40-60% measured by the humidistat or no sparks measured by the "humidicat".

Robin, love your commento.  Now the "guess" is on.   ha ha ha.   Well for my instruments.  I've lived in a rain forest in Hawaii for many years.  I had more trouble with moisture then dryness.  We now live in Nauvoo, Illinois and in the summer....woah.....it is HUMID.  I have had trouble with humid much more then dryness.  I think my instruments are happy for the dryer winter...but a log house and wood floors .....LOTS OF WOOD....it all breaths.  I've had no trouble with cracking of instruments.   When i make instruments I use Tight-bond glue.  Glue is important in understanding where the instrument is going to live.  I've found that to be the best for me.   aloha, irene

Susie's posting reminded me how I should have added that most of our instruments live in cases when they are not being played.  Yes, I keep 3 out.  I never said how many are in cases.

I live in Illinois, this is something to think about. Never thought about the dry air effecting my dulcimer. I practice almost daily and I put it away in its soft case. Don't want my fur babies messing with it.

We live in Northern MI. In addition to the 4 dulcimers, we have 6 guitars, and many other wooden instruments. We also have a house made of wood, lots of wood furniture and trim and us and the dogs. For the instruments, structure, belongings and living creatures, we have 3 whole house humidifiers for the 3 levels of the house. In the summer, we use Central A/C and a dehumidifier. We keep the relative humidity controlled between 40% and 60% all year. But, given that, I've have always stored my instruments in their cases (since 1973). It's a personal choice I know, there's no one right way. I fully respect those who choose to have their instruments out.

I keep 3 instruments out.  As far as humidifying goes, a large pan of water is on our free-standing gas stove (heater) all the time and I fill old coffee mugs with water to keep by the instruments themselves.  I know the humidity level in the house is pretty good because I'm not getting snapped with sparks when touching some objects or petting the dogs.  

Mark keeps 2 guitars out-- a steel string and a nylon string.  Again, I keep a coffee mug with water right by those left out.  He rotates his steel string guitars so none of them are out all the time; those in cases are humidified in-case.

As far as dusting them. . .  Well, I brush stuff off my instruments from time to time with my hand.  :) 

Our house in Chicago was built in 1923 and has radiators, not forced air.  We run two room humidifiers 24x7 and keep the houseplants well-watered.  Still, the cats throw sparks when we pet them.  Which is kinda entertaining for us... but it puts the cats in a worse mood than usual.

You better believe my dulcimers spend the winter inside their cases.  I try to remember to re-fill the case humidifiers every couple of weeks. 

A couple of questions for those up north and in the Midwest who keep their instruments out all the time.  Don't you have a problem with the instruments drying out and cracking when the furnace is running and the air in the house dries out?  Isn't that why a lot of musicians keep humidifiers in their instrument cases?

YES....DAILY.   I have them everywhere.   In the winter time, they get more dusty as we have a fireplace.   But we play our music often several times a day.  yeah.  aloha, irene

Why put them away? Mine are out on instrument stands in the area where I play, usually daily.

You mean you're supposed to dust them? 

With a dust cloth or feather duster.  I keep mine "string side up"!!

My dulcimers lay on tables, on my music stand, lean against the bookcase or on the bed.  How do you dust them and keep them?