What is the danger of dry indoor air. We humidify the air in the apartment without using a special humidifier. The effect of dry air on the interior

Few people think that dry indoor air is a rather serious problem. But it is precisely this that takes place in modern offices and apartments. The main causes of dry air are air conditioners, poor ventilation, central heating, lack of ventilation, and in offices - also a large number of people in the same room. Naturally, all these factors affect health and appearance as well as human performance.

What causes dry indoor air

Often we ignore various problems, taking them for granted. For example, dust in the apartment. Indeed, it seems, well, where does so much dust come from in the apartment, especially in the cold season? The fact is that heating batteries with the help of convection, they help to circulate heated air around the room - dust and microbes also “travel” with it, which settle not only in prominent places, but also enter the human respiratory tract. Hence - allergies and various infections.

At the same time, convection currents, among other things, remove moisture from the air, increasing its temperature - this is detrimental not only to humans, but also to furniture.

What are the dangers of dry indoor air?

1. A lot of dust

Dry air will never bind dust, besides, if the apartment is hot, there will be a lot of dust, and it will fly in the air, settling not only on objects and furniture, but also on the respiratory tract of a person. This leads to the development of allergies and asthma.

2.Diseases

Due to dry air, the human body does not receive enough oxygen, so people experience chronic fatigue, drowsiness, impaired concentration, and there is a high risk of contracting airborne infections. Against this background, a serious illness may even occur.

3.Susceptibility to various infections

Dry air leads to the fact that the self-cleaning of the bronchial tube is disturbed, and this, in turn, makes a person susceptible to respiratory diseases.

4. Dryness of the skin

Dry air accelerates the evaporation of moisture from the skin, which makes it dry and rough, irritated and tight, ugly and flaky.

5. Dry mucous membranes

Those who wear contact lenses feel it especially quickly and sharply - just a couple of hours in a room with dry air and pain in the eyes begins.

6. Decreased performance

7. Thirst

8.Cracks in wooden objects

Dry air leads to the fact that wooden furniture, and in general objects made of wood, dry out, they begin to deform, which may cause cracks and loss of their original appearance.

9. Drying out of parquet

10. Out of tune instruments

Of course, not everyone has musical instruments, so this item will only attract the attention of musicians: this happens from a lack of humidity.

Ways to deal with dry air

1.Most effective method solutions to such a problem as dry indoor air is humidifier. True, this method is also the most expensive. Nevertheless, experts say that it's worth it - in a couple of days it will become much easier to breathe indoors.

2. Try regularly ventilate room - at least three times a day for ten minutes.

3. Definitely a lot drink– at least eight glasses of water per day. At the same time, it is better to refuse coffee, since this drink, on the contrary, dehydrates the body.

4.Spend daily wet cleaning - wipe the floor, furniture, window sills and, most importantly, batteries with a wet cloth. So you not only get rid of dust, but also noticeably moisten the air.

5.Start indoor flowers that can humidify the air. For these purposes, especially suitable house fern, indoor linden, fatsia, ficus, cyperus, hibiscus and dracaena. All these plants will change the air in the room in a positive way.

6. If you work a lot at the computer, buy moisturizing eye drops. This must also be done if you wear contact lenses, however, you first need to make sure that the drops can be combined with wearing lenses.

7.Hang on the radiator wet towel, as it dries, it will need to be moistened again. Place some container with water next to the radiator: a bowl or even a bucket.

8.Start aquarium. Moreover, it is not at all necessary with fish, instead of them you can “get” underwater plants.

9. Buy decorative fountain. By turning it on, even from time to time, you will soon see that the air is not so dry.

10.Open windows on the mode " ventilation' when it's raining outside.

11.Purchase thermal water and spray yourself (this will especially help those who have to be in the office all day). You can also spray the air around you with a spray bottle - with the consent of colleagues, of course.

The most acutethe problem of dry air becomes in winter. The windows in the apartments are tightly closed, heating system working at full capacity. Thus, the air in the room is literally fried. But why is the lack of humidity in the air so harmful to a person, and is it only for him?

70% of our body is water. Therefore, in order to maintain a normal life, a person needs favorable conditions. And this means 40-60% humidity in the air.

