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But did you know that dry air can cause not only sinus and airway irritation, but also makes the dust lighter and easier for it to circulate? That’s right-dry air can actually increase pollution in a home or any indoor area. So other than using a good air purifier, another trick you can use to keep dust, allergies, asthma-and your indoor air quality–more under control is to use a quality room air purifier.
Why? Well, as we just described above, dry air increases the amount of dust and other allergens in the air, so adding a little moisture not only soothes dry nasal, sinus, asthma and respiratory symptoms but also makes those dust particles a little heavier so they don’t float around as well.
Most homes have dry air from time to time, and if you have a humidity meter or hygrometer, you’ll probably notice that when the humidity drops to 25% or less, you’ve got more dust floating around-and your allergies, sneezing, coughing, all increase, too. How much moisture do you need? It’s pretty simple-just set the humidifier to 35% and see how that goes first. If you notice a difference, leave it there for a while.
If you’re still having about the same amount of symptoms, increase it to about 40 or 45%. That’s usually about the maximum humidity you’ll want for your home. It’s enough to add soothing moisture and keep the dust down, but not too much (above 55%) that would tend to feed mold or bacteria growth. Any wood furniture you have likes indoor humidity of around 45-55% too, so you’ll keep them looking newer, less likely to have cracked finishes, as well, by using a humidifier.
So, while we do recommend that you filter the air in your home or room to remove as much dust as possible, we also recommend using a top-rated room humidifier to keep dry air from unwittingly causing you more problems and keep even more of that dust out of the air you’re breathing every day.