Category: Humidifiers

Can a Warm Mist Humidifier Make You Sick?

Humidifiers in the winter are a genuine lifesaver when it comes to healing dried out nasal passages, bloody noses, congestion, and keeping viruses at Bay.

But the same humidifier that can give you such amazing relief when you are  feeling congested can also be the source of illness when it is not maintained carefully.

Yet there is one type of humidifier that is inherently safer than other types of humidifiers.

Warm mist humidifiers or vaporizers have a built-in protection mechanism against mold and bacteria growing in them.

The safety feature they possess is that they bring water to a boiling point to create steam.

Bacteria cannot survive the temperature of boiling water. So Warm mist humidifiers actually clean the humidifier as they are operating.

The typical problem that humidifiers possess is that they can become full of bacteria when they are not cleaned often enough.

That results in the humidifier becoming a source of airborne mold, fungi, and bacteria. Attaching themselves to humidity aerosols floating and waiting to be inhaled.

Anytime that water has been left inside of a humidifier for over 48 hours there is the potential of mold and bacteria already starting to take root in the machine.

According to health professionals including the national library of medicine “the relative humidity inside a home should be kept between 40 and 60% to avoid humidity related issues”

Sticky

But though warm mist humidifiers may have the advantage when it comes to staying cleaner, they do not lend themselves to being a system for humidifying a large area for very long.

The problem is that they are hot ,steamy and Sticky. 
A good solution when you want to use a product like Vicks or an essential oil like eucalyptus to clear out your nasal passages, but not such a good solution when you’re entire house is dry and you’re trying to raise the moisture level.

Warm mist humidifiers and vaporizers tend to make the area swampy and uncomfortable when you are feeling sick.

So even though they are less likely to be responsible for getting dirty and making someone sick, they are also uncomfortable to be around when you are sick.

They also have a big disadvantage of being scalding hot if they happen to spill on you.

Most vendors make a point of warning that warm mist and steam humidifiers should not be used in the kids rooms or the baby’s room for that exact reason.

warm mist vaporizerWhat to do…

Humidifiers in the 2000s are not the same humidifiers that you purchased at the local pharmacy in 1985.

The amount of features that humidifiers have these days can suit just about everyone’s humidification needs.

One of those features like you can find on the Levoit 6l large room humidifier is the capacity of the unit to be used as a warm mist humidifier or a cool mist humidifier.

This is a great solution for people who want to be able to use the steam setting to help open up their airways but don’t want to have to try to sleep in a sauna atmosphere.

Humidifiers like that same Levoit model or also loaded with the latest Wi-Fi smart technologies to allow you to control and schedule your humidifier directly from your phone or your Alexa device.

  It also allows you to set and leave your humidifier without the concern of it ever over humidifying or running out of water without you knowing it.

Other advances in humidifiers are concentrated on reducing mold and bacteria growth inside of the humidifier water.

An example is the…. Humidifier that uses antimicrobial mode resisting plastic and it’s construction.

Another example is the… Humidifier that features an ultraviolet light that targets the water container so that bacteria is stopped before it has a chance to take root.

Which only makes sense since UV has been used for aquariums and barber shop disinfecting containers for as long as I can remember.

Though UV is also something you probably do not want in the children’s rooms either because it can damage your eyes if you stare into it.

warm mist humidifierSummary

In this article we tried to make the point that warm mist humidifiers can actually be safer because they raise the temperature of the water to a boiling point which is a bacteria killer.

Humidifiers for all their benefits also have a dark side.

Which is, they can grow mold and bacteria in the water when they are not cleaned often enough.

The result is that the mold and bacteria inside of the water becomes part of the air you breathe when the humidifier is turned on.

Inhaling airborne bacteria that come from water is the cause behind the horrific legionnaires disease.

Which can cause death primarily in people with low immunity such as the elderly.

Pontiac fever is a milder version of legionnaires that produces symptoms closer to pneumonia and is not usually fatal.

But although you can make the case that vaporizers and warm mist humidifiers are safer because they produce less bacteria, there is also the other side of the coin which is that vaporizers can create a swampy atmosphere which is uncomfortable when you are sick, and especially when you are trying to sleep.

What’s the alternative?

Thankfully humidifiers have continued to get better over the years and now you can purchase humidifiers that function as both warm mist and cool mist humidifiers.

There is also a new breed of humidifiers that is tackling the problem of humidifiers creating bacteria by building their units out of antimicrobial plastic that resists mold and targeting ultraviolet light on the water inside the basin to kill any bacteria before they become airborne.

But if purchasing a new humidifier is not in your immediate future, then there is the old elbow grease method combined with some acidic vinegar to keep your humidifier clean and protect you from bacteria growing in your humidifier and becoming airborne.

What is the Ideal Humidifier Setting in Winter?

What is the Ideal Humidity Setting in Winter?

 

It seems that humidity and humidification are a subject that are gaining interest as people are becoming more aware of the impact that moisture levels in the home, School, work or otherwise, can have not only on dry noses and cracking skin but even more importantly the transmission of viruses.

“The ideal humidity setting on a hygrometer or humidifier is 50 Percent. According to the National Library of Medicine: “the majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%.”

When conditions are dry, airborne viral particles become smaller and or able to travel much further.

Humidity makes the particles wider and weighs them down so they are not able to float, which reduces the particles located in the ambient air (the air you breathe) and inhibits their capacity to spread.

Exciting.

It’s interesting that simply adding moisture to the air can create indoor conditions where viruses and bacteria along with other dust particles can reduce respiratory illness.

humidifier settings in winterHumidity levels in the winter are typically exceptionally low. The lack of moisture in the air creates all types of havoc with your body including:

  • Dry skin
  • Lowered immunity
  • Raw and bloody noses
  • Dry throat
  • Acne
  • Congestion
  • Static electricity
  • Frizzy hair

But you may be asking how do you know what your humidity actually is in the house?

That’s all good and fine knowing that humidity can affect your health but if you don’t know what your humidity is or how to correct it, what’s the use?

Humidity is measured with what’s called a hygrometer.

Hygrometers can be purchased as standalone devices but you will mostly find them as digital units combined with thermometers these days.

A thermohygrometer coupled with a humidifier to add moisture to the air is all the tools you will need to increase your relative humidity when conditions are too dry in your home or workplace.

This method works by using trial and error and increasing or decreasing the output of your humidifier as needed.

But even though it works, it’s not the most convenient as it will take a lot of monitoring between the humidifier and the hygrometer to achieve and maintain the proper humidity level.

humidifier winterLucky for us, humidifiers have raced into the new age and are among the upper echelon of appliances that come equipped with smart technology to auto control your humidifier, but it turns on and off as needed according to censored hygrometer technology.

In other words, it increases and decreases humidity automatically.

Smart humidifiers not only can be controlled using Alexis and Google Assistant, they can also tell you your home humidity levels directly from an app on your phone and let you control it as needed.

Smart technology is only the beginning of where this new generation of humidifiers get started.

For instance the Levoit 6 l whole house smart humidifier can be utilized as either a warm mist or a cool mist humidifier.

It is equipped with sleep mode, essential aromatherapy oil ready, and is ultra quiet.

And one of the smartest features of this new breed of humidifiers is that they are top fill.

Which means they are much easier to put water in than the old plastic pharmacy style humidifiers that had to have the tank taken off and turned upside down underneath a faucet to fill it.

Other advances in humidifiers include methods of keeping humidifiers cleaner longer.

Technologies like UV light and antimicrobial plastic or advancing humidification to a new level. see: Self Cleaning Humidifiers

It’s no secret that humidifiers are among the most maintenance heavy devices.

Humidifiers must be kept clean to avoid germs and bacteria from growing inside of the water.

Unfortunately the same device that can reduce your chances of getting sick in the winter can also make you sick if it is not maintained properly.

That’s what makes these new technologies like ultraviolet light and antimicrobial materials so exciting.

You can imagine that in the future we are going to see humidifiers that alert us when they are in danger of developing bacteria and humidifiers that simply clean themselves.

We’re not quite there yet. But it’s definitely on the horizon. (Vaporizers use boiling water to create steam. Since the water is brought to a high temperature, bacteria is not able to survive)

Summary 

What Humidity Setting Should You Use in Winter?

