The weather here in the Minneapolis, MN area has been frigid for the past two weeks, temperatures hovering around 0 and below every night. With the furnace constantly running, I noticed that my house was very dry. I didn't want to turn on a steamer, (like what you would use when the kids are sick) because that would use a lot of electricity.
During this cold winter weather, the air in our homes gets terribly dry and some people don't like the added work of keeping a humidifier machine clean. An easier way to keep moister in the home is to keep a pot of water on a low burner on the kitchen stove.