# Indoor Humidity **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 27, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797 "2014-06-27T17:21:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/1 "2014-06-27T17:21:00Z")
Column: [What’s the bigger contributor to window frost, breath or flatulence?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3168/what-s-the-bigger-contributor-to-window-frost-breath-or-flatulence) Addressing pets’ contributions to indoor humidity: > [@](#): > > Cats and dogs don’t sweat as much as we do; most of their water loss other than through excretion comes from breathing and (in dogs) panting. A typical indoor cat might lose 45 milliliters of water per day through respiration and minor sweating… > > Therefore, a cat will raise the average home’s humidity to 35.4 percent — one cat going about its business is a far bigger factor than two people farting. The mention of a cat “going about its business” raises another issue: humans pee into a toilet which may or may not contribute much to indoor humidity depending on whether the lid is kept down and how much water vapor escapes even if it isn’t, dogs (preferably) pee outdoors, but domestic cats (usually) pee into litter boxes which are open to the air. Thus, it would seem that a cat’s urinary output would almost entirely end up as indoor water vapor (to say nothing or more odoriferous vapors outside the scope of the column). ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/2 "2014-06-27T18:06:48Z")
The whole idea of kitty litter is that it absorbs and holds on to moisture, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/3 "2014-06-27T18:27:23Z")
And cats are also far better water conservers than humans. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/4 "2014-06-27T21:20:33Z")
You left out the 14 liters of drool a Labrador deposits on any toys, arms, hands, etc… he/she greets/mouths each day.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/5 "2014-06-28T00:23:01Z")
Plants have water too … ---
**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/6 "2014-06-29T03:27:43Z")
> [@John\_W.Kennedy](#): > > And cats are also far better water conservers than humans. Clearly, you’ve not met my cat. Nevertheless, it’s pretty well absorbed and buried. Well, at least what comes out the back. Another micturitional consideration is how often you flush. Flushing the toilet sends a lot of water into the air. Not flushing increases the volume (and exposed surface area) in the bowl a bit, but the excess drains off pretty quickly. Also, women probably humidify less than (most) men for obvious reasons. > [@watchwolf49](#): > > Plants have water too … And they’re very good at extracting water from soil and transpiring it into the air. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/7 "2014-06-29T23:45:06Z")
I’m glad that in the winter I don’t have to stick a “No Farting” sign on the dashboard. But in summer it might be better to make sure the car’s air conditioner isn’t recirculating the interior’s “atmosphere.” ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/8 "2014-06-30T00:10:09Z")
Pre-teen girls also like having fart stinking contests on long drives. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/9 "2014-06-30T00:45:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **eastcheap** : > > Also, women probably humidify less than (most) men for obvious reasons. What reasons would those be? They’re not at all obvious to me. And **watchwolf49** , plants are net consumers of water, while animals are net producers. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/10 "2014-06-30T02:06:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And **watchwolf49** , plants are net consumers of water, while animals are net producers. Not if you include the water you add to their pot. Almost all that water gets into the air, either through the plant, or just coming out of the soil. Presumably, without the plant there, you wouldn’t continue to just pour the water on the counter. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indoor-humidity/691797/11 "2014-06-30T18:47:28Z")
I’m pretty sure a room full of plants has a higher relative humidity than a room without, everything else being equal.