How to Make a Humidifier at Home

Do you suffer from a lot of annoying illnesses more often that you should? Like a sore throat, dry coughs, allergies, dry skin, and similar symptoms?

All of these things often mean the air in your home is too dry. It’s a common problem, more so than you probably think. It’s worse in the winter months too as the moisture content in the air changes.

As the temperature drops in winter and we do more to warm up our homes and shut out the cold we create a more artificial environment. The air drys up and this is what causes a lot of those health issues mentioned above.

This is where a humidifier would be advisable as a solution. Humidifiers make the air more comfortable by increasing the humidity, while not cooling the air. Humidifiers can help clear up those health issues almost instantly and help you breathe more easily.

The recommended humidity in a UK home is between 50-55% for example. This varies depending where you live. The easiest and most accurate way to test the level of humidity in your home is with a hygrometer.

In this article, I will show you a few easy, innovative, fun, and effective ways how to make a humidifier at home. Using just everyday items, and it’s a way you can make  a real difference to the level of humidity, and your health.

Should You Buy a Humidifier or Make One?

This is a decision that is largely up to you. But for me, it’s a lot more fun making a humidifier and changing the air quality in my home. There are also some other benefits, such as saving money, or not worrying about having an electrical device plugged in.

There are some interesting and innovative ways to create the safe effect as a humidifier. In essence, all you need to do is add some moisture to the air in your home to make a difference. There are a lot of ways to do this as I will go into in this article.

Add Some Plants to Your Home

My favourite way to add some moisture to my home and create better air quality was to add some plants to my home. Plants produce moisture and are great for air quality. You can have some fun with this too and start tending to some interesting and beautiful plants.

Make sure you water them each day as this is what starts the process of the water being absorbed, and ultimately released by the plant. The best way to maximize this is to place your plants in a wet tray with a shallow amount of water in.

Fill a Small Container with Water to Diffuse

I’ve talked about and reviewed a number of diffusers. I love using them to diffuse essential oils. Humidifiers are not the same as diffusers however, so I don’t recommend using one as an alternative option.

You can however fill a glass or some other container with water and place it somewhere warm where it will disperse the water into the air. Obviously, it’s hard to manage the exact amount and rate it’s evaporating, but this is an effective way to imitate a humidifier.

A word of warning here is to keep safety in mind. Don’t place the container anywhere it’s going to fall or potentially cause damage in any way. Place it somewhere you can keep an eye on it.

Using a Hot Shower as a Humidifier

You have probably noticed before that if you have a hot shower and leave the door to your bathroom open the adjoining rooms get a lot of the moisture. It usually something you don’t want, but if your home is in desperate need of some moisture in the air it’s a great way to passively do so while showering.

I don’t recommend just running the shower on its own. Use one of the other methods above, like the bowl of water. It’s a waste of water, and money. But if you’re showering anyway, why not use the steam from the hot water.

Using a Wet Sponge to Humidify

Another easy and inexpensive way to humidify a room is to use a wet sponge. All you have to do is soak a sponge in water and ring it out so it’s not soaking wet. Place it in a plastic bag with some ventilation holes in and leave it in the room you want to humidify.

Add some moisture to the sponge daily and make sure it’s not getting dirty. Sponges tend to end up attracting bacteria so I’d recommend replacing the sponge every week.

Start Keeping Fish in a Tank

Fish tanks are relaxing and fun hobbies. Guess what, they also add moisture to your room. Just take the lid off if the tank has one. This will allow the water to evaporate and enter the room acting like a humidifier.

If you’re new to keeping fish there isn’t a lot of costs upfront to get started. If you look through the second-hand ads you will almost certainly find a good tank needing a new home. It’s a fun pastime and they are certainly one of the easiest pets to keep.

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There you have it. A few different ways to make a difference to the quality of air in your home and make a real difference to your health. If you are suffering from health issues as mentioned in the opener due to the air being to dry in your home, you should try one, or more of these methods. There are several ways how to make a humidifier at home.