"And parched interiors are not just about chapped lips or dry noses. According to the recommendation of Harvard's School of Public Health, indoor humidity can slow the spread of Covid-19. Ideal indoor humidity should be between 30 percent and 50 percent. And studies suggest that a higher ambient humidity along with warmer temperatures also inhibit the spread of influenza. There's a lot those little humidifiers can do."
"I began researching humidifiers in New York City during the second-longest drought on record. In November my radiators clanked along, blasting my 100-plus-year-old Brooklyn apartment with heat. And according to the hygrometer on my indoor air quality monitors, my humidity was hovering at 32 percent. The inside of my nose was dry, as was my skin. My houseplants needed to be watered more than usual. Brooklyn's Prospect Park had a wildfire that required more than 200 firefighters. This is all to say it was arid."
"Often, they are left with a Paddington Bear-style label with the words, "Still works!" I also see them discarded in the trash. And I, too, am guilty of throwing out more than one humidifier. I give up when I can't seem to clean the gross brown film at the bottom of their tanks. I start out with good intentions, filling them with the recommended distilled water, but I'll eventually switch to tap."
During severe drought conditions, older apartments with radiators often experience very low indoor humidity around 32 percent, causing dry nasal passages, skin irritation, and increased plant watering needs. Low indoor humidity is linked to greater transmission of respiratory viruses; maintaining humidity between 30 and 50 percent can slow Covid-19 spread, and higher humidity with warmer temperatures can inhibit influenza. Humidifiers can mitigate dry indoor air but are frequently abandoned due to difficulties cleaning brown film and mineral deposits. Using distilled water, filters, and cleaning with citric acid can reduce white dust and extend humidifier use.
Read at WIRED
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