When the cold comes, we turn on the heaters, forgetting about the norms of air humidity in residential premises. Although our health and how comfortable the stay in the apartment depends on this indicator. How to improve the microclimate in your home?
The concept of air humidity
Taking into account the fact that each person is 80% water, the importance of moisture content in the air cannot be underestimated. Humidity can be absolute or relative.
Let's understand these concepts. Absolute humidity is a measure of the amount of moisture in 1 cubic meter of air. And relative humidity is a value showing the ratio of the actual amount of moisture in the air to its maximum value. That is, to what extent the air is saturated with moisture. And if we talk about this concept in the everyday sense, then usually we mean relative humidity.
It is possible to find out the relative humidity of the air by installing a special hygrometer device in the room. Each room has its own recommended humidity.
Humidity standards in various rooms
The norms of the level of air humidity will be different for different rooms. Consider three options for the norm of moisture: in the apartment, in the nursery and at the workplace.
In the apartment
The norms of air humidity in the apartment are regulated by GOST. According to official sources, the optimal rate of air humidity in an apartment in summer is 60%, and in winter - 45%.
Important! The maximum humidity level should not exceed 60% in winter and 65% in summer. Otherwise, high humidity can cause quite significant harm to health.
It should be understood that the GOST humidity standard is primarily designed for those who design and build buildings, since it is very difficult, but necessary, to build a building so that it is possible to maintain the humidity standard set for the summer period in winter.
The minimum threshold for air humidity in a residential area according to GOST should not fall below 30%. But even with this indicator, the air becomes dry, and dries out all the mucous membranes of a person, which means it is harmful to health. Houseplants also cannot grow with low moisture content. For most indoor plants, the optimal indicator will be in the range from 40 to 70%. 
This standard applies only to residential areas. The bathroom, landing, toilet and pantries are not residential, and therefore these requirements do not apply to them.
For a child's room.
Controlling the humidity and temperature in a child's room is more important than in an adult's room. The child's body is subject to the influence of aggressive environmental factors, and it is harder for him to cope with them.
To protect the child from viruses and various infections, the recommended level of humidity in his room should not be lower than 50%. If the air in the nursery is dry, then the child's body loses moisture at lightning speed. All mucous membranes dry out, they lose their ability to protect the body from infections. The child develops itching, dryness of the nose, eyes, and eventually the skin begins to peel off.
This is interesting! Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician, claims that for a healthy child, the air humidity should be at least 60%, but if the child has a cold infection, then the humidity should be higher and be 70%.
The temperature in the room should not exceed 24 degrees. And ideally, according to Komarovsky, in general, 18. This parameter must be observed at any time of the year. At temperatures above 24 and humidity of 60%, the room will turn into the tropics. And at high air temperature, which is accompanied by high humidity, the body suffers from dehydration and the high temperature is difficult to tolerate.
In the office
There are workplaces where the level of moisture directly depends on the specifics of the work. A striking example is a flower shop with greenhouses. There, the humidity should be as high as possible.
But for offices, the norm of indicators does not differ from the apartment one, and should be from 40 to 60%. If the air is more humidified, then the equipment and documents may become unusable. However, the reverse situation is more common - too dry air, especially during the cold season, the period when the batteries are turned on.
Harm from high and low humidity
The main signs that the room has high humidity:
- misted windows;
- linen that dries for several days;
- fungi;
- mold.
These factors alone make housing unlivable. Most of these factors have a negative impact on human health. Fungal spores, when in contact with food, can cause allergies or even poisoning. They are especially dangerous for young children. A person living in a room with high humidity is more susceptible to infections and diseases.
The reduced level of moisture in the air negatively affects the state of the human body: water evaporates from the body with high intensity, the mucous membranes dry out, the skin becomes dry, itching bothers, the respiratory organs suffer (especially in asthmatics and allergies).
Rationing of air humidity
With an increased moisture content, it is necessary to find and neutralize its source. In different rooms it can be different sources. For a bath, this may be a too hot shower, for a kitchen, intensive cooking or an elementary lack of ventilation. There is a way out of every situation. If the humidity is not increased due to short-term factors and it is impossible to eliminate them, then special chemicals and dehumidifiers and climate control units can be used.
If the humidity is lowered, which is most often found in residential premises when the central heating is turned on in winter, there are several ways to increase it:
- installation of an aquarium or decorative fountain indoors;
- buy indoor plants;
- use heating appliances as little as possible;
- frequent ventilation of the room;
- install a humidifier.
There are options here:
- traditional humidifier. The principle of operation is simple: the built-in fan drives air through the water tank, cleaning it and moisturizing it.
- Steam humidifier. Turning on such a device, the water boils and comes out in the form of steam. Such a humidifier is usually equipped with special nozzles with which inhalations are made. You can use any water, even from the tap.
- ultrasonic humidifier. This device works with the help of a special membrane that transforms water into steam. The only drawback of such humidifiers is the need to use exclusively purified water, or to purchase special cartridges that purify water.
It is important to understand that the optimal microclimate in the apartment is a guarantee of the health of your loved ones and children.
Methods for determining the degree of air humidity with folk remedies
If everything is clear with the measurement of humidity with a special device - a hygrometer, then what about those who do not have the opportunity to purchase this device? Folk methods can come to the rescue.
glass of water
Take a glass cup, pour water into it and place it in the refrigerator for 5 hours. After the time has elapsed, the glass is taken out and placed on the table. Then look at the glass after 5 minutes. If it is foggy, then the humidity is normal. If trickles run along the walls of the glass, it is increased, but if after 5 minutes it is dry, this means that the air is dry.
Azman table
For this method, you will need a thermometer. After measuring and measuring the temperature in the room with a thermometer, wrap it with a piece of wet cloth and leave the thermometer for 5 minutes. After that, it is necessary to enter the dry thermometer indicator into the table in the column vertically, and horizontally write down the difference between the thermometer readings in the wet and dry state. The indicators located at the intersection of these numbers in the table are the humidity of the air.
fir cone
Take a fir cone and a piece of plywood. Attach the bump to the plywood with a nail. Next, you just have to watch. If nothing happens to the bump, the humidity is normal. If the scales begin to shrink, then the indicator is increased. If they open, then the degree of moisture is low.
Houseplants
The following trick for calculating indoor moisture is available to everyone. Pay attention to the tips of the leaves of houseplants. If they dry and break off even despite regular spraying, then the air is dry. Pay attention to your own feelings. With low humidity, most often there are unpleasant sensations in the nose and mucous membranes of the throat.
Whatever indicators you see on the devices, it is very important to ventilate the room or office in which you work. Oxygen always has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the brain, kills fungi, and of course sets a comfortable temperature, eliminating dampness and bacteria from the living room.