According to PubMed, 40 to 60% relative humidity in the home, School, or workplace is the ideal humidity to minimize adverse health effects caused by humidity. 

Humidity can adversely affect your health when it is too low or too high.

Though most people generally pull out the humidifier when they start getting bloody noses and congestion, humidifiers can relieve all types of conditions including dry and cracking skin, dried out nasal passages, acne, viral spread, and lowered immunity.

Though they can be purchased separately and used in conjunction with your humidifier, hygrometers, which are the tool that is used to measure humidity, come built in to humidifiers as a standard feature these days.

Smart humidifiers can automatically increase or decrease the humidity level inside of the house to maintain the optimal humidity of 40 to 60%.

They also give you the advantage and convenience of being able to control and schedule your humidifier with your phone or using an Alexis device or Google Assistant.

This new breed of humidifier offers features like the capacity to use the humidifier is either a warm mist or a cool mist device. Antibacterial features like ultraviolet light and antimicrobial plastic, and one of my favorites, the ability to fill it from the top.

Top fill humidifiers take a huge amount of hassle out of using a humidifier.

It hasn’t been that long since humidifiers only came with basins that had to be taken off and turned upside down in order to fill.

Top fill humidifiers can be filled with a water pitcher.

Humidifier Smells Musty- Red Flag! Important

If you look in the dictionary, the word musty is defined as having a “stale, moldy or damp smell”.

If your humidifier smells musty then you more than likely have a humidifier with stagnant moldy water.
This is a red flag and you should turn the humidifier off till you have thoroughly cleaned the humidifier with vinegar and allowed it to completely dry.

  Though the benefits of a humidifier are many , operating a humidifier that has stagnant water will turn the humidifier into a germ machine that will fill your air full of mold spores and airborne bacteria.

At that point it’s not just an issue of smelling bad, it can actually be dangerous to your health.

Did you know that the symptoms of mold allergies often look very similar to the symptoms of the flu or pneumonia?

Sneezing, runny nose, post nasal drip, fatigue, itchy and watery eyes, can all occur from breathing in mold.

Legionnaires disease is caused by inhaling bacteria from water or soil.

Symptoms related to legionnaires include fever, muscle aches, shortness of breath and gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea vomiting and diarrhea

A lesser version of legionnaires is called Pontiac fever which also creates symptoms that resemble the flu and pneumonia.

As you can see that a musty smelling humidifier is not something to take lightly.

Don’t panic.

Just take the appropriate steps and clean your humidifier thoroughly before using it.

How to Clean a Musty Humidifier

Cleaning a musty humidifier requires one main ingredient and that is “vinegar”. And though you can get away with using white distilled vinegar, you can purchase ” cleaning vinegar” . It is actually about 25% more acidic and will do a better, more thorough job for you.

The steps are simple:

1. Take your humidifier apart (these are just the parts that are made to come apart easily, I am not talking about taking a screwdriver and breaking the machine down to its bare components or anything like that)
We’re just talking about taking the basin off, removing any lids, gaskets, etc.

2. Dump the water out of the basin

3. Pour a cup of cleaning vinegar into the basin and swish around

4. Take the other parts and soak them in a bowl of  vinegar. Nothing too amazing just make sure that everything is soaking enough to ensure that no mold or bacteria is left untouched.

5. Poor enough vinegar into the bottom half of the humidifier to ensure that all the areas are covered.

6. Wipe any area with vinegar that does not lend itself to sitting in a bath of vinegar to ensure that everything has been disinfected.

7. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes.

8. Wipe everything down. There shouldn’t be too much scrubbing unless it’s just been a very long time since the humidifier has been cleaned.
  You should find that all the mold and grime is easily removed after having let it sit for 20 minutes.

9.  Rinse everything with very warm water.

10. Let everything completely dry before putting it back together

Humidifiers have actually taken a very positive turn in the world of appliances.

These days humidifiers can be purchased that are very sophisticated and will monitor your humidity levels and alert you when you need to increase or decrease the humidity in your house.

Some even have sensors that will turn the humidifier on and off as needed.

Other advances in humidifiers are geared towards making humidifiers safer so that they do not have as much of a chance of becoming a germ farm.

Though there is yet to be a humidifier built that you could call 100% germ-free, there are technologies that some brands of humidifiers use that come awfully close.

Some of these technologies include:

1.  Ultraviolet light

Ultraviolet light is a technology that has been used to kill germs and bacteria for a very long time.

All types of industries use UV as a method of disinfection. Air purification, aquariums, and barber shop supplies just to name a few.

It only makes sense that ultraviolet light would be incorporated with humidifiers to keep bacteria from being able to grow inside and eventually becoming part of the air you breathe.

2. Antimicrobial plastic

Another really cool technology being incorporated into the construction of humidifiers is antimicrobial plastic.

This is plastic that actually resists the growth of mold and bacteria. Building a humidifier out of materials that resist mold and bacteria is very innovative and exciting and one that you can actually find in some brands of humidifiers right now.

3.  Antibacterial additives

Anti bacterial additives are another great ideal that can help keep your current humidifier cleaner and free of bacteria for longer amounts of time.

Some of the main brands of antibacterial additives is aqua stick.

4. DIY additives

You don’t necessarily have to go purchase a new humidifier or buy commercial additives.

Distilled vinegar can be placed right into your water and help keep your humidifier cleaner for a longer period of time.

Colloidal silver is something that many people have on hand that can be added to humidifier water that will kill bacteria and benefit the person breathing the colloidal silver misted water immensely.

Hydrogen peroxide is another easy additive that will help keep the water and the humidifier disinfected and is also a great additive to reduce germs and bacteria in the air.

Summary:

A musty smelling humidifier is the definition of a moldy humidifier.

If your humidifier smells musty, then you should take it as a red flag to immediately turn it off and to thoroughly clean it with vinegar.

You should not take this lightly because there can be serious consequences to inhaling water that has bacteria growing on it.

Symptoms can resemble pneumonia and can include everything from sneezing and watery eyes to more severe symptoms like fever, achy muscles, and vomiting or diarrhea.

Cleaning your humidifier thoroughly with vinegar will disinfect the humidifier and get you back to enjoying the benefits of the humidifier.

As an added protection, you can purchase additives to place in the water to keep it fresher longer.

You can also purchase humidifiers that use technologies that will help your humidifier stay germ-free longer.

Can Humidifiers Cause Mold?- The Answer May Surprise You

Mold is a very destructive agent, not only to your home and property but also to your health. Mold growth can also be very consuming when it is left unchecked. And damage can occur very quickly. 
 Finding the source and stopping it is of the essence when you are dealing with it. 

Can Humidifiers Cause Mold? 

“No. A well maintained humidifier that is operating in the right humidity range will not cause mold.”

But a humidifier that is not cleaned often and allowed to run with water that has been stagnated will not only accumulate mold and bacteria inside of the basin,  it will dispense mold and bacteria into the air you breathe.

Poor air quality that is full of mold and bacteria can be dangerous and cause symptoms that are similar to pneumonia and the flu, etc.

However if a humidifier is being operated how it is intended to be when the humidity in the room has dropped below 40%, it will only benefit you.

Are there any special circumstances where a humidifier could cause mold to grow?

Yes. For instance, you were running a humidifier when the humidity is well above the need for the humidifier to be running.

  If you already have 80% humidity and you’re doing something to add more humidity, like run a humidifier, then you’re going to have condensation, which given the right circumstances can begin to grow mold.

Another scenario is that you have a humidifier that has a physical leak and is allowed to drip onto the wall or behind a desk or other furniture.

Anywhere you have a leak in your house, regardless of the source, you have a good chance of finding mold.

allergy headacheBut a good working humidifier will not cause mold in the right circumstances. A humidifier doesn’t even have the output to create a huge condensation situation. Even on the scale of taking a shower.

What about the opposite?

Can a Humidifier Prevent Mold?

Yes.
And yes you read that right. Studies have shown that excessively dry air creates a much easier path for allergens like mold spores, pollen, airborne bacteria and viruses, to be able to travel much further.

