Anybody who knows how a humidifier works will worry about whether it can damage furniture. Water sprays may be observed when a humidifier releases humidity into the atmosphere. Too much moisture may cause several home surfaces to face some damage.
No, a humidifier that produces the required humidity and has no leaks cannot damage your furniture. A humidifier can only damage furniture when it releases too much humidity. Also, humidifier leaks can cause damage to the surface the humidifier is standing on.
This article focus on explaining whether a humidifier is capable of damaging furniture. Some discussed topics include How High Humidity Affects Furniture, How to Protect Furniture from a Humidifier, Can Low Humidity Levels Affect Furniture, and others. The article ends by responding to frequently asked questions.
How High Humidity Affects Furniture
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Too much humidity in your house is something to be concerned about. Swelling is the first effect of too much moisture on furniture. The swelling causes the furniture surface to split or crack, especially on the wooden joints.
The cracking will also be observed on other wood surfaces, such as wooden floors, doors, and window frames. Such damages may be difficult to reverse even after you ensure the room is back to normal humidity levels.
It is therefore essential to measure the humidity levels of a room before using a humidifier. As well, you can get yourself a humidifier with an inbuilt hygrometer. Ensure a waterproof cover, towel, or plastic tray is placed on top of a wooden surface carrying your humidifier.
The waterproof surface, towel, or plastic tray ensures that the water spills from the humidifier do not stay in contact with the wooden surface. The water can also easily be wiped off.
How to Protect Furniture from a Humidifier
Your furniture does not necessarily need protection from your humidifier. The only protection they require is from the humidity produced by the humidifier. Below are simple strategies to protect your furniture.
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Measure humidity levels
The appropriate humidity level of a room should be 30% to 50%. Higher humidity levels should be dealt with immediately before they affect your furniture. Use a hygrometer or other homemade methods to measure the humidity levels.
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Only use a humidifier when it is required
Do not let your humidifier run all the time. Ensure the humidifier is only on when your home requires humidity.
- Get a humidifier with an inbuilt hygrometer
A humidifier with an inbuilt hygrometer will measure the humidity levels in your room before running. When the humidity levels are normal, it automatically stops running until the humidity is needed again. With such a humidifier, you don’t have to worry about humidity causing harm to your furniture.
Can Low Humidity Levels Affect Furniture
As much as high humidity levels are bad for furniture in your home or office, low humidity levels are also similarly dangerous. Therefore, the perfect way to ensure furniture is not affected by either low or high humidity levels, consider balancing the humidity levels.
High humidity will cause your furniture to swell due to moisture absorption. In contrast, low humidity will cause your furniture to shrink due to the loss of too much moisture via evaporation.
The dry air causes damage to the finishing of the furniture’s, eventually weakening and cracking. It’s not just your furniture that will fall victim to low humidity in the air. You and the rest of your family members will also suffer from respiratory issues brought about by bacteria found in dry air.
Balance the humidity levels of your room by ensuring they are between 30% and 50%. That way, no low or high humidity levels will affect the status of your furniture.
What Humidity Levels are Suitable for Furniture
The best humidity level for furniture in your house is between 30% to 50%. You would be surprised at how much lower or higher levels than the ones mentioned will affect your furniture.
To prevent your furniture from absorbing too much moisture to the point of swelling and bursting, ensure the humidity levels of a room are not above 50%.
To prevent the same furniture from becoming too dry and cracking due to too little moisture in the air, do not allow the room’s humidity levels to go below 30%.
Is it Okay to Place a Humidifier on a Wooden Surface
You can place a humidifier on any wooden surface, for instance, a wooden table or nightstand. However, putting a plastic waterproof cover on the wooden surface is always advisable before placing your humidifier on it.
The plastic waterproof cover will protect the wooden surface from the humidifier’s spills of water and moisture. You can always use a plastic tray if you have no waterproof cover. Use a towel to wipe off the water from the surface
Wooden surfaces do not always do so well in the presence of water; the water causes too much humidity that damages the surface or even causes mold growth. Suppose you do not have either a plastic waterproof cover or tray. Align a towel below the humidifier.
That way, the towel will absorb water droplets or spills from the humidifier. The towel will act as a protective cover for the wooden surface. However, ensure to change the towels frequently and not to allow the wet towel to remain on the wooden surface for too long.
