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8 ways to increase your home's humidity in winter: indoor plant care

A home's humidity is important for many reasons. It can help with allergies, asthma, and dry skin, but it also helps plants thrive! The ideal humidity for houseplants is 40-60% higher than the humidity levels found in our homes which is even more difficult to maintain in winter. The cold winter months can be hard on some indoor plants especially ferns, orchids, air plants and most tropical plants. Many indoor plant owners find that their indoor plants need extra humidity in the winter. In this blog post, we will explore 8 ways to increase your home's humidity in winter to help your indoor plants live throughout the cooler months.

 

grow indoor plants

This tip seems obvious (as you're most likely looking to increase the humidity to care for your indoor plants) but keeping them in your home will actually also increase the overall humidity of your home. Some of the most beautiful, interesting and diverse plant types out there are of the tropical variety, so shop around! If you have indoor plants that need high humidity levels in your home, then not only will they require higher levels of humidity, but they will also be a great source of it.


add some water

A simple way to increase humidity is simply by adding more water to anything around your home that holds moisture already. The more water that is present, the more humidity will be released into your home. Not only that, but make sure your home's heating is at a level that will keep you comfortable. If it is too hot, then there won't be any moisture in the air; if it is too cold, then this could cause condensation to form on furniture and windows which would reduce overall humidity levels (and make everything feel damp).


increase airflow

    If you have a home with lots of windows, this tip can really pay off big time when it comes to increasing home humidity in winter. Allow all windows to be open as often as possible. You can even open windows to allow the home's temperature to fluctuate, then close them again when it is too cold or hot for your home's comfort levels. If your home is home to a number of indoor plants, open up all your home doors and windows on colder days when it's not too cold outside. This way the warmer air in your home will meet with the cooler outdoor air causing humidity levels to rise!

     

    open bathroom doors 

      A surefire way of adding humidity into your home in winter is by opening up all your home bathrooms and letting their steam out! Next time you're home and having a nice hot shower or bath in winter, open up all the doors to the bathroom and you'll notice how much humidity is produced when the water is running.


      seal home windows with plastic sheeting 

        A great way to trap moisture into your home through its windows (which is why this works best if you live somewhere cold) is by sealing off any gaps where air might escape into the atmosphere! There are many home products on the market that you can use to seal up home windows, or if your home is particularly drafty it may be worth investing in some plastic sheeting. Try hanging plastic sheeting over home windows, and if you have any gaps around your home windows seal them with caulk!


        hang a damp towel up in front of an open home window 

          This is another great way to increase humidity levels and is a budget-friendly method. You can buy home humidity meters to check the level of humidity in your home, but if you want a quick and easy way to increase home humidity levels just hang up an absorbent towel in front of any open home window! Opening all your windows are the key here, so find an indoor room where there's no draft coming into home windows and hang your home towels up.


          use fans

            If you have high ceilings it is likely that even with plastic sheeting over home windows, you will still not have home humidity levels high enough for certain varieties of indoor plants. This is when using a home fan can be helpful, just place it in the room and turn it on low for about an hour to increase home humidity pretty quickly!


            use a humidifier 

              This can be helpful for tropical indoor plants, but there are some more budget options you can try before purchasing one! It will help your home, in general, stay more comfortable and provide some humidity to your home's air overall. But it won't do much good for specific plant care needs!

              Depending on what plants you choose to add to your home decor, they'll also enjoy the added benefit of having more fresh air circulating around your home, as well as a humid environment. This blog is a great way to give you useful tips about how to care for some varieties of plants in your home by increasing humidity within your home!


              want to keep indoor plants in your home, but worried about killing them?

              Believe it or not, there are plenty of indoor plants (other than succulents) that you can keep indoors, and they are essentially impossible to kill! Read our blog about gorgeous indoor plants that are almost impossible to kill