The idea is that when the humidity of the air in your home, business, School, etc. Is kept between 40 and 60%, the moisture in the air does not allow for these “airborne health threats” to travel nearly as far before they are forced to the surface by the weight of the humidity drops.

The right moisture level in the air will actually keep mold spores from being able to travel as far as they would be able to in dry air. And keep it out of the ambient air that you are breathing in.

Maintaining the optimal humidity in your home has so many benefits that it outweighs any of the potential negatives by a mile.

Benefits of a humidifier:

1. Alleviate dry skin
2. Stop nosebleeds
3. Help control acne
4. Keep viruses at Bay
5. Control static shock
6. Help control dust
7. Helps immunity
8. Help control allergies
9. Increase oxygen

1.  Alleviate dry skin

Dry skin is a universal problem that we all deal with from time to time. And it is a problem that is in direct correlation to the amount of moisture in our airstream.
Simply put; if the air is dry then your skin does not have the available moisture to be able to absorb. And to make matters worse, dry air means extra dust in the air, which pulls moisture out of your skin.
A humidifier is the perfect tool to add moisture back to a home that is suffering with low humidity.

2.  Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds and congestion are the main telltale signs that it is time to pull out the humidifier for the season.

Whenever the air gets excessively dry because of the low humidity content in the air combined with the heater blasting, dry nasal passages become intolerable.

Humidifiers are one of the best things you can do when you are suffering from nosebleeds and dry nasal passages with congestion.

3.  Help control acne

Acne is not something most people associate with low humidity. But according to Hadley King MD” dry conditions expose deeper layers of skin to the outside world”. Increasing the level of moisture in your room can help maintain the level of hydration needed to keep dry cracking skin from allowing acne to get a deeper root.

4.  Keep viruses away

Where the air is excessively dry, there is a wide open pallet for particles including viruses, germs and bacteria, to be able to float in the ambient air and much further than when air is properly hydrated.
Humidifiers will add moisture back to the air which can keep viruses from being able to travel as long and as far as they can in dry air.

5. Control static shock/electricity

Static electricity is another one of those telltale signs that the humidity is low.
Without the proper humidity in the air, electrons have a lot less resistance and jump from one body to the next very easily.
Adding moisture to the air with the humidifier will cut down on the amount of static electricity that you are experiencing in your house.

6. Helps control dust

When there is a lack of humidity, dust does not have anything to keep it from floating and moving throughout the air settling on your skin and into your lungs.

Providing humidity back into the air with a humidifier will create moisture in the air that will bind with airborne dust and cause it to settle.

7.  Helps immunity

A study published by medical news today states that the hair-like organelles outside of the cells that line the body’s airways, called cilia, do not function as well and dry conditions – they cannot expel viral particles as well as they otherwise would.

It’s Amazing how a humidifier can actually help your body resist viral particles much better when the air is too dry.

8.  Help control allergies

Airborne allergies like pollen and mold spores that do not have any moisture in the air to keep them from floating will eventually make it into your airways and cause you to have a whole host of allergic symptoms.

Restoring the humidity in a room with a humidifier will help keep allergens from being able to float nearly as long and far as they are able to and dry air. Which can mean big relief for allergy sufferers.

9.  Increase oxygen

Increasing the humidity with a humidifier when the air is dry can indirectly increase your oxygen intake.

“a humidifier is not an oxygen concentrator and it should not be mistaken for one or substituted for one”

The humidity droplets created by humidifiers can weigh down airborne allergens and dust by weighing them down and decreasing their ability to float in the ambient (air that you breathe)airstream.

Thus allowing for better oxygen intake.

Secondly, humidity combined with oxygen producing plants such as rubber plant, aloe vera, and mother-in-law’s tongue can create an oxygen-rich environment. Amazing.

Summary

Can a humidifier cause mold?

A humidifier used correctly at the right time will not cause mold.

Humidifiers are made to add moisture back to the room when the air is excessively dry and under the 40% relative humidity mark.

But a humidifier that is not used correctly or is allowed to be operated when it is unmaintained or has standing water in it, well more than likely has mold and bacteria growing in it and can create an air quality problem that can be very serious.

Other times that humidifiers could be responsible for mold is if they are run when the humidity is already high and does not constitute the use of a humidifier.

And secondly, if there is a physical problem with the humidifier and it is allowed to leak onto the furniture or floor.

Sore Throat Humidifier- Good Idea or Not?

” When the air is extremely dry, it can make an already painful sore throat feel that much worse. A humidifier is the perfect tool to add moisture back into the room and help alleviate some of the pain. But if you’re talking about the dreaded summer cold when the humidity is already high, a humidifier will not help.”

Everyone knows the feeling of waking up with a sore throat. And to be honest there are very few quick remedies that can make a big difference when you do have a sore throat.

There are some decent sore throat lozenges like the Mucinex and the Vicks brands that provide that ultra cool feeling on your throat but they are not all that long lasting and they do nothing to help at the root of it. And you don’t want to fall asleep with a throat lozenge in your mouth. Or you might end up waking up choking on it.

Drinking a lot of liquids ( coffee and Coke not included) and gargling with warm salt water also have a calming effect on a sore throat. And staying hydrated is absolutely the best policy to get you out of your sickbed quicker.

But the one thing that can exacerbate a sore throat more than any other and in turn help you when you do have a sore throat is maintaining the proper humidity in the room.

Is a Humidifier Good for a Sore Throat?

Humidity levels in the house have a great deal to do with how dry your throat can feel. And though most throat issues are caused by a virus and there’s not a whole lot you can do besides wait it out.

If the humidity in your house is excessively low, it is going to have a compounding effect on your sore throat which will make it more painful. And since sore throat often accompanies nasal congestion, it follows that you tend to breathe through your mouth more which is only drying out your throat further.

Most professionals including the national library of science say that keeping the humidity level at between 40 and 60% in the home is the optimal level for keeping winter related symptoms at Bay.

“The humidifier is the perfect tool for adding humidity back into a room that is lacking the level of humidity that is required to keep viruses from spreading easier and to provide essential moisture for your nasal passages and throat.”

And humidifiers have become pretty sophisticated devices over the last few years that include hygrometers to be able to measure your own humidity as well as give you the option of using cool or warm mist as well as doubling as aromatherapy diffusers.

And when they are performing in a diffuser mode, there are essential oils like eucalyptus they can also have a clearing effect and offer some relief for a sore throat.

But the humidifier is definitely not the answer in every situation. For instance, everyone is familiar with the dreaded summer cold as well. And most of the time, adding extra humidity to the room in the summer is not the solution since the humidity levels in summer typically range above what would be considered the optimal humidity of 40 to 60% indoors.

At that point, it makes zero sense to try to relieve a sore throat by turning on a humidifier.

Can a humidifier give you a sore throatCan a humidifier give you a sore throat?

A humidifier can actually give you a sore throat and here’s why.

Humidifiers have to be cleaned often. When they are not well maintained, they can easily become a perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria.

Anytime that a humidifier is left with standing water in it, it can begin to accumulate mold and bacteria in as little as 48 hours.

Imagine turning the humidifier on after it has had standing water in it for an extended time. At that point, it has basically become a distributor of bacteria into your airstream.

And the symptoms of moldy air on your health look suspiciously like the symptoms of the flu. Sore throat, headaches, sneezing, runny nose, etc.

A dirty humidifier can account for the reason you are having a sore throat in the first place.

There are a few humidifiers and humidifier products that are made to hinder the production of bacteria.

On the subject of Moldy air, humidifiers are not the only source of mold and bacteria that can affect your breathing and cause you to have cold-like symptoms.

The HVAC system (Central heating and Air) is also famous for being a distributor of bacteria throughout the house. Persistent mold allergy symptoms like sore throat and headaches can often be traced back to a dirty heating and Air system.

Most HVAC supplies offer induct air purifiers that are placed inside of your ductwork and have a high kill rate for mold.

RGF REME HVAC HALO 24V Air Purification System Light

  • 24V Installation with included transformer / Professional Installation by an HVAC Tech or Electrical Contractor is recommended ).
  • It is good against mold, odors, VOC’s, bacteria or viruses. Also: Dust, Particles, Chemicals. (It is recommended to use an electrostatic air filter.)
Buy Reme Halo here

 Evaporative coolers or also known for being a huge breeding ground for bacteria and mold. These machines operate by basically blowing a fan across water to cool the air.