“If the humidity is less, then this is poor health and dust, and if it is more, dampness and various fungi,” says Alexei Bulychev, Deputy Director Trading house "Thermotechnika". — usually in winter time indoor air humidity is about 22%. This is even lower than in the Sahara desert, where the humidity is 25%. By the way, frequent airing of the room also contributes to the unfavorable microclimate in the house. Even if the humidity both outside and in the house is normal, the air that gets inside will only “dry out” the room.

Why is this happening? Because relative humidity is tied to a specific temperature. If the relative humidity is 90% outside at -20 degrees, this is in any case less than 50% humidity at +20 degrees. Indeed, in such a case, in one cubic meter air on the street will contain only 1 gram of water, and at home 9. Street air, mixed with what was in the apartment, will lower its relative humidity.

Health

If the airindoors is dry, then the “transportation” of oxygen into the circulatory system is difficult. As a result, a person constantly feels drowsiness and increased fatigue, while often not understanding where the poor health came from. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Have you noticed that sometimes, waking up in the morning, you are surprised by a runny nose from nowhere? It's simple: if a person breathes dry air for a long time, his susceptibility to various infections increases. Due to dry air, the nasal mucosa and bronchial tubes cannot self-cleanse as efficiently as with air of normal humidity. As a result, the body encounters infections and various respiratory diseases with almost a “welcome” wish. This is especially true of the smallest, whose immunity is weaker than that of adults. After all, it is not for nothing that even in the room of newborns it is recommended to hang wet linen to make the air more humid.

— Dry air is also bad for skin health. When you stay in such a room for a long time, the skin becomes like rubber. The reason is that due to the lack of moisture, evaporation from the skin is accelerated. Therefore, it quickly becomes rough and dry,” explains Alexei Bulychev.

House

Dry air is bad not only for man, but also for his home. He is able to spoil parquet, wooden furniture, doors and much more from what should create comfort in the house. When the air lacks moisture, it "sucks" it from the surrounding objects.

— In winter wooden doors dry out, and cracks often appear on the material. And in the spring, on the contrary, they swell. If the level of humidity in the room is constantly maintained, such problems will not arise, - says Aleksey Bulychev.

Insufficient hydration air can harm not only furniture, but also flowers. In such conditions, they turn yellow faster. After all, the bulk of indoor plants are adapted to the conditions of their native subtropics and tropics. And the humidity in those parts reaches 90%.

And finally dry air indoors - the main carrier of dust. Working in conjunction with hot heaters in the house, it scatters small particles throughout the house. As a result, not only more often there is a need to do wet cleaning, but also exacerbate various diseases such as asthma and allergies.

Humidifiers

Raise the humidity level indoor air can different ways. Some of them were used by our mothers and grandmothers. Put a glass of water on the battery, hang wet linen in the room, place a basin of water under the heater. These methods may work, but the effect will not be permanent.

Besides, we live in the XXI century, and today many ways have been invented that allow you to make the microclimate in the house the most favorable and constantly maintain it.For example, household humidifiers. They are divided into several types.

Traditional Humidifiers

They are also called cold humidifiers. Such devices humidify the air in a natural way. First, water is poured into a special tank, which then enters the evaporation elements. At the same time, dry air is sucked in from the room by the fan, which is passed under pressure through the evaporative elements. Thus, moisture enters the air.

Steam humidifiers

According to the principle of work steam humidifiers remind Electric kettle. The water in the appliance heats up to the boiling point and begins to evaporate. At the same time, the air is effectively humidified. However, these humidifiers have one feature. — they must be placed at a safe distance from people. Otherwise, you may get burned.

Ultrasonic Humidifiers

This humidifier with ultrasonic vibrations breaks water into tiny droplets. With the help of a fan, air is sucked into the device and under pressure is passed through this mist. Humidified air is thrown back into the room in the form of fog. At the same time, the temperature of water and air remains unchanged.

All these devices are quite effective. But of course they cost money.

But there is also a cheaper one. Alternative option, which can be used both as an additional and as the main source of air humidification.

