How to Humidify a Room Without a Humidifier

Learning how to naturally add humidity to a room is important especially if you live in a low humid environment. You may have humidifiers but there is no power. They may be spoilt or affording one can sometimes be a problem.  

To humidify a room without a humidifier, you need to retain water vapor in the air. Use the methods listed below to naturally evaporate water and let the particles stay in the air. Repeat the process if you feel the levels have dropped.

Natural ways to increase humidity in a room without a humidifier

The secret to humidifying a room naturally relies on the idea of water vapor being retained in the air. If you can find a way of making water evaporate and let it hang around for some time, that’s it.

Have a look at those 7 makeshift dehumidifiers that you can use at home:

1. Grow humidifying plants

Plants can naturally humidify the air at home without causing any harm to you or your pets. It is all about choosing the right ones to grow.

Plants have small holes known as pores. It is through those pores that water is released into the air. The wider the leaves, the more a plant will help in increasing the humidity of a room.

However, this does not mean that you should grow plants everywhere in the house. This is because plants tend to release carbon dioxide at night. You need oxygen to breathe and if you have a lot of plants in your room at night, you may be subjected to less oxygen.

If you have a big house that is well ventilated, then it is okay to have plants in the house to help in humidifying a room when there is no humidifier.

There are also plants that you should avoid at home because they tend to dehumidify a room instead of keeping it humid. Here is a Tables that will guide you on what plants to keep for humidity and those that you should avoid.

2. Keep warm water in the open

Get some warm water in a basin and put this in a corner. As it evaporates, the particles will play a big role in humidifying the air naturally. However, keep this in places where pets and children cannot reach to avoid any accidents.

If you are washing plates using arm water in your sink, let the water naturally cool off when you are done. The vapor shall have filled the room and it will be okay to drain out the cool water.

In case you have a bath tab, do not drain the water after a warm soak. Instead, leave the bathroom door open and let the water cool of naturally. In the process, the water vapor will help in humidifying the room.

If you have several family members under one roof, you can talk to them to take showers almost at the same time in the evening. If they do this without closing the bathroom door, the vapor from the hot shower will help a lot in keeping the air humid.

3. Boiling water mixed with essential oils

You can take a large cooking pot, fill it with water and use low heat to heat the water until it boils.  The vapor released will help in keeping the room naturally humid.

You can then add small amounts of essential oils in it to give the air a relaxing feeling with a beautiful aroma. Some of the natural essential oils that can work in this case include:

1. Lemongrass essential oil
2. Lavender essential oil
3. Rose essential oil
4. Peppermint essential oil

This is one of the best makeshift humidifier you can use at home because there will be no need to use air fresheners. Those essential oils will also help in getting rid of sore throats and chapped lips because of their soothing natural properties.

4. Spray water in the room

A simple hand sprayer can work in in this case. Simply fill it with water and randomly spray it in the air. Ensure u get a spray that has extra small pores because you will need very fine particles in the air that will take time to settle down.

If you use one with large pores, you may end up messing the room. This is because large particles will not stay for a long time in the air and they will drop to the ground faster.

This can leave you with a dump environment that can be very uncomfortable. Too much water on your walls and upholstery will encourage the growth of mold indoors.

You can also spray the water directly on your curtains and make them slightly wet. Just make sure that the curtains are made of heavy cotton. Try to do this moderately because heavy damp curtains can break your curtain rods and rails.

5. Damp clothing and towels

After washing your clothes, you may spare the dryer and hang the clothes inside the house. The water vapor released will help in keeping the room humid.

However, you do not want to do this if the clothes have not been wringed properly. The water drops over wooden floors and tiles can cause great damage. The aim here is not to get the floor wet but to keep the house humid.

It is also good to consider using towels that are soaked in water. Ring to remove excessive water and if possible, hang this in the warmest area of the house. The plan here is that as the towel dries, it releases vapor that will help humidification.

Towels are the best to use because they tend to keep water for a very long time. The extra heavy large towels are the best for keeping a room humidified.

6. Large indoor fountains & aquariums

If you live in an extra humid environment, large indoor water fountains that are kept with continuous water flow can help in humidifying a room.

This is because as the water splashes, the vapor is constantly kept in the room. When combined with good ventilation, this can be a very perfect natural makeshift humidifier.

If this is well set up in a large room, then you may not even need to invest in expensive humidifiers. Another great idea that can replace this is using large aquariums inside the house.

If well set up with the vapor being released in the room, this can be good for a humid environment. However, note that this should only be installed in extra-large rooms.

If you love the natural look of springs, falls and fountains, you can get the small artificial water falls. Those are designed for smaller rooms and are very ecofriendly. Ensure you use fresh clean water when you decide to go for those options.

7. Keep the windows closed

In winter, the environment is generally humid outside. This can easily drain the humidity in a room if the windows are kept open. Try to keep minimal ventilation by closing the windows.

This will retain the vapor that you have gathered using the steps and methods of humidifying a room. Otherwise, there will be no point in following the steps above while you cannot retain the humidity.

It is only okay to leave the windows open if the environment outside is rainy and cool. In this case, the house will be humidified naturally because the weather will be generally damp and cold after the rains.

If you have to keep your windows open and you live in your own compound, try planting trees in your back yard. Trees will retain water naturally and they will release a good amount of it at night.

If you cannot get portable air conditioners for your room, leave your windows open and plant trees.

Leaving the windows open at night in the presence of heavy plantations around the house is a great idea. Just like artificial air purifiers, those plants will clear the air while keeping it humid at the same time.

The water vapor released by the trees and plantation through a process known as transpiration will be bushed into the house automatically. This will naturally keep your environment humid and the effects will be felt in any room around the area.  

Reference:

1. University of Maryland: Moisture Control
2. VineVida: Best Essential Oils for Humidification

Felix Newton