Just like humidifiers, they have the propensity to collect standing water from time to time and must be cleaned often to avoid blowing moldy Misty air into your home.

There are also products you can put into your evaporative coolers to help prevent bacteria from growing.

Is a Humidifier Good for a Sore ThroatSummary: Sore throat humidifier. Good idea or not?

Though a sore throat is usually not the direct result of having dry air, dry air can definitely have a compounding effect on how a sore throat feels.

Waking up with a sore throat is often accompanied with other symptoms like congestion that lead you to breathing through your mouth.
Dry air in the room can make a sore throat that much more painful.

When the humidity in the air is low, a humidifier can be a great tool to add humidity back into the air and help relieve some of the pain of having a sore throat.

But if we are talking about a sore throat in the summer when the humidity is typically too high, the humidifier is not the answer to sore throat relief.

Many people have complained about getting a sore throat as a result of running a humidifier.

And yes, even though a humidifier can be a great relief to you when you have a sore throat and they can conditions are dry,

Humidifiers have a huge disadvantage in that they have to be cleaned very often.

Running a humidifier that has had standing water left in it can actually introduce mold and bacteria into the air which can cause symptoms very similar to the flu including sore throat, sneezing, and headaches.

  Which all is directly and indirectly the result of poor air quality.

Poor air quality can be the result of an unmaintained humidifier but it can be the result of other circumstances including dirty HVAC ducts and evaporative air conditioning which has the same type of mechanics as a humidifier and needs to be cleaned very well and often.

Humidifier-Dehumidifier Combo-What Are Some Of The Options?

Unless this is the first thing you’ve read about the subject,

You probably have already realized that a humidifier dehumidifier combo is not really a thing that you can easily find on the internet.

Yes, you might find an experimental one somewhere…

But then again there’s probably a reason why they don’t exactly fill the shelves.

A humidifier and a dehumidifier, though they may sound like the same thing or very similar;

Are actually two very different machines with two entirely different functions.

A humidifier is used to add moisture to the air while a dehumidifier is used to extract moisture from the air.

Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are not two appliances that are ran at the same time.
That’s probably the biggest reason why you don’t find too many combination humidifier and dehumidifier machines available.

dehumidifier-humidifier Though you might be able to make the case that these two devices could be combined and work well together.

Why not? they both have a basin for water.

And you could easily see that basin being  used to capture water when the humidity is too high.
  And when the humidity is too low, adding water to the basin to humidify a room….

But the truth is, a dehumidifier is a pretty hefty device on its own that has a full compressor to condense the humidity out of the air.

   And even the smaller dehumidifiers are quite a bit larger than a room humidifier.

And considering the usefulness you get out of a dehumidifier compared to a humidifier,

  it doesn’t make it all that appealing to have a humidifier that is the size of a dehumidifier.

Another issue that I see is that a region that has a climate with excessive humidity is not likely to have a excessively dry season or vice versa.

And Dehumidifiers are more likely to be used less than a humidifier over the span of a year.

So having a device that is likely to be much bigger out of necessity,
during the time of year you don’t need it, doesn’t make combining a humidifier and a dehumidifier all that appealing either.

The bottom line is that these two devices are just not that useful when combined together. And the expense of doing so would not be worth it.

Dehumidifier Humidifier Combo alternatives

For a lot of people who live in climates that are primary dry, a full blown dehumidifier with pump and hose is just too much.

Desiccants placed around the house can be a good solution and a reasonable combination to go with your humidifier. And they are a fraction of the cost of a full size portable dehumidifier.

The easiest way to describe a desiccant is to remind you of the tiny bags that manufacturers include in packaging to help keep their products fresh.

Those are desiccant bags. And you can find them in everything from cookies to shoes.

  But desiccants also come in much bigger sizes and can reduce the humidity in a pretty good sized space.

Here’s a few examples of desiccant dehumidifiers that you can purchase.

Click here for Damprid

Damprid


Damprid is a desiccant container that is available in different sizes. It can also be bought in bags with a hanger similar to what you hang a shirt on.

One kind of Damprid includes activated charcoal that is excellent at getting rid of musty smells.
Damprid is an excellent solution to absorb excess moisture in a small area. It can also be put away from view very quickly.

Click here for Eva-Dry

Eva-dry E-500 Mini Dehumidifier

 

 

Eva Dry Dehumidifiers run totally silent, have a 10-year life span, and do not require any refills.
These are dehumidifiers with small desiccant absorber beads which are specifically designed for smaller areas such as safes and closets. You may need more than one.
These units can take in up to 8oz of moisture, without the maintenance and emptying irritations associated with the compressor-based dehumidifiers.

Dehumidifiers do not have to be the size of a portable air conditioner either. There are several models that can be used in much smaller spaces.

Click here for Levoair

Levoair Dehumidifier

A small dehumidifier, with the drain hose.
The tiny dehumidifier is able to reduce humidity up to 333 square feet.
It’s very quiet because it doesn’t have a compressor. Which is the reason that most dehumidifiers sound so loud.
It has a handle that it can be carried around with,  and it is water-proof. Easily transportable with fewer chances of spilling.
A drain hose, already built-in, allows you to operate it without having to purchase it separately.

Room ventilation

So far we’ve only talked about combining a humidifier and a dehumidifier in a small portable package.

Many people find themselves with extra dry air in the winter and overly humid air in the summer.

So as we start to go down the rabbit hole of what to do to solve the problem, many times it seems obvious that we need a dehumidifier for the humidity and a humidifier for the dry weather.

But that is not necessarily the the answer.

  With modern building practices, houses and homes are usually sealed up exceptionally well.

  Though that is something you want, it can also be a problem when you’re talking about keeping the indoor humidity at the optimal level.

Sometimes just opening the window and letting some fresh air in will help with a dry or humid room.

But what about when opening a window is not an option? Like in the Winter.

That’s where adding a fresh air ventilation system to your existing HVAC can provide the fresh air into your home that can reduce humidity.

Many of these fresh air ventilation  systems come with humidity sensors so that they do not allow excessive outdoor humidity into the home.

And they also come with built-in dehumidifiers to help reduce the humidity if it becomes a problem also.

Click here for Panasonic WhisperComfort

Panasonic WhisperComfort Spot Energy Recovery Ventilator

Panasonic WhisperComfort Spot Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is a unique way to offer an even airflow with an integrated ceiling ERV.

It is ideal for one room. The Panasonic FV-04VE1 WhisperComfort Spot ERV Ceiling Insert Ventilator has the lowest rate for continuous air exchange. This ventilator provides fresh air to replenish exhausted air, balancing the air pressure in the home.

WhisperComfort Spot ERV Ceiling Ventilator that has Balanced Ventilation and Patent-Pending Capillary core is covered by a manufacturer’s warranty for 3 years beginning from the date of purchase. The item is sold only one unit per package.

Quiet, balanced ventilation: WhisperComfort cleanses the air and exchanges heat between outgoing and incoming exhaust air at a quiet pace that you may not even know it’s there.

LONG LIFE GUARANTEED:

  • Panasonic ventilation fans use lesser energy to transport more significant quantities of air. The less energy used results in less motor failure and overheating and lowers repair expenses.
  • The warranty is for three years.
  • Clean air and save energy: Capillary Core cleans air by exchanging heat between outgoing and incoming exhaust air.
  • Filters are simple to clean and remove.
  • Easy-to-install: Designed for four” pipes, WhisperComfort has the mounting equipment needed, and it is very easy to install.
  • Code Compliant: The item is ENERGY Energy Star certified and in accordance with ASHRAE 62.2 LEED as well as Washington VIAQ Codes and Standards.

Extractor fans

Extractor fans are very useful for bathrooms because they pull the moisture out of the room via a fan  that expels into the attic.

Removing unwanted humidity by extracting it with a fan can be a much better solution than collecting it with a dehumidifier.

Extractor fans are also a great way to reduce humidity in a damp basement that doesn’t really need or have a place to put a full sized window AC.