Alexey Bulychev shared own experience using inexpensive humidifiers:

— We used to have only ultrasonic humidifiers at home. When the appliances were running, the humidity level in the room was 35%. This is more than usual, but still not enough. But one day I noticed the classic humidifiers that our company began to sell. These are simple cassettes that are mounted on batteries using special fasteners. And if there is water in them, they evaporate it, saturating the air with moisture particles. When I got an additional humidifier at home, the problem of dry air was finally solved. In one day, the hygrometer began to show 45% humidity.

I understandthat it is not necessary to buy expensive appliances to make the microclimate of your home more comfortable. Even these compact cassettes can work great if you choose the right amount of humidifier for the amount of square meters in the house. These are worth simple devices from 250 rubles depending on the volume.

Feeling the efficiency classic humidifiers, Alexey decided to take care of the favorable microclimate in educational institutions their children:

— I bought 4 household humidifiers for kindergarten which my children attend. They used to come home sluggish after class. And now, on the contrary, they are full of strength. They even hurt less. And, accordingly, less money was spent on medicines. I myself feel that my health has improved: you get out of bed refreshed, there is no drowsiness during the day and no fatigue in the evening.

Creating a favorable microclimate in the house , people always begin to feel the difference between what was and what has become. So, for example, some of them even disappear allergies, which tormented for years. Indeed, sometimes you can make only a small change in life to make it much easier and more enjoyable.

02.08.2017 0 1 555 views

For a comfortable stay in the room, it must be supported certain conditions, including optimal humidity. And how to humidify the air in a room without a humidifier at home? This is quite possible if you know and use effective methods.

Harm of dry air in the apartment

The normal indicator of air humidity ranges from 40-60%. And not only an increase in the level, but also its decrease can negatively affect the microclimate of the room, as well as the health and well-being of residents. And if at high humidity and dampness increase the risks of formation, then a reduced rate can lead to no less serious problems.

To understand the reason for raising the humidity level, we need to consider the harm that lowering it can cause. Here are some problems and risks:

1. Increased stress on the respiratory system. Firstly, due to excessively dry air, the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract suffer, which begin to thin and become irritated, which causes symptoms such as a dry obsessive cough, perspiration. Secondly, due to low humidity, it can become more difficult to remove sputum and small particles from the lungs that enter them during breathing, which will lead to the development of bronchitis or even pneumonia.
2. Work disruptions of cardio-vascular system. The human body is largely made up of water, and it is part of the blood and other biological fluids, and is also present in all tissues. With a lack of fluid, the blood can thicken, which affects the work of the organ that pumps it - the heart.
3. It is especially important to ensure sufficient humidity for a newborn, because in the womb he was in a humid environment, and a sharp change in conditions can become a serious stress and a real test for the body.
4. The mucous membrane of the eyes becomes thinner and depleted, which provokes the occurrence of symptoms such as dryness, cramps, redness, severe discomfort. Particularly susceptible to these manifestations are people who work at a computer or use contact lenses.
5. Dryness and peeling of the skin. The skin is in dire need of moisture and absorb it not only from the body, but also from environment. With insufficient hydration and water deficiency, tissues will be depleted, lose elasticity and firmness, and age and wear out much faster.
6. Increased risk of nosebleeds. Due to the thinning of the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity due to excessively dry air, the capillaries will become more vulnerable and brittle, which can lead to damage.
7. Brittleness of hair and nails. Their condition largely depends on environmental conditions, and with a lack of moisture, it can noticeably worsen.
8. Cooling of the body, significant heat loss. Dry air retains and retains heat very poorly, so in such conditions people can freeze faster and harder, especially during the cold season. In addition, a room with low humidity is not easy to warm up to create comfortable atmosphere which automatically increases power consumption.
9. Dry air can spoil interior elements. So, it provokes drying and subsequent cracking. wooden furniture and some musical instruments, provokes a significant electrification synthetic materials, and also accelerates the wear of carpets and fur products, reducing their service life.
10. Static household electrical appliances in conditions of reduced humidity, it prevents the settling of dust and other small airborne particles. As a result, a feeling of dusting the room is created.
11. Dry air affects pets, which also need moisture.
12. Particles of water contained in the air provide complete moistening of the ground parts of indoor plants. Therefore, with a reduced level of humidity, flowers can wither and dry out, shed their leaves and lose their decorative properties.
13. The decline in the level important indicator can provoke an exacerbation of allergies or chronic diseases.

