If you’re the new parent of an infant, you may have many concerns about how to make your home as safe and as comfortable as possible for the new addition to your household. Perhaps you’ve fretted over just the right temperature for your newborn, or perhaps you’ve wondered about the right baby room humidity levels.

Fortunately, the humidity needs of a baby pretty much parallel those of an older child or adult. Read on and learn what you should know about humidity levels in the baby’s room, and in your home in general.

Ideal Relative Humidity

Most households should maintain a humidity level between 30 and 60 percent, according to research from the Environmental Protection Agency. In the summer, we may want conditions to be a little drier than 60 percent, however, as warm air holds moisture and the higher the humidity, the stickier we tend to feel. Drier air allows the perspiration on the skin to evaporate much more easily, so that our natural cooling mechanism helps us feel more comfortable. Otherwise, there’s a tendency to run for the thermostat and turn it way down to cool off. That’s a real waste of money, when by controlling humidity, you can run the air conditioner a few degrees higher.

Another reason to keep humidity lower in the home, particularly in the summertime, is to reduce mold growth. We can’t always see or smell mold, so to be safe, it’s best to control humidity before it takes hold by maintaining drier indoor air. Humans frequently develop allergies to mold, so it’s best to avoid breathing it whenever possible. And you certainly don’t want your baby breathing in potentially harmful mold spores.

Keeping Humidity on the Low Side

To keep humidity lower in your home, do the following:

• Fix plumbing and ceiling leaks.
• Install bathroom and kitchen exhaust ventilation.
• Keep the A/C air filter changed and the evaporator coils clean.

If humidity is still too high in your home, look into installing a whole-house dehumidifier.

For more on baby room humidity, contact Powers Heating and Air of Peachtree City.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040.