Click here for AC Infinity AIRTITAN

AC Infinity AIRTITAN T8 Basement Ventilator Fan

  • A fan system that is designed to provide airflow and humidity control to basements and crawl spaces.  
  •  Reduces humidity by generating exhaust airflow, which helps to eliminate foul scents and fresh air out of your home.  
  •  Controller with programmable function and cord that can regulate airflow according to temperature and humidity.  
  •  Frame made of stainless steel that is heavy-duty and has IP-44-rated fans that are extremely resistant to liquids as well as dust.  
  •  Wall Adapter included | Design: Exhaust | Dimensions.  18 x 9 x 1.6 in. | Airflow: 240 CFM | Noise level: 32 Dba

Air conditioning

Refrigerated air conditioning, whether it be what’s coming into your home via the central heat and air or a window air conditioner automatically combine dehumidification as part of cooling your home.

Summertime heat can be compounded by high humidity in the air.

And it’s at those times that cooling down with a fan or even a evaporative cooler are not going to suffice.

Newer AC units most always come with a dehumidifier setting besides their natural humidifying capacity.

Click here for MIDEA Air Conditioners

MIDEA MAW12R1BWT

PROS

  • The LED display on the front of its panel
  • Provides fast and efficient cooling in rooms that range from 500 square. Ft.
  • Dehumidification can help maintain a comfortable atmosphere within
  • Easy to install using all the mounting tools included in the package
  • EcoSave Function aids the unit to shut off when a temperature is reached to help save energy and money.

CONS
Only one-year warranty available.
Refrigerant with flammable properties that could cause a fire or even an explosion

Recap

Doing a search for a dehumidifier and humidifier combo is mostly likely a dead end.

Even though they may sound like a great combination of products to pair together,

They are not two products that are ever used at the same time and the technologies that they use to do their thing are completely different.

They are not compatible in the same way that say, combing a dehumidifier with an air purifier would be. Since they both work to reduce airborne pollutants.

Some solutions that can help manage humidity in the home and be a good combo with a humidifier or dehumidifier are products like:

  • Desiccants
  • Fresh Air Ventilation systems
  • Extractor fans
  • Air conditioners

You can purchase a humidifier with all the bells and whistles you can think of. But none of them will dehumidify.

Same thing goes for dehumidifier. There are some amazing units out there that will dry your room out like a prune. But they won’t add a bit of humidity.

Self Cleaning-Germ Free-Low Maintenance Humidifiers. Really?

Humidifiers are notorious for being high maintenance machines because of the nature of their design and that they require a basin of water to work.

3 different types of Humidifiers that qualify as “self cleaning”: 

1.UV sterilization
2. Germ resistant plastic
3. Germ and Bacteria Resistant Water Additives
4.Vaporizer

 Why does that make Humidifiers high maintenance?

Because of the easy formation and growth of mold that happens inside of a humidifier when it is not maintained properly  And the fact that the mold growth inside of the machine becomes part of the humidity being expelled into the room when the unit is in operation.  Breathing mold spores can trigger asthma and exasperate allergies. That’s not good. 

Humidifier ULTRAVIOLET STERILIZATIONWouldn’t it be great if there was such a thing as a “self cleaning humidifier”?

Technically a vaporizer is a type of Humidifier that is considered a self cleaning humidifier because is boils water as a means of creating steam. The boiling process kills any mold or bacteria in the operation.

But vaporizers are not for everyone and most people considered them to unsafe to keep in the babies room or children regardless.

So where does that leave the idea of a self cleaning humidifier?

There is not yet such a thing as a completely self cleaning humidifier that requires no maintenance.

But there are multiple ways that the issue the mold growth in humidifiers is being addressed,
and different technologies that are being invented and used to make humidifiers safer.

1. Antimicrobial plastic

One of the most exciting innovations in humidifiers is the use of germ and bacteria resistant materials in the construction of the humidifier.

Antimicrobial plastic contains biocide polymers that combat the production of mold and mildew on the surface of the plastic. It has a ton of applications and seems to be perfectly suited for humidifiers.

 Not only can humidifiers be completely built out of antimicrobial plastic, the filter inside of the humidifier can also be coated with the same type of product to keep the filter from becoming a moldy mess too.  Which, as you probably have already realized, is an amazing leap for appliances like humidifiers and dehumidifiers, as well as air conditioners and water-based air purifiers. 

Since the one thing all of these appliances have in common is that they are subject to mold and bacteria growth,

If the materials that the humidifier is constructed of are resistant to mold growth, and the filters within them are also resistant to mold, then the search for a self cleaning humidifier is nearly half over.

Nearly half?

 Yes, nearly half. The reason is, that humidifiers not only grow mold on the plastic and construction itself, they also have a tendency to get mold on the surface of the water inside of the basin when it is not changed often. 

And keep in mind, the whole point of the humidifier is to use the water in the basin to emit into the air to increase the humidity in a room.

If the water in the humidifier basin has mold and mildew when the machine is running, then the humidity droplets in your air will also be full of mold spores and bacteria.

Keeping mold and mildew from growing on the surface of the humidifier, regardless of it being inside or out, is a mind-blowing advancement in humidifier innovations, but it is yet only half the battle.

Keeping mold and germs from growing in stagnant water  is the other side of the equation that would make a humidifier actually “self cleaning”.

2.  Ultraviolet sterilization

Fortunately there is already people who are making products to remedy the situation of mold growing on the surface of the water inside of a humidifier.

UV lamps are used in multiple industries to help reduce the spread of mold, bacteria, and viruses.

You have probably seen aquariums with a blue light inside of them. The blue light is a ultraviolet lamp that is targeted on the inside of the aquarium to help reduce the amount of algae and mildew that tends to take over an aquarium pretty fast.

Another place might have seen this same procedure in action is in a barber shop. Barber shops oftentimes have a cylinder that they put their Combs and scissors in that employees a UV lamp to clean and disinfect their utensils while they are not in use.

This is exactly the same way that ultraviolet light can be used in a humidifier.

Positioning a ultraviolet light inside of a humidifier to continuously Target the water inside of the basin is a proven method of reducing the amount of contaminants that may be emitted into your airstream in the humidifying process.

 Combining ultraviolet light in a humidifier that is constructed out of antimicrobial plastic seems to cover all the bases in the search for a self cleaning humidifier. 

self cleaning humidification3. Germ and Bacteria Resistant Water Additives

Another technology that is used to combat the production of mold in the water of a humidifier is anti mold and germ pods that you purchase to place inside of the basin with the water.

This is more of a back road country recipe that has become more mainstream.

The ideal is to put an additive in the water that keeps mold from taking hold.
Colloidal silver is a natural antibiotic that also has antimicrobial properties.

Although you can purchase colloidal silver and just add it to the water in your humidifier, you can also purchase pods and sticks that contains silver in them that will do the same thing as adding colloidal silver.

 “There is a problem with these additives though, they are only useful in ultrasonic humidifiers“. 

Another do-it-yourself home recipe for keeping the water in your humidifier fresher longer is to add a little bit of vinegar to the water in your humidifier.

Vinegar is actually one of the best all natural mold cleaners there is. Even edging out bleach because of its ability to get down under the surface better.

Some people even advocate breathing vinegar steam to get rid of chest and head congestion. But if that is something you want to try, you should do your own research and probably stick with apple cider vinegar which is loaded with enzymes and vitamins.

Recap

There is no humidifier that it is 100% self cleaning. But there are newer technologies available that make it nearly a reality.

Technologies like antimicrobial plastic that resists mold growth can be used in the construction of the humidifier making the materials the humidifier is made out of already mold resisting.

The filters inside of humidifiers can be coded with the same type of polymers that are contained in the antimicrobial plastic, which we’ll also help the filter for becoming a mold farm.

As for the water in the basin, there is a couple of technologies that can help keep the water fresher, longer.

One one is the use of ultraviolet light targeting the surface of the water so that mold and algae cannot take root.

Another is to add anti mold pods that contains silver. Silver is a natural antimicrobial that can help the water in the basin of your ultrasonic humidifier stay safer.

