Those dry winter months: an aromatic solution

In the absence of a humidifier, a great way to get rid of some of the dryness in the house during the cold months is to take some of your older aromatic spices and fruit scraps and simmer them in a pot on the stove. The spices lose freshness after 6 months or so, depending on how they're stored, but they'll still give up some aroma if simmered.

Mace, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and all of the other dessert/baking spices work well. Orange peels, lemon peels and other fresh smelling fruits that would otherwise be destined for the compost pile or garbage can can get tossed into the pot, too.

Also if you have an upper respiratory or sinus cold, boil 10-12 cinnamon sticks and a palm full of fresh thinly sliced ginger root for 45min-hour. Then stir in a tablespoon or 2 of natural clover or orange blossom honey. Breathe in the vapors until it's cool enough to sip. 2-4 servings (reheated as needed to serve hot) over 12-48 hours will knock it out better than any OTC med.

You've invented potpourri!

RossD wrote: You've invented potpourri!

Nah, just a reminder.

In reply to Brett_Murphy:

Dad's solution that I am thinking about recreating.

put a switchable y on the vent for the (electric) clothes dryer, in winter route to the side of a drywall bucket with a (washable) foam filter over the opening inside the house. Free moist air.

In reply to Apexcarver:

Does it have to be a switchblade? Or will a fixed blade, say a small bowie, work as well?

Apexcarver wrote: Dad's solution that I am thinking about recreating. put a switchable y on the vent for the (electric) clothes dryer, in winter route to the side of a drywall bucket with a (washable) foam filter over the opening inside the house. Free moist air.

They already make a dryer vent hose tee that allows the warm moist air into the house. It will put so much moisture into the air that all your windows will be fogged over.

I have a whole house humidifier. Turned it on to 30-35% humidity.. Hasn't turned on yet, and it's still too dry in here and my floors squeak. Go higher and I get window fogging/Ice. Go lower.. nosebleeds..

Time to boil some water, I am frankly surprised some of my static sparks haven't started any small fires.

EastCoastMojo wrote: Time to boil some water, I am frankly surprised some of my static sparks haven't started any small fires.

Funny story about winter static.

I moved to Canada from Puerto Rico in the middle of winter. No such thing as low humidity or static electricity sparks in Puerto Rico.

I spent my fist winter in Canada terrified of touching anything.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: I have a whole house humidifier. Turned it on to 30-35% humidity.. Hasn't turned on yet, and it's still too dry in here and my floors squeak. Go higher and I get window fogging/Ice. Go lower.. nosebleeds..

30-35% is dry,

You want at least 45%, I usually go around 50%.

In reply to mndsm:

D2w states why the switchable is desirable. So that you can modulate the amount of humidity.

If you want to be a total engineer nerd, hook the y up to a linear actuator rigged to a humidistadt...

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: I have a whole house humidifier. Turned it on to 30-35% humidity.. Hasn't turned on yet, and it's still too dry in here and my floors squeak. Go higher and I get window fogging/Ice. Go lower.. nosebleeds..

30% is dry. That is the average humidity in Las Vegas.

The window fogging/ice on windows is an indication of poor insulation around the windows, or bad windows--it means that the glass itself is very cold compared to the rest of the house.

FWIW, I have a whole house humidifier, and 2 of my rooms get their own humidifiers as well--my guitar room that I keep at 45-60% humidity year round, and my bedroom--I just turn that on when I go to bed.

Dew point, not the percentage of humidity is what matters. A 35 degree dew point at 70 degrees in the house is 50% humidity, but would still cause a heavy frost outside in 25 degree weather and be raw on one's throat.

In reply to mtn:

Or it's negative 12 outside. Welcome to Minnesota.

You need to adjust relative humidity based upon outside air temp. It's a new house with spray foam insulation, new windows and sealed pretty well. It's just the outside conditions are crazy.

http://www.rmsab.com/articles/proper-indoor-humidity/

Y'all are welcome to as much humidity as you like. Come get it.

--Basil from Houston

Apexcarver wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: I have a whole house humidifier. Turned it on to 30-35% humidity.. Hasn't turned on yet, and it's still too dry in here and my floors squeak. Go higher and I get window fogging/Ice. Go lower.. nosebleeds..

30-35% is dry, You want at least 45%, I usually go around 50%.

Watch your outside air temps!

Above 50 °F Not over 50%
Above 20 °F Not over 40%
Between 10º & 20ºF Not over 35%
Between 0º & 10ºF Not over 30%
Between -10º & 0ºF Not over 25%
Between -20º & –10ºF Not over 20%
-20ºF or below Not over 15%

Osterkraut wrote:

Apexcarver wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: I have a whole house humidifier. Turned it on to 30-35% humidity.. Hasn't turned on yet, and it's still too dry in here and my floors squeak. Go higher and I get window fogging/Ice. Go lower.. nosebleeds..

30-35% is dry, You want at least 45%, I usually go around 50%.

Watch your outside air temps! Above 50 °F Not over 50% Above 20 °F Not over 40% Between 10º & 20ºF Not over 35% Between 0º & 10ºF Not over 30% Between -10º & 0ºF Not over 25% Between -20º & –10ºF Not over 20% -20ºF or below Not over 15%

Osterkrsut is correct. Our night time low is aroun -9 to -15 with a day time high in single digits if we are lucky. So 30% I stay.

Yeah my humidistat is low enough that I'm getting a static shock now and again but only have a small amount of water on only some of the windows. Any higher and we have water pooling in the back room (as it was an added on room with no perimeter insulation and slab on grade). I'm talking -15°F outdoor air temp with good double pane windows with low e coating and green tint. Yeah Wisconsin Winter Weather! My humidistat also has that chart on it that Osterkraut posted.