How can you tell if the air in a room is dry?

How to understand if you need to humidify the air? To do this, assess the level of humidity and identify its decrease. Most often, the problem occurs in winter and is caused by the active use of heating devices that stimulate accelerated evaporation and dry out the air in the room. But how do you know when it's time to act?

The state of health and well-being of residents can tell about the change and deterioration of the microclimate in the room. Dry air often provokes an unreasonable dry cough and a sensation of sore throat, dry eyes, their redness, pain and discomfort.

In addition, due to the thinning of the mucous membranes, the natural protective barrier weakens. human body, which often results in colds and various infections, immunity decreases. Peeling of the skin and a decrease in their elasticity, brittle hair and delamination of the nail plates are also observed.

Assess the condition of indoor plants. If they grow slowly, and their leaves dry up, turn yellow, curl and fall off, this is probably due to a lack of moisture. You can watch your pets. The main indicator of their well-being and health is the nose: if it is dry, then the pet is experiencing discomfort, and the humidity level in the room is significantly reduced.

To assess the humidity of the air, you can use a specialized device that measures this indicator - a hygrometer. But if you do not have it, then you can independently conduct a simple experiment.

Cool a glass or other glass container in the refrigerator and keep it away from heaters and other heat sources. If the resulting condensation is completely dry after five to ten minutes, this means that the air is dry and urgent action must be taken.

How to humidify the air without a humidifier? Basic techniques

Humidify the air without a humidifier at home in several ways:

1. Spray water by spraying it all over the rooms with a spray bottle. In this way, you can moisten curtains and curtains, carpets, houseplants.
2. You can arrange containers filled with water in the room. And they must be open so that moisture evaporates freely and saturates the air. Vessels can be placed on windowsills or near heating appliances. But regular water changes are required to prevent it from blooming and bad smell. And to speed up the evaporation process, you can place a basin under the battery, place one end of the bandage or piece of fabric in it, and place the other on the heater.
3. Regular drying of linen in the rooms. If the washed things are not dried in the bathroom or on the balcony, but in all areas of the house or apartment, this will increase the humidity. But in order for it to be constantly maintained at an optimal level, linen will have to be washed often and in significant volumes. To speed up the process, you can place it near heating devices. Also, don't squeeze things too hard. And if you wash them in washing machine, do not turn on the spin mode.
4. In winter, you can cover batteries and other heating devices with a damp cloth. Under the influence of heat, moisture will actively evaporate and pass into the air, improving its characteristics. But do not let water get into electrical devices: this may cause them to break and short circuit. The material should be moderately moistened, and constantly, so wet it regularly (if the moisture level drops significantly, daily or even twice a day).
5. Use indoor plants that humidify the air. In general, almost all of them synthesize oxygen, and also evaporate moisture absorbed by the roots through the leaves. But some flowers are especially useful from this point of view. It is logical that the more foliage a plant has, and the denser and juicier it is, the more water it will release. Choose flowers such as ficus, hibiscus, saintpaulia, dracaena, monstera, nephrolepis, sheflera, phytonia, orchid, cyperus, hypoestes and other similar ones. Arrange several pots on a windowsill or piece of furniture. And if you have a glazed and insulated balcony or loggia, then this space can be turned into a winter garden.
6. A decorative miniature domestic pond, such as a fountain or waterfall. It not only normalizes the level of humidity, but also additionally decorates the interior of the room.
7. You can install an aquarium that will act as a natural humidifier and give pleasure to all residents of a house or apartment thanks to the aquatic inhabitants in it. Evaporation of moisture is carried out both through the open surface and during the operation of the filtration equipment. But the aquarium is, first of all, a habitat for fish and other creatures, so it will need constant care. In addition, in order to achieve full hydration, you should choose a container of significant volumes.
8. Frequent ventilation. To maintain a comfortable microclimate, it is recommended to ventilate the room at least two to three times a day. Moreover, such a procedure becomes especially effective in the summer, as well as in the off-season, when precipitation often falls. In winter, in severe frost, the air outside is dry, so ventilation will not achieve the desired effect. For humidification, it is recommended to open all windows or vents for at least fifteen to twenty minutes, and preferably for a longer period of time.
9. To increase the level of humidity with your own hands, you can carry out regular and fairly frequent wet cleaning. This procedure allows not only to remove dirt from all surfaces, but also to stimulate the evaporation of moisture. Cleaning should include obligatory mopping and dusting with a damp cloth. It is undesirable to use chemical detergents, they are necessary only in case of severe contamination. You also need to regularly wipe the leaves of plants, on which dust also settles. Cleaning should be carried out twice a week, and in the children's room more often - best of all every other day or even daily.