After all the point is to add clean humidity to your air so that you can breathe better.
Adding humidity that is laced with mold and germs is a quick way to trigger allergies and asthma.4

9 Self Cleaning Humidifiers and or Options

  1. Aqua stick
  2. Safety First A clean humidifier
  3. Pure guardian h5450bca
  4. Dyson am-10
  5. Pure Enrichment Mistaire Eva
  6. Air innovations
  7. Winix humidifier
  8. Crane
  9. Boneco

Many of the reviews of so-called germ-free humidifiers are negative because people seem to have the expectation that there is no cleaning involved whatsoever. Unfortunately that’s just not the case.

For instance, The main issue with using UV in a humidifier is that the UV light has to be targeted directly on the bacteria or mold to be effective at destroying the germs.

So even though incorporating a UVlamp inside of a humidifier will definitely help cut down on mold and bacteria,

You shouldn’t expect every square inch of the humidifier to be in the direct target of the UV.

Some, like the Dyson a.m. do a much better job then others,

But the idea that you do not have to clean the humidifier ever because it has a UV lamp is not realistic.

The same thing goes for humidifiers that have the antimicrobial silver induced plastic. Do they help reduce germs in the water tank of a humidifier? Yes, no doubt.

But does that mean that there is no cleaning to be done? Not at all. There has yet to be invented an additive but you can place it in a humidifier that will completely kill 100% of all bacteria and mold.

Self-cleaning humidifiers are better called low maintenance humidifiers because they incorporate methods to help curb bacterial growth and reduce the amount of cleaning.

Some are better than others.

But there is no such thing as a humidifier that is completely germ-free. 

Click here for AquaStick

Aquastick

Aqua stick is an additive that you place inside of your humidifier similar in looks to a cleaning stick that you place in the back of your toilet.

They are an inexpensive way to help keep mold and bacteria from growing inside of your humidifier. They can be used for up to two to three months without having to be replaced.

They also have a reputation of being able to use tap water. Which carries with it a huge advantage.

Many of the humidifiers that we review that are designed to be antimicrobial for less cleaning use silver induced materials in their construction.

Aqua stick is a way of using silver in your humidifier tank without having to pay for a humidifier that is made from antimicrobial silver induced plastic.

This product is made by guardian technologies who also build antimicrobial humidifiers.

Remarks:

 One of the easiest ways to keep bacteria and germs from growing in your humidifier. And they work with any humidifier regardless of the brand. 
Buy Safety 1st Stay Clean Here

Safety 1st Stay Clean humidifier

The entire marketing of this humidifier is based on the fact that it is supposed to be self cleaning. But to be fair, the literature says there is “less cleaning”.

Unfortunately the reviews on Amazon are pretty heavily slanted to the opposite. Lots of complaints of pink residue in the bottom of the humidifier.

The fact that the Blue lamp in this humidifier is an LED light and not an ultraviolet light is probably the reason people are not seeing the results they expected.

As a basic humidifier it does not require a filter which is a plus but it does not have any of the regular features like humidistat, or aromatherapy tray.

Dimensions 10.75 * 8.9 * 8.9 in
Weight 3 lb
Square footage: unlisted
Tank size: unlisted

Features:

  • Antimicrobial LED light
Buy Pure Guardian Here

Pure Guardian H5450BCA

This humidifier has different methods to help to keep bacteria and mold from growing inside of a humidifier.

The first is a non ozone UV-C light. The second is that it has silver embedded into the housing.
The third is the fact that it works as a warm mist humidifier as well. Which means that the water in the humidifier must be risen to a boiling temperature which will destroy bacteria.

Ultraviolet light is a proven method of destroying germs and bacteria when it is targeted directly upon them.

Silver is an all natural antibiotic that has a purifying effect on water.

This humidifier doesn’t make any claims suggesting that it is 100% germ-free or self-cleaning, only that it has incorporated a couple of methods that work to help reduce germs and cleaning.

And this pure guardian humidifier has a lot of features that make it an excellent humidifier regardless.

Features:

Remarks

 The real deal. Pure Guardian not only employs the UV lamp to target bacteria and germs inside of the tank, the tank itself is embedded with silver, an all natural antibiotic known to reduce bacteria. 
Purchase Dyson AM-10 Here

Dyson am-10 humidifier

This is a humidifier and fan all-in-one.

Dyson am-10 uses a UV lamp that exposes every drop of water to the ultraviolet light.

And claims to kill 99.99% of bacteria inside of a tank.

It is an intelligent appliance that measures the temperature and moisture of the air to control to keep the ideal climate continuously in your room.

It is a 3 l tank and works up to 12 hours before having to have a refill.

Manufacturer: Dyson
Dimensions: 8.7 by 9.4 by 22.8 in
Weight: 7.5 lb
Tank size: 3 l
Square footage: not listed
Type: ultrasonic

Features:

  • UVC lamp
  • Fan
  • Humidistat Auto shut-off

Remarks:

This is a Dyson product so the price is significantly higher than most.

They do have a reputation of being very effective and the fact that it is a powerful fan as well as a germ-free humidifier makes it very interesting.

This air purifier doesn’t feature a way to diffuse essential oils.

The reviews are a mixed bag. Some people love this humidifier, other people hate it.

Click here for Pure Enrichment Mistaire Eva

Pure Enrichment Mistaire Eva

This is a low maintenance humidifier that incorporates an antimicrobial filter.

It doesn’t make any huge claims of killing 99% of bacteria or even reducing it.

Only that it helps fight allergies by trapping and killing airborne allergens in the filter.

It does claim to dramatically reduce the amount of white dust you typically find around ultrasonic humidifiers though.

The humidifier uses a technology called whirlwind fan that captures cools and humidifies the air up to 500 square feet.

It offers for fan speeds and an auto off timer. It also offers turbo speed.

It also serves as a night light that can be changed to 7 different colors.

One feature missing is the aromatherapy option.

Item model number: PHHUMEVA
Dimensions: 9.5 by 9.5 x 13.5 in
Weight: 5.49 lb
Square footage: 500 square feet
Tank size: 2.8 l
Warranty: 5 years

Features:

  • 500 square feet
  • Antimicrobial filter
  • 25 hour runtime
  • Multiple settings including turbo mode
  • 7 color night lights

Remarks:
It has an amazing new technology that helps it cover large areas. But they don’t tell say what it is or how it works. A little fishy. 

Purchase Air Innovations on Amazon
Purchase Air Innovations at Sylvane

Air innovations

Air innovations feature one of the most stylish humidifiers available.
But style is not the only thing it features.

This humidifier can run 96 hours and humidify a room up to 600 square feet without refilling.

It also includes a remote and a digital display hygrometer / humidistat.

The reason it is featured as a low maintenance, germ-free humidifier is that it is made from antimicrobial plastic. Which resists the growth of mold and bacteria in the tank.

Manufacturer: great innovations
Dimensions 8 by 8 by 18.5 in
Weight: 3.83 lb
Square footage covered: 600 square feet
Run time without refilling: 96 hours

Features:

  • Adjustable humidistat that adjust according to the relative humidity in the room
  • Remote
  • Auto shut off and beat notification when it runs out of water
  • 15 inch extension nozzle
  • Aromatherapy option
  • Antimicrobial plastic construction

Remarks:

 Easily one of the all around best humidifiers available. The humidifier features just about everything you can possibly want out of a humidifier and looks great doing it. 
Buy Winix LightCel UV Humidifiers Here

Winix Ultrasonic humidifier with LightCel UV


Winix is known for their air purifiers that feature Plasmawave technology.

With this humidifier they have dove into the humidification world with a humidifier that has a UV +LED Light that targets bacteria and germs before they can become an issue and your humidifier.

It includes demineralization capsules that will help reduce the amount of cleaning also.

This humidifier holds two gallons of water and it will run for 120 hours without having to refill it.

And it can also be used as either a cool mist or a warm mist humidifier.

Manufacturer: Winix
Dimensions 8.5 x 10.6 by 14.6 in
Weight: 5.9 lbs
Tank size: 2 gallons
Maximum noise level: 30db

Features:

  • UV + LED antibacterial light
  • 120 hours between refills
  • 2 gallon tank
  • Programmable timer
  • Auto shutoff
  • Very quiet at 30 fb
  • Warm mist and cool mist
  • Demineralization capsules included

Remarks:

 Winix have successfully managed to carve out a space for ionic technology in the air purification world that is dominated by HEPA filters.  And it looks like they have managed to design an excellent humidifier that helps control bacteria as well as keeps the humidifier cleaner longer as well. 
Click here for Crane Humidifiers

Crane humidifier with UV

This is a humidifier that features all the bells and whistles but with a twist, it contains a UV lamp to kill bacteria and germs in the water tank before they become a cleaning issue and a breathing issue.

