When cold, dry air enters your home and is warmed to room temperature, the
relative humidity in the average house can drop to as little as 5%. Compare that to
the average 25% relative humidity of the Sahara Desert and you can understand why
the air inside your home can seriously affect your health and comfort. Since various
studies have estimated that most people spend as much as 90% of their time at
home indoors, there’s reason to be concerned about indoor air quality.
Since the air in your home is always trying to reach its saturation point, it will absorb
water wherever it’s found. That means it is stealing moisture from the bodies of you
and your children, your pets, your furniture and even your house plants. By giving up
moisture to the air, your skin, throat and nasal passages dry out and crack, leading
to various physical discomforts. That’s why many doctors recommend humidifiers for
allergy and asthma sufferers. Research has shown that 30% – 60% relative humidity
is ideal. Outside this range, bacteria, fungi, viruses and mites thrive and multiply. As
these creatures increase in number, so does your risk of being adversely affected.