Video: 5 ways to humidify the air.

The human body is open system, which interacts with the environment every second. Therefore, the parameters of the surrounding world greatly affect the health and activity of a person. One of the most important parameters for us is the humidity. Scientists and doctors have proven that the effect of dry air on breathing is negative. Also, dry air dries out the skin and dehydrates the body as a whole.

Why is the air dry

Dry air is characteristic of the desert climate. But we do not live in the desert, but in temperate and northern latitudes. A hundred years ago, the problem of dry air did not exist. It appeared with the growth of cities and the construction of multi-storey buildings. The materials used actively absorb moisture from the air. Heating methods in winter and imperfect ventilation create a poor microclimate in the premises with extremely low humidity of about 30%. Additionally, air is dried by electric Appliances. Newfangled ceiling radiators and wall radiators especially dry the air.

But dry air is not always harmful. For example, dry air makes it easier to carry high temperature environment. And all this is due to the intensive process of evaporation, including through breathing.

The effect of dry air on the respiratory system

It should be noted that dry air has fewer contraindications than waterlogged air. But if the relative humidity in the room is less than 10%, this leads to serious disturbances in the functioning of the lungs, and has a bad effect on the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth. Leads to exacerbation bronchial asthma and other respiratory diseases.

In summer, the optimal air humidity is 60-75%, in winter 55-70%. But in modern concrete houses such humidity is not retained. In dry weather, humidity in spring and summer does not exceed 40%, during the heating period in autumn and winter it drops to 25-30%. Children are most affected by dry air. And the younger they are, the more detrimental the dry air is. Low humidity can lead to degeneration of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract - especially the nose. This leads to easier penetration of various infections and dust into the body. Other possible adverse effects are chronic runny nose, frequent bleeding due to increased fragility of small vessels, especially during the heating season.

Even in perfectly healthy people, dry air makes it difficult to breathe because less oxygen enters the lungs. The lungs begin to work in an unusual mode. As a result, health deteriorates, toxins accumulate in the blood, and metabolic processes are disrupted. This is especially characteristic of throat infections, prolonged unpleasant perspiration without fever. The weakened throat is attacked by sore throats.

As a result of dehydration due to dry air, the bronchial and ear-throat-nasal regions are affected. The mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract lose their protective function. The thinnest vegetation covering them, called the respiratory epithelium, is destroyed. adults to recover protective functions respiratory organs and improve overall well-being, it is enough to increase the humidity of the air with improvised means: air humidifiers, water containers, wet rags on the battery. But it is dangerous for children to be in a dry room for more than 4-7 days, especially for babies. Large-scale studies by Swiss scientists have shown that almost two times fewer children fell ill with acute respiratory diseases and influenza in kindergartens with 50% humidity than in ordinary dry rooms without additional moisture. The ideal humidity is 50-60%.

Does the child often get sick, does he have an allergy, or is his nose stuffed up all the time for some reason? The doctor advised to strengthen the immune system and you ran to the pharmacy for a new miraculous drug? Or maybe the baby does not sleep well, is naughty and you think that all this is from cutting teeth or magnetic storms? Start with the simplest: check the microclimate of your home, in particular, the humidity of the air. It turns out that it is dry air - common cause and sickness and poor health in children.

