What is the ideal humidity in your home?

What exactly is humidity?

Humidity is a measure of the amount of moisture in the air. People often use relative humidity, which is expressed as a percentage. This is the ratio between the amount of water vapour in the air and the maximum amount of water vapour that can be in the air.

When there is a lot of water vapour in the air, the humidity is high, and vice versa, when there is little water vapour in the air, the humidity is low.

Temperature also plays an important role in humidity. The warmer the air, the more water vapour it can contain.

The ideal humidity in the home

Humidity that is too high or too low can be uncomfortable at certain temperatures. In an aeroplane, humidity can drop by as much as 5%. This means you can lose up to 1.5 litres of moisture during a 3-hour flight. In the bathroom, humidity can rise to 100%, which can lead to mould growth.

The optimum level of humidity in your home is between 40% and 60%. You can easily measure the humidity in your home yourself with a hygrometer.

Causes of poor humidity at home

Poor humidity in your home can have several causes. For example, humidity levels are naturally lower in the winter months than in the summer. In summer, for example, air conditioning often makes the air drier.

Poor ventilation can also have an effect on humidity. An average family produces around 10 litres of moisture a day just by being in the house, cooking, washing and showering. If this is not properly ventilated, the result can be high humidity.

Consequences of low humidity levels at home

Insufficient humidity in the home can result in:

• Dry skin and throat, burning eyes, chapped lips
• Headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating
• Shrinking or cracking of wooden window frames, floors, and furniture

Tips to prevent low humidity levels

The following tips can be used to increase low humidity levels:

• Having enough plants (preferably with large leaves) in your home will ensure that humidity levels are maintained
• Hang water trays on your radiators and fill them regularly with water
• Buy a humidifier that automatically keeps theair moist enough.

Consequences of high humidity levels at home

On the other hand, excessive humidity in the house is not desirable either. This can have the following consequences:

• An increase in bacteria and fungi in the home
• Sweling or rotting of wooden furniture, window frames, and floors
• Heat discomfort: the human body cannot properly dissipate body heat when humidity levels are too high
• Increased heating costs: it takes more energy to heat humid air than dry air.

Tips to prevent high humidity levels

The following tips can be used to decrease high humidity levels:

• Make sure your home has good, natural ventilation. Open your windows against each other so that there is a good breeze. This will remove moisture from your home and reduce humidity
• Turn your cooker hood to the highest setting when cooking. It also helps to keep the lid on the pan as much as possible to reduce moisture release
• Make sure you always have a window open while showering, allowing moisture to escape. Do you have a mechanical ventilation system in your bathroom? Then don't forget to turn it on before you step into the shower.

Want to know more about humidity at home?

Do you have questions about the humidity in your house? Then feel free to contact us, we will be happy to answer your questions. Want to know more about a comfortable indoor climate? Read our other blogs.