%. Anything under 30% is too dry, and over 50% is too high.
If the humidity level outside is much above 65%, you are usually much better off keeping your windows closed at night and using your AC instead. The reason is that opening your windows allows all of that humid air to get inside the house and soak into your furnishings.
Reducing Damp on Windows
We would always suggest though that when cooking or showering that you should open the windows to allow the moisture laden air to escape. However, if this is not reducing the damp on the window then there could be another underlying problem that needs to be dealt with first.
During the summer, the warmer air holds moisture but during the winter months cold dry outside air infiltrates the house and couple that with the fact that we heat our homes causing hot air to rise and the dry colder air to settle into the lower areas of your house. This is what causes the house to feel so dry.
Leaving windows open during and for a while after showering or taking a bath will stop condensation forming. If your bathroom doesn't have any windows, leaving a door open will reduce the presence of excessive amounts of moisture.
Keeping a window open reduced concentration of carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and some particulate matter in participant bedrooms. People slept better. Keeping a door open also reduced carbon dioxide concentration, without a direct correlation to improving sleep.
Close your windows
If you leave the windows open, they'll heat up your home and make it much more uncomfortable for you. It's even better to get black-out curtains, which help to reflect light, effectively cooling your home.
Sleeping with an open window can negatively impact your health as well. While cold air itself can't make you sick — colds and flus occur because germs overwhelm a person's immune system — it can potentially dry out nasal cavities, resulting in increased mucus production and a possible sinus infection.
If the air outside is warmer than your thermostat setting, you're raising your indoor temperature, making your AC work harder to cool your home. So how often should you open your windows? It's recommended that you do so once a day, for at least five minutes. Fifteen to 20 minutes is preferable.
High humidity can cause problems in your home if relative humidity regularly exceeds 60%. When the air contains water vapor above that level, mold and mildew start to grow, while excess moisture can cause rot, damaging your belongings.
An indoor humidity level is too high when it's above 50%. At this level, your home is susceptible to increased dust mite infestations, as well as mildew, mold growth, and other bacteria. This can cause serious health issues for those who breathe in mold spores or are exposed to bacteria for long periods of time.
A home should have a relative humidity of 30% to 60%. Above 60% and you have what's considered “high” humidity. Besides being less comfortable, high humidity causes a host of other problems in your home, including: Growth of fungus and mold in various parts of the home.
The health effects of dry air
Dry air can make it easier for bacteria, viruses and allergens to spread and get into your body. Many of us spend 80% of our time indoors every day, so it's important to know when the air around you is too dry.
An indoor humidity level less than 30 percent is too dry. Such alevel can cause dry nose and throat, and colds. Wall paneling, woodtrim and hardwood flooring can shrink and cause joints to open;cracks in drywall and plaster can develop; joints in wood furniturecan become loose, and pianos can go out of tune.
During sleeping hours, a person could lose water by sweating in their sleep or by waking up repeatedly to urinate. More subtle forms of water loss occur too, such as from breathing. This may be more significant for people who breathe through their mouths while they sleep.