1 reduces immunity

The mucous membranes of the nasal cavity are our first and very important barrier to bacteria and various viruses. It is the nasal mucosa that every second contacts with huge amount various microbes, but since mucus is constantly formed in the nose, it prevents them from entering the child's body. This ability of the mucous membranes is called local immunity. But the nasal mucosa can protect against infections only if it is well hydrated, and if the nose dries out, the work of local immunity is disrupted. Then bacteria and viruses easily overcome the protective barrier of weakened local immunity, and the likelihood that the child will fall ill upon contact with the infection immediately increases. So that main enemy local immunity and one of the reasons that the child often gets sick is dry air.

2 contributes to allergies

And dry air in the house is very harmful for children prone to allergic reactions. Not only does the mucous membrane of the nose and mouth dry out, which makes the body immediately more susceptible to various allergens, including dust. So also the dust itself in rooms where the humidity is very low, practically does not settle, but constantly hangs in the air. Plus, animal hair, plant pollen, small particles from clothes, any household items in the house are also added to it. And the child constantly inhales all this. If the air had normal humidity, dust and other allergens would settle on the floor faster and the baby would not breathe all sorts of filth.

3 does not allow the nose to breathe

If the air in the house is too warm and dry and the mucous membranes dry up, then the body must somehow respond to this. His first reaction is that the nasal mucosa secretes a secret to protect itself from drying out. But since the air is constantly dry, the nose begins to secrete more and more secretions - as a result, a runny nose or nasal congestion appears. Moreover, there may not be so-called snot - just a child either “grunts” with his nose all the time, or sniffs at it. There may be another situation: at some point, the mucous membrane dries out completely, crusts form in it, which clog the nose even more. By the way, in babies, the nasal passages are still narrow and short, and if puffiness, congestion or dry crusts are added to them, then it becomes even harder for the child to breathe.

4 interferes with sleep and enjoy life

The drier the air, the less oxygen it contains. And the lack of oxygen (hypoxia) primarily affects nervous system. In an adult, a headache often begins, concentration of attention decreases, and fatigue increases. Small children, due to a lack of oxygen, become more irritable, more naughty and sleep worse. So a child may cry not at all because of teeth or a magnetic storm, it is simply hypoxia that affects him. Difficulty breathing due to dry mucous membranes is added to the lack of oxygen - this is why the baby is either restless in a dream, or wakes up all the time, or cannot fall asleep at all for a long time. And very often a child drinks water or milk at night not at all because he is hungry, but simply because his mouth is dry.

5 prevents eating

How do babies eat? Sucking mother's breast
or a bottle, that is, their mouth is busy all the time.
And try to suck something if your nose is stuffed up, it has dry crusts or even snot. The baby starts to eat, and all the time he has to stop, because he also needs to breathe.
And mom does not understand why suddenly the baby then
lets go of the chest, then pounces on it again. Thinks that the problem is in her (incorrectly gives the breast or the shape of the nipple is not the right one), or in general
begins to fear that there is not enough milk. And all
simple: the child's nose is either dry or clogged.

6 what to do

The child feels most comfortable at a temperature of 20-22 ° C and an air humidity of 50-70%. But in winter, when the batteries are working at full capacity, the temperature in the house reaches 25-28 ° C, and the humidity drops to 20%. You can find out about this if you buy a thermometer along with a hygrometer: they will show both the temperature in the room and its humidity.
To create the right microclimate in the room, you must:
- At least once a day, do wet cleaning in the baby's room (just wash the floor, the point here is not so much in cleanliness as in moistening the house).
- Ventilate the room at least 4-6 times a day for 10 minutes. Humidity, if it's frosty outside, will not increase (at low temperatures outside, the air is also usually dry), but it will add oxygen.
- If the batteries are regulated, then do not turn them on full power.
- Buy a humidifier and use it regularly. If this is not possible, then it is necessary to humidify the air in the house. folk remedies: hang up wet towels near heating radiators (does not last long, but this is at least something); put wide containers of water near the battery; just keep spraying clean water from a spray bottle.
- Moisturize the child's nose with pharmacy saline solutions. Soften the crusts in the nose and remove them.