You deserve to be relaxed and comfortable in your home at all times. In the winter months, as the air gets drier, it can be much harder to relax. However, with a comfortable throw blanket and a room humidifier, you’ll feel as relaxed as possible in no time. 

Benefits of Having an Air Humidifier

You may not think about it, but the humidity level in the air is essential for keeping skin and hair soft and respiratory systems at ease. You know when you go out on a cold day, and you can feel a scratch in your throat? That’s because the humidity is low, drying out your mouth and throat. 

When you experience lots of dry air for an extended period of time, your respiratory system can dry out even more, causing frequent coughing and bloody noses. Keeping a humidifier in your home can have the following benefits for people who experience: 

• Dry skin
• Brittle hair
• Irritated eyes
• Seasonal allergies
• Household allergies
• Dry throat 
• Dry airways 
• Frequent coughing
• Bloody noses
• Sinus issues and sinus headaches
• Cracked lips

Having a humidifier is also incredibly helpful when you or someone else in your home is sick. You can use a humidifier to decrease the chance of spreading a cold or the flu between people who live at home. 

The humidifier will also help with congestion, sinus pressure, and coughing associated with a cold or the flu. Your coughs will also be more productive and less dry, meaning you’ll cough up phlegm that’s trapped. 

A humidifier can also help to reduce snoring or making snoring quieter. On top of the benefits for your body, a humidifier can also benefit your home. If you have any plants that love moisture, they’ll become more green and vibrant. 

Risks of Using a Humidifier

There are risks associated with all different types of humidifiers. In the case of warm-mist humidifiers, they are risky to use around children, as the steam that comes out could cause a burn if they aren’t careful. If you have children, you may want to opt for another type of humidifier for common spaces or their bedrooms. 

Humidifiers can also get dirty if they aren’t cleaned properly, because this can lead to the growth of mold. Your device should be cleaned after every use as well as routinely. Because bacteria and mold form in wet places, it’s vital to keep your humidifier clean. Using a dirty humidifier can disperse germs throughout your household. 

Humidity levels should stay between 30 and 50 percent and can be considered too high when they reach above 60 percent. Humidity that is too high can make allergy symptoms worse and breathing more difficult, which is incredibly dangerous. If you use a humidifier, you should always have a hygrometer on hand. You can also use a humidistat to make sure you're setting the humidity level appropriately. 

In your humidifier, you should also make sure that you never use hard water or tap water. You should always use filtered tap water or sterilized water. There are minerals in unfiltered water that can build up in your machine, making it wear down faster. 

Types of Humidifiers

There are many different types of humidifiers for you to choose from. Depending on what you’re looking for, the space you’re trying to fill, what tank capacity you're looking for, and your other needs, you’ll be able to choose the best one for your environment. 

Warm Mist Humidifiers

A warm mist humidifier is a humidifier that uses a heating element in order to produce steam. These may also be referred to as steam vaporizers (but more on those later). Warm mist humidifiers are great for use when you’re sick, as the steam can help clear out your sinuses and make your cough less dry. 

Cool Mist Humidifiers

Cool mist humidifiers let out a gentle, invisible, cool mist that evaporates quickly into the air. They’re easy to clean, generally large in size, so they work for large rooms, and work best in warm climates. You might not want to use a cool-mist humidifier in a colder climate in the winter, as they’ll make you colder. However, they require more maintenance and can be louder than other humidifiers. 

Whole House Humidifiers

A whole humidifier is a large humidifier that can be used to provide humidity to an entire house or a large number of square feet. They tend to be larger than other units with much larger water tanks, so you don't have to refill them all the time. If you’re looking to humidify your entire house, these are a great option. 

However, they do require much more maintenance. Their filters must be changed regularly, and they must be cleaned thoroughly multiple times per week. 

Ultrasonic Humidifiers

Ultrasonic humidifiers operate by using a metal disk that vibrates at a high speed to create water vapor. The water droplets are then put into the air with a fan. They create a cooler mist and are pretty quiet in doing so, although they sometimes release a white dust into the air that comes from minerals that were present in the water reservoir. 

Ultrasonic humidifiers generally don’t require as much maintenance as other models, so if you’re looking for something that is easy to own, this is the choice for you. Some of these models can even be used as an essential oil diffuser, so you can use them for aromatherapy as well. 

Evaporative Humidifiers

An evaporative humidifier is much like an ultrasonic humidifier. It uses a fan in order to circulate humidity. They don’t generate any heat, and they let off a cool mist. They’re great for homes with children and pets. 

They’re also generally more affordable than other models, although you do regularly have to replace the wicks. However, they are a bit louder as you can hear the noise of the fan when it’s in use. 

Vaporizer Humidifiers

Vaporizers can emit either a cool mist or a warm mist. They’re great for use when sick, as you can add inhalants such as Vicks to them. They are quiet, don’t accumulate much mineral dust, and the chance of bacterial contamination is much lower than with other types. However, they tend to consume much more energy than other units, and they have a burn risk. 

Choosing the Best Humidifier For Your Home

It may be hard to choose which humidifier is the best one for your home. No matter which one you choose to go with, you’ll receive many benefits that will improve your quality of life during the cold, dry months. 

Here at Everlasting Comfort, we care about your health, and with our humidifiers, you’ll be able to experience healthy humidity levels all year round. 

Sources:

5 humidifier uses: Benefits and risks | Medical News Today

Pros & Cons of Different Types of Portable Humidifiers | HVAC

Humidifiers and Health: Uses, Types & Risks | Healthline