Safeguard Your Belongings by Maintaining Humidity Levels in the Home this Winter with Honeywell Humidifiers

From antique furniture and photo albums to pianos and even wine, low humidity levels can wreak havoc on many of our prized possessions. People may be familiar with the effects of dry air discomforts associated with cold winter weather like itchy dry skin or scratchy throats, but the impact on household objects is often overlooked. The designers of Honeywell Humidifiers and indoor air scientists have released new research on how everyday household objects suffer under low humidity conditions and what steps homeowners can take to combat the effects of dry air.

“Relative humidity levels can drop to as low as ten percent in the winter months, which is as dry as the Sahara Desert. If humidity levels are too low, household objects from wood furniture to artwork can be damaged over time as moisture is pulled from wood, paper and other porous materials,” said Dr. Ted Myatt, ScD., senior scientist with Environmental Health & Engineering and the University of Rhode Island. “The solution is to maintain relative humidity levels in the optimal range of 40 to 60 percent by running a humidifier in colder, drier winter months, to mitigate these effects.”

The research conducted found that the following list of 10 household items are most impacted by low relative humidity:

1. Wood Furniture: Has your favorite wooden bench seemed a little shakier? It could be because of low humidity. Wood absorbs and desorbs water as relative humidity rises and falls, which causes it to swell and shrink. This results in furniture joints becoming loose or even pulling apart.
2. Musical Instruments: Not sounding quite right? Low humidity levels may be to blame for your instrument falling out of tune. Natural wood instruments such as guitars, violins and pianos can be damaged when the wood contracts resulting in failed glue joints or cracks.
3. Books: Low humidity causes the pages of books to become more brittle and fragile, and the dimensions of the pages can even change as the paper absorbs and desorbs water. This leads to wrinkles in the paper, flaking ink, or warped covers on books.
4. Woodwork and Wood Floors: If you’ve noticed a slight bend in your wood floors, or gaps between the planks, it could be because of low humidity. As the wood expands and contracts, mitered corners can separate and floors can “cup” so that the floor doesn’t remain flat.
5. Wine: Does your uncorked bottle of wine not taste right? Wine corks can dry out, shrink and crack if exposed to low humidity overtime, allowing air to come into contact with the wine and potentially ruin the bottle.
6. Artwork: Maintaining humidity levels is vital for protecting artwork around the home. Low moisture levels tend to make paint brittle and prone to cracking, which is especially detrimental to oil paintings on canvas.
7. Stamp Collections: Much like books, repeated absorption and desorption of water can ruin stamps by making them brittle or discolored.
8. Photograph Collections: Have you noticed your new photographs looking more like your parents’ photo albums? When photographs curl up at the ends, it’s likely due to low humidity levels. They can also result in the photo emulsion flaking off and damaging the photograph.
9. Walls: Peeling wallpaper and separated drywall seams can be a sign of low humidity in the home. The porous materials may crack and separate when exposed to low levels.
10. Electronic Equipment: Static electricity brought on by low humidity levels can damage internal components of computers, televisions and other electronics – a lot more damaging than dealing with static in your hair!

Running a Honeywell Humidifier in your home, especially during the dry winter months, can help maintain relative indoor humidity levels in the optimal 40 to 60 percent range. Designed for large areas, the new Honeywell Top Fill Console Humidifier is one option for protecting items around the home as it releases soothing, invisible moisture into the room. To confirm when ideal humidity levels are reached, use a humidity monitor like the Honeywell Humidity Monitor that displays relative humidity and indoor room temperature.

For more information on the Honeywell Humidity Monitor and all Honeywell Humidifiers, please visit www.HoneywellPluggedIn.com/humidifiers.

About Kaz

A world leader in high quality healthcare and home environment products, Kaz is a state of the art, dynamically-managed, global leader in healthcare devices, home comfort and water filtration products that operates in over 65 countries on six continents.  The branded product portfolio includes PUR® Water Filtration products, Vicks® Thermometers and Humidifiers, Honeywell® Humidifiers, Heaters, Fans and Air Cleaners, Braun® Thermometers, SoftHeat® Heating Pads, SmartTemp® Hot/Cold Packs, Febreze® air purifiers and more. Kaz USA, Inc. is part of the Helen of Troy family of companies.  For more information about Kaz, please visit www.kaz.com.

