Humidification Lessons Learned During this Harsh Winter

This has been one of the worst winters in recent memory. Notwithstanding my best efforts, I experienced problems (I used a whole house humidifier, and included oasis humidifiers in my cases--instruments kept in the cases the whole time). This is what I learned from my experience--I'm hoping that others can benefit:

1) don't just rely on one hygrometer--readings vary wildly--you need to get multiple ones, put them in the same space, and throw out the one that doesn't agree with the others

2) just because you have the humidity at a good percentage outside of your cases doesn't mean that the humidity inside the cases is ok--the insides of your cases might have dried out, and by keeping your instruments there, you could be drying out your instruments. You have to monitor the humidity inside your cases by putting a hygrometer in there. If your case is super dry, then you should bring it into your bathroom, open it and let the shower run so that the steam from the shower can humidify your case to an appropriate level (this tip comes directly from Armitage customer support).

3) If you are using an oasis humidifier do NOT use tap water. Tap water contains minerals that can clog up the membrane through which water is supposed to evaporate. You know that white dusty stuff that ends on your your things when you run a cheap vaporizer? That is what could end up inside your humidifier, ruining it. Only use distilled water; not bottled water or spring water.

4) One humidifier may not be enough inside a traditional case. The problem with normal instrument cases is that they are pretty tight--that is good to protect the instrument from damage so it doesn't move around. But if you put a humidifier in the pocket between the neck and body, it might not do a good job humidifying the instrument. Put a humidifier by the neck and use one of those humidifiers that goes in the sound hole--just be sure that it doesn't drip. (BTW, there have been some reports that some oasis humidifiers occasionally do drip so be very very careful where you place them).

5) No fancy humidifier beats a normal sponge that is soaked in water and put in a plastic container with holes in it. I have tested it, and this is definitely the best. You can buy a small container at the container store and drill holes into it, put in a wet sponge and that is the best thing you can have--it will have the most immediate effect on the humidity in your case.

6) Consider an open display case--the kind that doesn't have any cushions--not good for carrying your instrument around, but better for circulation of humidity. If you don't want to spend the money to buy a display case, you can just buy a big tupperware container or something at the container store. You can spend $30 and it will create a closed environment where moisture can circulate.

7) If your instruments do get damaged, especially if they are custom instruments, you will be super depressed, but if you are lucky enough to have a luthier who will help you, their kindness and their generosity makes it so much better. And just remember, these things are meant to be played and enjoyed, and hey, look at Willie Nelson's guitar.

Hope this helps.

So, if you humidify your whole house during the winter. For me, I have a humidifier installed on my furnace. And if you keep the humidity at 45%, wouldn't it be better to let your ukuleles set out, rather than burying them in a case? Reading #4 would lead me to think that would be better anyway.

If you are confident that your house is at 45%, then it's probably safe that way, but just be careful where you place them. Clearly keep them away from a heater, and be sure to put a hygrometer close to where you have your instruments so you can keep an accurate reading.

Rllink said:

So, if you humidify your whole house during the winter. For me, I have a humidifier installed on my furnace. And if you keep the humidity at 45%, wouldn't it be better to let your ukuleles set out, rather than burying them in a case? Reading #4 would lead me to think that would be better anyway.

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Stevelele, every time I read a thread like this one, I re-vow never to buy another wooden ukulele. All this humidity stuff is just too much trouble for me.

From now on I'm a plastic or carbon fibre or steel man. I just don't wanna be bothered with all that stuff. ld:

Stevelele said:

If you are confident that your house is at 45%, then it's probably safe that way, but just be careful where you place them. Clearly keep them away from a heater, and be sure to put a hygrometer close to where you have your instruments so you can keep an accurate reading.

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I am careful to keep it away from the registers, but thinking about that, the humidifier on the furnace injects moisture into the duct as it comes through the heat exchanger, wouldn't it be more humid at the register? Spring, summer, and fall in Iowa is fairly humid. Puerto Rico is humid all year around. But there is a two month stretch, November and December, where we are in Iowa and heating the house. But also, won't the AC also lower the humidity in the house? I don't run the AC a lot, either in Iowa or in PR, but sometimes I do.

I think the only way to know for sure where it's safe to place it, is buy three humidifiers and put them where you want to put your ukes. If at least 2 of the humidifiers read at 45% then you're good.

