Dry air isn't just noticeable by a scratchy throat or chapped lips, it can also increase your risk of contracting the flu virus. To improve your health, you can use a humidifier to provide ideal humidity in your home. Humidification can also reduce dust contamination, thereby reducing allergy symptoms. There are a few options on how to use a humidifier to combat dry air. Each humidifier model has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Why humidify indoor air and how does it improve health? What is the difference between a vaporizer and a vaporizer, and how do ultrasonic nebulizers actually work? In this guide, you'll find an explanation of how humidifiers work and what you should consider before buying one.

Overview: Types and important features of room humidifiers

Because there are so many humidifiers with different functions and features, it is often difficult to choose a device. Here you'll find an overview of the special features of each building type, as well as decision aids you should consider when purchasing.
Humidifiers can be divided into three categories based on the technology used. Which humidification principle is best for you depends on how you weigh different selection criteria.
Evaporators: For fast humidification and high humidity, these devices heat water to the boiling point. The advantage is that sterility is guaranteed, but at the expense of high power consumption. They are not suitable for hard water.
Air Cleaners: These devices are both humidifiers and air purifiers. In addition to the advantages of a classic evaporator, there is additional dust and pollen filtration, which makes air cleaners particularly attractive for allergy sufferers.
Ultrasonic atomizer: Uses ultrasonic waves to atomize water into mist and humidify the air. Power consumption is usually low, but regular cleaning is required to prevent scale build-up and bacterial settling.
In order to be able to decide with a clear conscience on purchasing a specific humidifier model, you should consider the following criteria:
Dangers of Overhumidification: If natural humidity falls below your comfort threshold only at certain times of the day and season, some appliances can release excess moisture and promote mold growth. Choose an evaporator or air washer to avoid the risk of over-humidification.
Hygiene: By boiling, the evaporator works sterilely. As with other types of humidifiers, you should add disinfectant to the water.
Allergies: Air cleaners also filter the air, ideal for allergy sufferers; as well as evaporators for sterility and high humidity.
Water Hardness: Evaporators and atomizers should not be operated with hard water or water from descaling systems; evaporators and air washers are less sensitive.
Volume: Vaporizers work the quietest, while ultrasonic atomizers and vaporizers have to expect a whirring or bubbling sound.

Dark spots on walls are often a sign of mold. This isn't just a visual flaw; Mold is harmful to your health and has been linked to a variety of illnesses. Fungal infections can also damage structures in the long term. To prevent the formation of mold, reducing humidity is an effective measure. Proper ventilation and heating can often prevent mold in your home. The key is optimal air circulation in the individual rooms and adapting the ventilation behavior to the outside temperature.

How to prevent mold and mildew with proper ventilation

Mold is a type of fungus that requires heat and moisture to grow. Mold is particularly likely to thrive at room temperature and relative humidity above 60%. The more humid the air in a room, the more likely it is that black mold will appear. To reduce the humidity in your home and prevent mold from forming, you need to ventilate your home regularly.

Mold: Danger to your health

The federal Environment Agency has warned in a guide that staying in a room with a mold infestation could have consequences. Mold spores in the air can be particularly harmful to the respiratory tract. People with asthma are particularly susceptible and experience more severe symptoms. But runny noses, coughs, and respiratory infections are also often associated with mold on your walls. It is also suspected that the incidence of allergies will increase if you live under a moldy blanket for a long time. The guidance recommends reducing the humidity in a room to minimize the health risks posed by mold.

Proper ventilation and heating to prevent mold

Lowering humidity is the most effective way to prevent mold growth. Open windows to ventilate and replace humid indoor air with dry air from outside. Frequent ventilation is best so the room doesn't cool down too much. Sloping windows, on the other hand, only allow very slow air exchange and cause the temperature of the wall near the window to drop too much.
The better the air circulation, the faster the indoor air exchange during rapid ventilation. A duration of five to ten minutes is usually optimal. Turn off the heater when ventilating to save on heating costs.

How to effectively reduce humidity through ventilation

Proper ventilation means fresh air outside contains less moisture than stale air indoors. This occurs when the outside temperature is lower than the indoor temperature: because cold air can hold less water than hot air, cold air will be drier given the same relative humidity.
While you can ventilate at any time during the winter to reduce humidity and thereby prevent mold, the warmer the outside temperature is in the summer, the more moisture in the air that enters the apartment when ventilating becomes dangerous. If the fresh air inside the house cools, humidity increases and quickly builds up on walls and window panes. In the summer, ventilate when it's coolest outside (i.e. late at night or early in the morning).

How often do you need to ventilate the air to prevent mold?

Everyone adds humidity through breathing, and household activities such as showering and washing also contribute to increasing air humidity. The Federal Environment Agency calculated in a guide that a household of three people emits approximately 6 to 14 kilograms of water per day. In order to let the moisture out of the room, you must ventilate it about seven times a day.