Variable speed settings and an adjustable 360 degree Mist lid make it excellent for using in a large area. It can humidify rooms up to 500 square feet and run for 24 hours without having to refill.

But it does not contain an aromatherapy option.

Manufacturer: Crane
Dimensions: 14 by 10 by 16 in
Weight: 7.26 lb
Square footage covered: 500
Tank size: 1.2 gallons
Run time: 24 hours between refills

Features:

  • ultraviolet ionizing light
  • 500 square feet
  • Adjustable sit and leave humidistat
  • Easy to clean

Remarks

This crane humidifier does not feature an aromatherapy essential oils option.
But it does say that it creates a refreshing smelling mist.

Ionizing air purifier manufacturers often spin the smell of ozone coming from their units as an “after a thunderstorm fresh smell”.

This humidifier doesn’t make any claims of ozone production but it is interesting that they use the same language and that they have an ultraviolet ionizing lamp included.

The reviews are hit-and-miss with a lot of people saying that the humidistat failed fairly soon after their purchase.

Click Here to Purchase Boneco s450

Boneco s450

 

There is a way to bypass all the issues of adding a ultraviolet lamp to a humidifier or putting additives in the tank or purchasing a humidifier that’s made out of antimicrobial plastic,

And that is to purchase a warm mist humidifier that boils the water before it is emitted into the air as steam.

Warm mist humidifiers or vaporizers are not for everyone because steam will  raise the temperature in a room.

But as far as warm mist humidifiers go, Boneco has a humidifier that is next level.

It can humidify an area as large as 860 square feet. And it is very quiet coming in at 37 db on the high side.

Manufacturer: Boneco
Country: Switzerland
Dimensions:  13.2 by 9.5 by 14 in
Tank size: 2 gallons
Weight: 10.1 inches
Wattage: 480

Features:

  • 860 square feet coverage
  • Humidity display
  • Humidistat
  • Mist output control
  • Safety Auto shut-off
  • Programmable timer
  • Essential oil options

Remarks

This is a warm mist humidifier that has all the bells and whistles you typically find with the big brands like Levoit
Warm mist vaporizers or an easy way to get a bacteria free experience from a humidifier.
But they do use steam to humidify, which can make a room feel swampy.
This is a real nice humidifier but personally I would pick a humidifier that has a cool mist option as well as a warm mist often.

Top Fill Humidifiers -Waves of the Future

Humidity is a subject that if you were to be honest, may be one that you might not find very interesting.

But as you begin to learn about the multiple benefits that maintaining a healthy humidity level can do for you and your family, or your plants,

  you may find yourself being a little more interested in relative humidity then you probably thought you were.

Humidifiers are the go-to machine when your humidity is too low.

But traditionally humidifiers are kind of a pain to deal with since they have to be cleaned so often and refilled even more regularly.

  And the fact that simply refilling a humidifier in the past has been nothing short of a chore.

What if that were no longer an issue?

Like say…

Is there a humidifier that fills from the top?

Top filling humidifiers are becoming very popular because of their ease of use.

Elechomes is on a different level when it comes to top fill humidifiers. Check it out here.

The daily grind of refilling a humidifier can be quite a task when you’re talkin about pulling the tank off, turning it upside down and putting it in the sink to fill it.

Then turning it back upside right, full of water and carrying it back to the humidifier location.

Quite frankly it’s a task that leads pretty quickly to not wanting to mess with it.
Which leads to not using the humidifier as much as you need to.

How does a top fill humidifier work?

A top filling humidifier does not require that the water tank be turned upside down to fill the tank up. You simply pull the basin out, unscrew the lid, and put it under the spout to fill it up.

Optionally, you can fill up a pitcher or a plant watering can and transport the water to the humidifier and pour it in without ever having to lift or disassemble any part of the humidifier.

This not only makes it much more convenient, it makes a way simpler for people who simply do not have the strength to carry a full basin of water.

Top fill vs. bottom fill humidifier

Traditional bottom fill humidifiers require the water tank to be completely removed and turned upside down in order to refill the water. It is an awkward, messy task. And one that requires a lot of muscle.

Top fill humidifiers are designed so that the whole lid comes off. This completely eliminates the need of turning the water tank upside down. 

And like in the case of the Elechomes humidifier, the water basin has a handle that pools the tank completely off and gives you a way of transporting the basin much like any other bucket.

And since the lid comes off, It means that water can be transported to the humidifier without pulling the tank off at all.

Imagine, if you are a plant enthusiast, how much more convenient it is to add water to your humidifier by carrying the water to your humidifier while you’re already watering your plants.

Or, consider how much easier it can be for people like the elderly that simply do not have the strength to carry a water tank back and forth. Much less flip it over a couple of times in the process.

Cleaning is the other aspect that makes top fill humidifiers much less tedious to deal with.

Since the whole lid comes off, all the internal parts are easily accessed and scrubbed.

Best Top Fill Humidifier

1. Elechomes SH8820
2. Honeywell top fill Tower humidifier
3. Honeywell top fill cool mist humidifier
4. Homedics Total comfort top fill humidifier
5. Crane Warm and Cool mist humidifier
6. Pure enrichment Hume max top fill humidifier
7. Levoit 300S 6L top fill cool mist ultrasonic humidifier
8. Geniani Top Fill cool mist humidifier
9. Honovos Large Top Fill Humidifier with no filter.
10. MZTDYTL
11. Megawise top fill adjustable humidifier

 

Buy Elechomes SH8830 Here

1. Elechomes SH8830

Elechomes SH8830 is probably the best rated humidifier I have ever come across.

Because of the size of the 6.5 l a huge water tank, It can run up to 72 hours without having to be refilled.

It’s whispers quiet. And when they say whisper-quiet, they mean what they say. This machine comes in at 20 db. Probably the quietest humidifier in the world.

It can also handle an extra large amount of square feet, up to 861.

The built-in hygrometer and humidistat are the best to be found in humidifiers.

It also can be used as a cool mist or a warm mist humidifier and or a aromatherapy diffuser.

The top filling aspect of Elechomes makes it one of the easiest humidifiers to refill and keep clean.

a 360-degree rotatable nozzle allows you to focus on any part of the room without moving the humidifier.

And it features waterless shut off.

And it does all this with a Top fill design that makes filling and cleaning the humidifier extra easy.

Negatives:

The main drawback is that it is not filterless.

Manufacturer: Elechomes
Dimensions: 10.2 * 8.4 * 13.3 in
Weight: 6 lb
Noise level: 20 db
Applicable area: 430-861 square feet
Water capacity: 1.72 gallons
Working time: up to 72 hours

Features:

  • 861 square feet
  • Extra quiet 20 db
  • Cold or warm mist
  • 360 degree Mist nozzle
  • Up to 72 hours between refills
  • Hygrometer/humidistat
  • Waterless shut off
  • Set it and forget it mode
  • Top fill design
  • Remote control

Remarks

The only things that can make this humidifier any better would be the addition of a UV lamp. And ditch the filter.

see Honeywell top fill Tower humidifier here

2. Honeywell top fill Tower humidifier

Honeywell is one of the go to brands when it comes to small appliances and air quality.

The top fill Tower humidifier by Honeywell is easily one of the most popular in top filling humidifiers.

The tower design means that it takes up less space and can be easily tucked away.

It is a 1.5 gallon tank and a 12 hour timer with three speeds.

The humidistat has a digital readout that keeps you alerted to your humidity at all times.

Honeywell top fill humidifier is a 3-speed humidifier with a programmable humidistat that you can set and forget. It has a 12 hour timer and can be filled in a sink or filled at the humidifier. It also has a refill light to indicate when the water is near empty.

Again it does have the drawback of not being filterless.