Rllink said:

I am careful to keep it away from the registers, but thinking about that, the humidifier on the furnace injects moisture into the duct as it comes through the heat exchanger, wouldn't it be more humid at the register? Spring, summer, and fall in Iowa is fairly humid. Puerto Rico is humid all year around. But there is a two month stretch, November and December, where we are in Iowa and heating the house. But also, won't the AC also lower the humidity in the house? I don't run the AC a lot, either in Iowa or in PR, but sometimes I do.

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Down Up Dick said:

Stevelele, every time I read a thread like this one, I re-vow never to buy another wooden ukulele. All this humidity stuff is just too much trouble for me.

From now on I'm a plastic or carbon fibre or steel man. I just don't wanna be bothered with all that stuff. ld:

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What is the humidity like in Southern California? Is it a dry climate? The only time I've ever been there is when I was at boot camp in San Diego, and that is so long ago I can't remember much about it.

Stevelele said:

I think the only way to know for sure where it's safe to place it, is buy three humidifiers and put them where you want to put your ukes. If at least 2 of the humidifiers read at 45% then you're good.

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Right now, I don't worry about it much. I have a Makala laminate. Not much of an investment to protect there. But when I get home this spring, I'm going to upgrade to a sold mahogany uke, so I'm going to have to be a lot more careful in that regard.

Oh man, every time I read this sort of stuff, I add another item to the list of reasons that I'm glad I live in the PNW. Sure, we get a cold dry spell once in a while. But generally, its really rare for our humidity to go below 40%.

I feel for those who have to deal with all this maintenance on their solid wood ukes.

Rollie, it varies a lot where I live though it's seldom really high unless it's rainy which it seldom is. It goes very low though. Sometime into the single digits. I suppose it depends on how close one is to the deserts.

The weather in San Diego (my home town) is always beautiful. It's never very hot or cold--mostly 70s if I remember correctly. It doesn't rain much either, and it's mostly a misty rain. There was lots of fog though .That's how I remember it anyway. I haven't lived there for a long, long time.

We were thinking of moving to Arizona. I'll bet the low humidity there can bust a ukulele wide open! ld:

Rllink said:

What is the humidity like in Southern California? Is it a dry climate?

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Most of Southern California is desert or semi-desert, so it's dry for the most part. I live in Orange County (near Disneyland, if that helps) and while humidity can go up when it rains, it doesn't rain often under the best of circumstances. Right now, just before 9:00 AM, my hygrometer reads 36%, which isn't too bad, but it can go lower. And when the Santa Ana winds blow, outdoor humidity can drop to 5% or lower.

Bottom line: a humidifier is a good idea in or out of a case.

Stevelele said:

This has been one of the worst winters in recent memory. Notwithstanding my best efforts, I experienced problems (I used a whole house humidifier, and included oasis humidifiers in my cases--instruments kept in the cases the whole time). This is what I learned from my experience--I'm hoping that others can benefit:

5) No fancy humidifier beats a normal sponge that is soaked in water and put in a plastic container with holes in it. I have tested it, and this is definitely the best. You can buy a small container at the container store and drill holes into it, put in a wet sponge and that is the best thing you can have--it will have the most immediate effect on the humidity in your case.

6) Consider an open display case--the kind that doesn't have any cushions--not good for carrying your instrument around, but better for circulation of humidity. If you don't want to spend the money to buy a display case, you can just buy a big tupperware container or something at the container store. You can spend $30 and it will create a closed environment where moisture can circulate.

Hope this helps.

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I'm definitely thinking that next winter I'll get a big plastic container to put both of my solid wood ukes in, and use sponges to humidify. Seems to be the easiest way except for humidifying a room--but I don't have that many ukes.

Spring is here and we all made it through another winter. May none of our ukes need a trip to the luthier!

I like the idea of using one of those plastic containers with a closed lid, although I've never tried it.
I usually just use the Planet Waves Humidipak system. It takes all the guess work out. If you live in a place where the humidity is really low for a long time, I do realize that could cost some $$ due to having to replace the paks.
This winter I used an inexpensive sponge humidifier in the case WITH the humidipak stuff. That'll make your humidipaks last a bit longer..and if it gets too wet in there the humidipak will still suck out the excess moisture.