About Helen of Troy Limited

Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ, NM: HELE) is a leading global consumer products company offering creative solutions for its customers through a strong portfolio of well-recognized and widely-trusted brands, including: Housewares: OXO®, Good Grips®, Soft Works®, OXO tot® and OXO Steel®; Healthcare/Home Environment: Vicks®, Braun®, Honeywell®, PUR®, Febreze®, Stinger®, Duracraft® and SoftHeat®; and Beauty: Revlon®, Vidal Sassoon®, Dr. Scholl’s®, Pro Beauty Tools®, Sure®, Pert®, Infusium23®, Brut®, Ammens®, Hot Tools®, Bed Head®, Karina®, Ogilvie® and Gold ‘N Hot®. The Nutritional Supplements segment was formed with the acquisition of Healthy Directions, a U.S. market leader in premium doctor-branded vitamins, minerals and supplements, as well as other health products sold directly to consumers. The Honeywell® trademark is used under license from Honeywell International Inc. The Vicks®, Braun®, Febreze® and Vidal Sassoon® trademarks are used under license from The Procter & Gamble Company. The Revlon® trademark is used under license from Revlon Consumer Products Corporation. The Bed Head® trademark is used under license from Unilever PLC. The Dr. Scholl’s® trademark is used under license from MSD Consumer Care, Inc.  For more information about Helen of Troy Limited, please visit www.hotus.com.

Sometimes I look around my home and feel like I’ve outgrown everything in it. Whatever mood I was in when I made the decor choices for the living room and bedroom have long since passed. I don’t think I’m not in that state of mind anymore. It might be time for another change!

Outdoor Garden Furniture Designs by Pottery Barn

Of course, it’s not just the decor that sets the mood in the home. All of the furniture, flooring and accessories come together to create that distinct style that is yours. It shouldn’t matter if you’re on a budget or not. But after a few years of seeing the same colors and the same furniture in the room, you can grow weary. It’s time for a fresh start. You might want something elegant and muted, or you might want something funky and vibrant.

I’m always looking for the positive in everything. I like good energy flow in the house. When you have children, I think it’s nice to style things a little more kiddy friendly. Grown-up and stoic are definitely not going to work in my household. Of course, it is possible to mix the two. You can have a sophisticated chaise longue in a style that’s youthful, playful and fun. Online stores like LoveTheSign can offer you the choices you’re looking for when it comes to quirky and charming.

I would love a recliner sofa. The trouble is, I never get the chance to sit down long enough to enjoy it! Instead, we can have fun with foot stools and poufs that can be moved around the room. They can be stacked, rolled and even become monsters to avoid when we’re playing with little ones. I love that our furniture can inspire imaginative play. It’s not just for sitting on, but for creating the right mood at the right time.

Coffee tables are often buried underneath piles of magazines and toys. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still be the focus of the room. Next time I get a coffee table, I’m going to have one with drawers and storage! I want something different and quirky that can become a part of our games. Perhaps it will have curved and sloped sides or carved legs? Something with character will certainly lift our moods.

During this busy time of year many of us find ourselves in the busiest room in the house, the kitchen.  IS your kitchen drab and plain?  A warm place for others to visit but not particularly sleek or new looking? Being in a drab plain kitchen can also be unmotivating to its chef in residence.  You don’t want an unmotivated chef in your kitchen or I foresee many spaghetti nights in your future as apposed to Curries and dumplings.

If I had the ability to ask Santa for a few gifts they would most certainly be a modernizing of our current kitchen.  Starting with the microwave.  The microwave has seen better days but the new black stainless steel line of appliances are far from it.

Check out the microwave below:

I love the sleek modern look and feel of the black stainless steel appliances by Samsung.

Sleek and sophisticated, this new darker finish from Samsung resists the appearance of fingerprints for a stylish look that complements any style of kitchen.  Even better – this black stainless finish is magnetic, so you can still display pictures & reminders in the heart of your kitchen.
This Samsung Dishwasher provides revolutionary washing performance with WaterWall™ technology, which provides a powerful wall of clean for hard-to-reach places to ensure a more even, thorough washing performance than conventional rotary-spraying systems.
Owning the Flex Duo™ Range is like having two ovens in one.  The Smart Divider™ allows you to split the spacious 5.8 cubic foot oven and cook at two different temperatures simultaneously. Plus, the unique middle-hinged door can open just the top section or the full door, for total flexibility and energy efficiency.
Now available in Black Stainless, the innovative 4-Door FlexTM Refrigerator boasts an innovative bottom right door that can change from freezer to fridge at the touch of a button, so now you can store more Fresh Food than ever before.

Starting with one appliance at a time this could make a great way to surprise mom or dad this year, an appliance a holiday and before long they can wake up to a brand new kitchen.

Which of the new Samsung Black Stainless Steel line of appliances sing to you?

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