Proper ventilation starts with room furnishings

Good air circulation is a prerequisite for effective air exchange during impingement ventilation. This is why wide opening windows are preferable to slanted windows. You can further increase the air exchange rate by opening the interior doors and windows of your apartment. If you open the windows on both sides of the house, ventilation will occur especially quickly. Through so-called cross ventilation, a short time is enough to replace the indoor air with fresh air.
However, it is also necessary that the air exchange in the room is not hindered. Therefore, be sure to open the curtains when drying! It is best to place large pieces of furniture a few centimeters from the walls and ceiling so that air can still circulate between them. Since the coldest surfaces in your home are most likely to be affected by moisture and mold growth, you should avoid placing larger cabinets on exterior walls and instead place them on the side of interior rooms in your home.

How to correctly adjust ventilation according to structural characteristics

Condensation often occurs on poorly insulated window panes because they quickly lose heat to the outside. Likewise, louver boxes and other fixtures can also cause thermal bridges, as these areas have the highest humidity in the room and are therefore most susceptible to the effects of mold. If you can't provide better insulation, ventilate it more frequently and warm the interior a little.
If you're moving into a new building, the walls may not be completely dry yet. To prevent mold from settling, you must first increase heating and ventilation. In this case, increased ventilation does not mean opening windows longer, but opening them more frequently during the day. Up to two heating periods may be required until all components are dry and the humidity in the new building returns to normal.

Ventilate during periods of high humidity to prevent mold formation

Certain activities, such as cooking or showering, release large amounts of water into the air in a short period of time. Large amounts of moisture can quickly settle in cooler areas of your home and promote the formation of mold stains. Ventilate immediately after completing activities to allow outdoor moisture to peak. During this time, keep interior doors closed to prevent moist air from spreading to the rest of the apartment.If possible, move clothing outside to dry during the summer. Since damp laundry can cause increased humidity over time, you should increase the room temperature.

Plants carry out photosynthesis and contribute oxygen in this way. But they do much more than that. Some beautiful plants can clear indoor air of pollutants that get mixed into the air we breathe through exhaust fumes, industry, and construction materials. In this way, they ensure better air quality. For your health, you should upgrade your home with the right air-purifying indoor plants.

The air in the room is thick

As modern humans, we spend most of our time indoors – whether at home or at work. It's not uncommon for the air to be thick. Unfortunately, our own four walls do not protect us from environmental pollutants—quite the opposite. The air quality inside a room is often worse than outside due to building materials, paint, mold, dust and last but not least cigarette smoke.
Examples of common toxic chemicals found in rooms include:
Trichlorethylene (TRI): Found in paints, adhesives, cleaners and insect sprays
Formaldehyde: Commonly found in rooms, for example in insulation, furniture, cigarette smoke, cleaning products, etc.
Benzene: from exhaust fumes, plastics and dyes, detergents, cigarette smoke, etc.
Xylene: from solvents, paints, plastics, pesticides, etc.
Ammonia: produced by the breakdown of manure, especially in agriculture, but also found in litter bins
These substances can cause headaches, allergies, and poor concentration. Some can even interfere with the central nervous system and have potential carcinogenic effects.

The indoor air is better and greener!

Luckily, there’s a natural and relatively inexpensive way to ensure better air quality within your own four walls: decorate your living space with lots of greenery! Not only do plants create a friendly atmosphere, they also act as silencers, oxygen distributors, air humidifiers - some selected specimens are even actual air purifiers!

Plants are oxygen donors and air humidifiers

Plants carry out photosynthesis – a metabolic process that makes our existence on Earth possible. Oxygen (O 2 ) and sugar are formed from water, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and light. This happens in chloroplasts, which are located in green leaves. This process is particularly useful for plants to generate energy. For us humans, photosynthesis is the basis of our ability to breathe. Plants improve indoor air quality by removing carbon dioxide from the air and providing oxygen. This is especially important in the bedroom, where more oxygen in the room means: better breathing, better well-being, and maximum performance.
Additionally, plants release large amounts of water through their leaves to water them. This happens in the form of water vapor. This means they also ensure higher humidity. Therefore, adding greenery can offset dry indoor air.
These are two great reasons to add some greenery to your home. But it gets better!

Plants are natural pollutant filters

Some plants have been shown to be able to break down certain pollutants – NASA demonstrated this 30 years ago. In this study, various plants were placed in airtight boxes and exposed to high concentrations of pollutants (trichlorethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, or ammonia). These were measured at different time intervals. The result: Some plants are effective at breaking down certain pollutants. Toxic substances are absorbed through small openings in the leaves, called stomata, and metabolized by the plant itself or released into the soil, where they are transformed by microorganisms.
Ultimately, these plants purify the air and ensure a healthy indoor climate. The aim of the research at the time was to find ways to improve the climate on the space station - something good for the astronauts that wouldn't do any harm to the living room!
In order for indoor plants to fully exert their effectiveness, we recommend placing at least one air purifying plant every 9 cubic meters. Size also matters: the bigger and more leaves, the better!