Where is the Best Place to Run a Humidifier
Where you place your humidifier also contributes to how they might affect the furniture in your home. Therefore ensure a humidifier is placed where it is highly required. For instance, those who have trouble sleeping and snore too much may consider placing a humidifier in their bedrooms.
If you are placing it in the bed, place it at least 3 feet from the bed. So that it does not releases humidity too close to your face.
Whether you decide to place the humidifier in the kitchen, bedroom, living room, or any other place in your home, there are certain things to consider. It would help if you did not place the humidifier too close to walls, carpets, or ceilings.
Also, ensure to clean your humidifier thoroughly at least once a week, especially if you are using tap water. This eliminates mineral residue that could create a conducive environment for mold growth in the humidifier.
Do Humidifiers Ruin Wood
Humidifiers cannot ruin wood unless it is allowed to release too much humidity in the air. When the amount of humidity released in the atmosphere is not regulated, it could cost you all your wood surfaces in the house. For instance, a wooden table used to carry a humidifier.
Suppose the surface between the humidifier and the table has not been covered with a waterproof material or towel; the humidity or spillage from the humidifier may damage the table. The moisture will dampen the table, eventually forming mold and decaying.
Therefore, the best way to protect all surfaces made of wood in your house is to ensure that your humidifier is set to release only the required amount of humidity. Also, measure the humidity levels of the room before running a humidifier.
Can Humidifiers Cause Mold on Furniture
Mold grows in damp environments. Suppose your humidifier has been placed on a wooden table without any form of protection placed on the table. Eventually, the table dampens, creating a perfect environment for mold growth.
The furniture also does not need to be too close to the humidifier for it to be too damp to start growing molds. As long as there is more than enough humidity in the atmosphere, the humidity can create a growing environment for mold on the furniture in the room.
The humidifier itself can create a mold-growing environment in its tank. Besides ensuring the room’s humidity levels are perfect, clean your humidifier frequently to eliminate any growing mold in its tank.
Faqs On Do Humidifiers Damage Furniture?
1. Do humidifiers ruin things
Humidifiers do not ruin things; the humidity levels they produce in the air may ruin things. For instance, if a humidifier releases humidity levels beyond 50%, the humidity will dampen the furniture in your home.
Causing them to swell and break. However, if the humidity levels are appropriate, you have nothing to worry about.
2. Will a cool mist humidifiers damage furniture
A cool mist humidifier will only damage furniture if the humidifier is allowed to release more than enough humidity into the air. Too much humidity will dampen and damage your furniture and other wood surfaces in the room. Therefore, ensure the cool mist humidifier only releases humidity when required.
3. Does humidity destroy furniture?
Only too much humidity in the air can cause damage to furniture. The humidity will dampen the furniture, forming mold growth and decaying stains. It is essential to measure the humidity levels in the room before running your humidifier.
4. Can I put my humidifier on my nightstand?
Yes, you can put a humidifier on a stand, as long as you put a separation barrier between the humidifier and the stand. Place a waterproof cover, a plastic tray, or a towel under the humidifier. They will prevent direct contact of moisture or water from the humidifier with the stand.
5. Is it ok to have a humidifier next to your bed?
There is nothing wrong with placing a humidifier next to your bed as long as the humidifier is at least 3 feet away from you.
Too much humidity directed to your face is also not good for you, especially if you own a warm mist humidifier. You might knock it over and cause serious burn wounds to your skin.
6. Where is the best place to put a humidifier in your house?
The most appropriate place to place a humidifier is the central room of your house. The living room is usually the main room of the house. Put your humidifier in the center of the room, not too close to the floor or the ceiling.
7. Do humidifiers damage your house?
Humidifiers can only damage your house if you allow them to release too much humidity into the house. When the humidity in the house surpasses 50%, the painting on the walls begins to break; the ceiling starts to have black spots, and mold begins to grow on the corners of the house.
8. How close should a humidifier be to your bed?
Place your humidifier at least 3 to 4 feet away from your bed. You will not be directly exposed to too much humidity while you sleep. Accidents like tipping over the humidifier on your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night will not be experienced.
Final thoughts
Humidifiers cannot cause damage to furniture. What causes damage is high humidity. Therefore, if you allow a humidifier to produce too much humidity in the air, high chances are the moisture will damage your furniture.
Also, in the same way, high humidity damages furniture, low humidity too causes damage to furniture. Low humidity will lead to dry air that dries the furniture tarnishing their finishing and eventually cracking them.