Just to note: When this system first came out they did have some leaky pouches. All that seems to be taken care of now, as that was quite some time ago. Also, I've seen reviews of some people complaining about them not lasting long enough. To me, that's a stupid complaint. If they dry up it's because they're doing their job and putting the moisture into your instrument...saving you money in the long run for repairs. It is what it is.
I can usually get one set of 3 refills to last me an entire year then some...but I only have 2-3 months where low humidity is a concern at all. I've taken them out for this year and sealed them in a plastic bag so they'll be ready to go again next year ideally.

Down Up Dick said:

We were thinking of moving to Arizona. I'll bet the low humidity there can bust a ukulele wide open! ld:

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A colleague's friend who lives in Colorado Springs insulated the open space beneath his staircase and installed a humidifier to store and protect his (extensive and expensive) guitar collection. If we still lived out west, I'd have some sort of enclosed space humidified year-round, too!

It's stories like this that make me grateful for the humidity of Florida. My uke and guitar also live in the same room with my 125 gallon aquarium, so my humidity always hovers around 50%.

Living in SoCal I did learn a few lessons about humidity and ukes a couple of years ago. And, even laminated ukes can develop problems if too dry. You don't need to worry about the top cracking but you do need to worry about fretboards shrinking and braces coming loose. However, I have a system that seems to work fine.

I use one of these http://www.amazon.com/PureGuardian-...F8&qid=1426616055&sr=1-39&keywords=humidifier , a Pure Guardian room humidifier - although any similar one would work. I keep it on all the time in my bedroom, where I store my ukes putting out a fine mist. It does tend to clog up so it is really important to keep it clean - I use vinegar and sometimes denture cleaner - to clean out the calcium deposits. Using this humidifier I don't need to use an Oasis or wet sponge.

I used to use a humidifier with a hygrometer but it didn't work all that well. Keeping a fine stream of moisture in the air in a room does a great job of keeping the air humid for ukes.

Not only does it keep my ukes humidified but I cough less at night and suffer less from dry skin.

Rllink said:

I am careful to keep it away from the registers, but thinking about that, the humidifier on the furnace injects moisture into the duct as it comes through the heat exchanger, wouldn't it be more humid at the register? Spring, summer, and fall in Iowa is fairly humid. Puerto Rico is humid all year around. But there is a two month stretch, November and December, where we are in Iowa and heating the house. But also, won't the AC also lower the humidity in the house? I don't run the AC a lot, either in Iowa or in PR, but sometimes I do.

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I would always put your uke back in the case...why take a chance...I can look at it when I am playing it....
I am lucky the RH in Hawaii between 45%-70% almost every day...but I still put my ukes back in case when done...

my 2 cents

As I read this thread, I realize I have a uke on my sofa where I was playing last night...hope it's ok.

hendulele said:

A colleague's friend who lives in Colorado Springs insulated the open space beneath his staircase and installed a humidifier to store and protect his (extensive and expensive) guitar collection. If we still lived out west, I'd have some sort of enclosed space humidified year-round, too!

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Yeah, but, the idea of one having his/her stuff in humidified boxes and/or bags and only taking it out for an hour to play then hiding it away again, turns me off. I think I'd rather just have one Uke in a case with a humidifier in it. Most people who play an instrument do it that way. They open the case, take out the instrument, play it and put it away. I don't know why we ukists have to have so many. If I were starting over, I'd do it a lot differently.

Well, so much for my know-it-all preaching. Buy lots of Ukes, humidify them and make some nice music. ld:

nongdam said:

As I read this thread, I realize I have a uke on my sofa where I was playing last night...hope it's ok.

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In my experience it takes an extended period of time for the uke to dry out - not being left out overnight. I had an inexpensive laminate in a case that sat for about a year and a half. When I took it out to play the braces were rattling. I tried other ukes I had and found similar problems. Ironically I've had far more issues with damage from dryness to ukes that are laminates. Braces coming loose and fret ends extending have been the two biggest areas. I only had one uke - a Koalana - develop a crack. Usually keeping the uke in a well-humidified room has reversed the problem. It's a myth that a laminate won't be hurt. The top will be less prone to cracking but that isn't the biggest problem with ukes getting too dry.