DIY Humidifiers for Homemade Humidity

You can easily create your own homemade humidifier. Here’s one way:

Fan humidifier

To create a humidifier that mimics what you might find in a store, you’ll need:

• a drinking glass, bowl, or container
• a skewer long enough to rest across the container
• a sponge or cloth
• some water
• a small fan

1. For a sponge wick: Insert the skewer through the very top of the sponge, and then lower the sponge into the glass or container. The skewer can hold the sponge in place.
2. For a cloth wick: Balance the skewer across the lip of the container, fold the cloth in half, and then drape the cloth over the skewer into the glass or container.
3. Fill the glass or container with water until the lower portion of the cloth or sponge is immersed. As time passes, the water will evaporate from the surface of the water in the bowl and from the surface of the wet cloth or towel.
4. Place a fan behind the entire setup and turn it to low. You want the air flow to be facing towards the center of the room, so that the water vapor circulates back into the home.

This homemade humidifier can help to add humidity to the surrounding area. You can create more than one of these and place them strategically around the home, such as on a dresser in your bedroom or on a coffee table in your living room.

keep out of reach

Use caution when you have water near electricity. Don’t spill water onto the fan or allow the fan to tilt. Try to keep your homemade humidifier outside the reach of small children and animals.

If you’re looking for small changes you can make around your home that are also effective at increasing moisture in the air, try one of these ideas:

Simple steps like cooking more food on the stove can help keep things relatively humid. And if you’re a tea drinker, heat your water in a pot or kettle on the stove (instead of the microwave), as this releases plenty of steam into the air.

When water reaches its boiling point, it begins to release steam and evaporate back into the atmosphere.

Flower vases are a great home “humidifier” because naturally, we place flowers in the sunniest spots of the house. This exposure to sunlight helps to speed up the evaporation of the water in the vases.

If you want to decorate with vases full of flowers as a way to add humidity in your home, the flowers in the water can even be fake. Fake flower may be a good option if you have flower allergies or are looking for a more sustainable or affordable option.

Put flower holders on windowsills or sunny tables to increase the humidity of your house. Replace the water regularly to avoid buildup in the water.

In order to survive, plants must take in water through the roots. However, not all of the water absorbed by the plant is used — instead, most of it is evaporated back out through the leaves in a process called transpiration.

The more houseplants you set up around the house, the higher the overall air humidity will be. Plus, you’ll also have the added benefit of enjoying cleaner air.

Take a small decorative bowl and fill it almost to the top with water. Place it out of the way on a table or shelf and it will slowly evaporate over time.

Hint: If you place a crystal bowl filled with water in the sunlight, you might even have the chance to enjoy a midday light show, thanks to the light refraction.

Placing small bowls of water on top of heating floor grates can help add some extra humidity back into the air during the winter months.

If you have an old school (nonelectric) radiator with a flat surface, you can also place a small bowl of water on top of the radiator unit. Just be mindful and use heat-safe bowls to avoid melted plastic, breaking glass, or spills.

Keep out of reach

Do not place containers of water or homemade humidifiers in an area where water could drip onto electrical outlets.

You can take advantage of a steamy shower by cracking the bathroom door open as much as possible. If your shower is hot enough, this steam will likely seep into the adjacent rooms, giving them a boost of humidity.

Just be sure not to leave your bathroom vent on or it will wick away all that moisture.

Once you’re done in the bath, don’t dump the water right away. Allowing it to cool completely will release the remainder of that water vapor back into the air. Plus, if you’re someone who enjoys using aromatherapy during your baths, this will help to release the essential oil vapor into the atmosphere.

During the wash cycle of your dishwasher, steam will be released into the atmosphere as the dishes are cleaned. For the drying cycle, cracking the dishwasher door and allowing your dishes to air dry will increase the humidity of the surrounding air as the steam escapes.

While it’s easy to throw the laundry in the dryer and call it a day, you can use those damp clothes to increase humidity. Once the clothes have been washed, simply hang them on a drying rack to dry. As they dry, they’ll release the water back into the atmosphere and help to increase the humidity.

Water evaporation is a natural part of the life cycle of an aquarium or fish tank, which can help to passively increase the humidity in the surrounding air. As a bonus, fish tanks and aquariums can be easily decorated to enhance the overall aesthetic of your home, especially if you’re going for those feng shui vibes.

Keep in mind that the humidity in a home can be high enough to encourage the growth of certain pests and mold. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, dust mites, a common allergen, thrive in high humidity levels, between 70 and 80 percent.

Comfortable levels of humidity range from about 30 to 50 percent. Humidifying your home should make the air more comfortable without droplets of water collecting on the ceiling or any surfaces.

And there you have it — 11 suggestions for how to make small changes in your home to combat dry air.

If you’re considering professional humidifier systems, check out this article for more information on what to look for and what to expect.