15 Cheap & Easy DIY Humidifier Ideas To Combat Dry Air At Home

Humidity is an important and often overlooked building block of a healthy home, and in the throes of a dry winter, your skin and respiratory system are probably begging for some of it. If a humidifier isn't in your budget right now, or you already have one and need just a bit more moisture, here are 15 DIY humidifier options to help you increase the humidity in every room of your home.

Not only are plants aesthetically pleasing, but they help moisten the air, and even freshen it slightly, too. Through a process called transpiration, water in a plant evaporates back into the air through its leaves.

Save energy and help humidify your space by using a drying rack for your clothing if you have the room. Rather than throwing them in the dryer, let your damp clothes help moisten the air.

Yep, it really is that easy; boil a pot of water (with the lid off, of course), and the steam will evaporate throughout your kitchen and, depending on the size of your space, into surrounding rooms.

Another super-easy hack is to place a glass of water in a space that feels dry. Slowly but surely, the water will evaporate and slightly moisturize the air.

This one might be difficult if you don't live alone, but showering with the door open is a great way to let all that steam flow throughout your house. (Remember to always run a fan after showering, though, since bathrooms are especially prone to mold.)

Similar to your shower, your bathtub can give off a lot of steam. When you're done with your bath, wait to drain it and allow the water to sit and cool with the bathroom door open instead, so some of it can evaporate. Drain once it's cooled completely.

You can try this trick with glasses or bowls of water: Find a sunny window sill that will easily warm a cup or bowl, and place water on the sill. The sun will evaporate the water, adding some moisture to the room.

If you have radiators or baseboards in your home, you can also place a glass or bowl of water on or near those as well. Just be careful here and stick with glass or ceramic for this trick, so you don't accidentally ruin any plasticware.

The oven can actually dry out your kitchen air, but stovetop cooking, on the other hand, will steam up your space. So if you needed yet another reason to cook more at home, do it in the name of optimal humidity.

Most dishwashers include a dry cycle at the end of the washing process, but it's not entirely necessary, and all that dishwasher steam could be used to humidify the air! Simply open up your machine once you notice it's begun the drying portion of the cycle.

An essential oil diffuser is basically a mini humidifier on its own—and has the added benefit of spreading a pleasing scent in its mist. If you have one, run it regularly, and just make sure to wash it out thoroughly between uses so mold doesn't form.

So long as you're not whipping up your favorite soup, crock-pots make excellent humidifiers. Simply fill the pot with water (about three quarters of the way), cover, and turn it on high. Let it warm up, then take it to whichever room needs some moisture. Uncover, and allow the steam to fill the air.

This option works great if you have a wood-burning stove. It couldn't be easier: just fill your stove steamer with water and place it on top of your wood stove. It will quickly begin heating up and releasing steam into the room.

Fill that extra spray bottle you have laying around with water and spray it in whichever room you want to add moisture to. The finer the spray, the better. Just be careful not to spray too much, as you could damage wood floors or furniture.

Similar to placing a cup of water near your baseboard or radiator, you can do the same with a damp towel. In fact, a towel may be able to hold more water than a cup, just be sure to put something underneath it if you're putting it on the floor, so you don't damage anything.

Proper humidity levels (not too much, and not too little) can be beneficial for both your skin and respiratory health, and they may even help limit the spread of germs in a space. The ideal humidity percentage is somewhere between 40 and 50%, and if your humidity is below 40, it could be causing respiratory discomfort and irritating allergies. Above 50, there's also a risk of allergies, along with mold and dust mites.

Luckily, you can easily test your humidity with a humidity meter or try out the "ice cube test." Simple put a few ice cubes in a glass of water and leave it out for a few minutes. If your air is too dry, moisture won't have formed on the glass.

Again, don't forget that while you want to avoid dry air, you don't want to go overboard on humidity either. Keep that humidity meter handy, or try the "ice cube test" on a regular basis, so you can keep your levels in a healthy place throughout the year.