Manufacturer: Honeywell
Dimensions: 9.84 * 8.66 * 24.72 in
Weight 12.5 lb
Tank capacity: 1.5 gallons

Features:

  • 12 hour timer with auto shut-off
  • 3 speed setting
  • Easy grip handle
  • Digital programmable humidistat
  • 1.5 gallon tank

Remarks

Honeywell has a good reputation for building long-lasting products.
This humidifier does feature a humidistat but it does not control the humidifier like a thermostat would the air.
It also does not include an aromatherapy option nor does it offer the capacity to run as a cool mist or warm mist humidifier.

Noise levels are not given, nor is the square footage covered listed either.

Buy Honeywell top fill console humidifiers here

3. Honeywell top fill console humidifier

Another great humidifier by Honeywell that is intended for smaller spaces and has a tank size of 1.25 gallons.

This humidifier has an adjustable humidistat that can be set to high, medium or low and automatically turns off when the desired humidity level is reached. The auto shutoff feature also turns off the humidifier when it runs out of water.

And the top fill function makes the Honeywell cool mist an excellent small room humidifier.

The humidifier is not filterless.

Manufacturer: Honeywell
Dimensions: 23.23 * 15.35 * 16.38 in
Weight: 19.41 lb
Tank size 1.5 gal

Features

  • Adjustable humidistat with auto shutdown
  • Easy Top fill design

Remarks

Honeywell has the reputation of building excellent products.

But when it comes to giving you some basic details like how much square footage a humidifier covers, they don’t seem to be too interested.

They also don’t seem to care about how louder units are, or giving you any information about their warranty length or procedure.

Buy Homedics Total Comfort top fill humidifiers here

4.  Homedics Total comfort top fill humidifier


The homedics Total comfort is built with simplicity in mind.

The humidifier has a 3.7l tank that can run up to 45 hours without having to refill it.

The simplicity of the design makes it super easy to clean.

And the top fill function allows you to easily fill the humidifier without having to take off the tank or turn it over in the sink.

It also has a couple of nice features like an essential oil tray and the night light.

There’s a lot to be said for simplicity in a humidifier.

Manufacturer: Homedics
Dimensions 13 * 9.75 * 9.6 in
Weight: 4.75 lb
Tank size 1 gallon
Effected space: 278 square feet

Features

  • Top filling
  • 3 mist settings
  • Aromatherapy tray
  • 278 square feet
  • Runs 45 hours without having to refill it.

Remarks

The one thing that Homedics continually put in their marketing materials is that they use “clean tank technology”.

But there is no information to be found on what this technology actually is or does.

Judging by the extras available for the humidifier. Clean tank technology is a demineralization stick that you put in the water.

Homedics also makes a much fancier version; it runs up to 85 hours without refilling. You can check it out here.

Buy Crane warm and cool mist top fill humidifiers here

5. Crane warm and cool mist top fill humidifier

If Homedics represent simplicity in humidification, then Crane offers an extra wide load of features.

Some of these features include an adjustable 360 degree mist lid, remote control, and a 1.2 gallon tank.

One noticeable difference is the addition of a UV lamp that targets bacteria and mold before they can become in issue in the humidifier.

Unfortunately reviews seem to indicate that the humidistat can be inaccurate and be less than enduring. Pity.

Manufacturer: Crane
Dimensions: 14 * 10 * 16 in
Weight: 7.26 lb
Tank size : 1.2 gallons
Applicable space: 500 square feet

Features:

  • Covers 500 square feet
  • Runs 24 hours without being refilled
  • Top fill/ easy cleaning access
  • UV antimicrobial light to reduce bacteria and mold growth
  • Remote control
  • Hygrometer / humidistat auto adjust and shutdown

Remarks

Curiously, For a humidifier that seems to have every Bell and whistle you can think of, it does not have an essential oil tray.
This is Cranes largest all inclusive humidifier. They also have many other models that are worth checking out. See them here.

Buy Pure Enrichment Hume Max here

6. Pure Enrichment Hume Max top fill humidifier with no filter

Another simple design that is ideal for bedrooms. It can handle 300 square ft.
It can also run for 30 hours at low speed without having to refill it.

The humidifier has a one gallon capacity tank.

It is top filling for easy refilling and easy cleaning.

It doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles like a digital humidistat,

But it does have one major one. It does not require a filter change whatsoever.

Another big element to this humidifier is its look.
It seems like the more features you put in a humidifier, the boxier and uglier they get.
The pure enrichment Hume Max looks as good as it works.

And it has a guaranteed 5 year warranty.

But the main reason it is included in this list is because of its high ratings. Easily one of the best reviewed.

It is a very powerful, well-made machine worthy of checking out.

Manufacturer: pure enrichment
Dimensions: 7.5 * 7.5 * 11.5 in
Weight: 2.4 lb
Square footage: 300 square feet
Tank size: 1 gallon

Features:

  • 30 hours of runtime between refills
  • 300 square foot coverage
  • Three settings
  • Top fill easy refilling and cleaning access
  • Ultra sleek
  • 5 year guaranteed warranty
Buy Levoit 300S 6L here

7. Levoit 300S 6L top fill cool mist ultrasonic humidifier

Levoit is the standard when it comes to quality products. Regardless of whether you’re looking at humidification for air purification, Levoit consistently comes out on top.

The Levoit 300s top fill humidifier is no different.

This humidifier is Wi-Fi-enabled and can be voice controlled by combining it with an Alexa Echo or other device.

The top fill design makes it very easy to refill with water.

Considered a smaller humidifier because it only covers 505 square feet.
It actually has an extra large 6 l tank and can run for 60 hours without having to refill it.

A digital hygrometer keeps you informed on the relative humidity of your room or home,

And a smart humidification sensor adjusts the level of mist as well as turns the machine on or off.

The Levoit 300s also humidifies the room as much as four times faster than other leading brands.

And if you had enough value yet, the classic 300s is super quiet and never gets over a level of 30 db.

Which is perfect when you are trying to watch TV or you do not want a loud humidifier running while you are trying to get your baby down to sleep.

A soothing ambient night light is also included if you need a night light for your baby or toddlers.

Item model number: classic 300s
Dimensions 9.6 * 7.5 * 13.4 in
Product weight 4.3 lb
Loudness 30 db
Effective area 215 to 505 square feet.

Features

  • 6 extra large water tank
  • Essential oil tray
  • Wifi-enabled
  • 60 hour run time without refilling
  • Top filling (super easy to fill and clean)
  • Night light ( on or off)
  • 360-degree rotating misting nozzle
  • Automatic shut-off
  • ETL certified
  • Cleaning brush included
Click here for Geniani Top Fill cool mist humidifiers

8.Geniani Top Fill cool mist humidifier


This humidifier won the Red Dot award for concept and design.
The jury the preside over the prize stated:  “the humidifier is characterized by a user-friendly concept that effectively combines modern technology with a classic timeless design”

This Geniani top filling humidifier covers 220 square feet. And it has a 4 l or 1.05 gallon water tank that will last 18 hours before you have to refill it.

It is not only a humidifier, it is a fully functioning essential oil diffuser as well. Essential oils and aromatherapy are known to help alleviate symptoms caused by sinus and allergies and even help you to calm and relax.

The top fill design of this humidifier is also interesting because you can either take the lid off or you can or water run into the small insert at the top of the humidifier.
That makes it a little more convenient.

It is also who is very quiet then comes in at 38 DB noise level. About the same as a ticking clock.

And it does come with the obligatory night light option.

Item model number: Huron
Dimensions: 9.06 x 6.69 x 12.2 in
Weight: 4.17 lb
Noise level: 38 DB
Square footage: 220

Features:

  • 4 / 1.05 gallon tank
  • Covers 220 square feet
  • Top filling
  • Last 18 hours without refilling
  • Aromatherapy diffuser
  • Auto shutoff
  • One button control
  • 2 year warranty

Negatives

This humidifier also claims to have a smart sensor that reduces or increases the humidity according to the relative humidity in the room.

But it does not have a hygrometer to read the humidity in the room.

Does that sound a little suspicious?

It also doesn’t come with its own brush to clean it with.

Click here for Honovos Large Top Fill Humidifiers

9. Honovos Large Top Fill Humidifier with no filter.

The Honovos top fill humidifier uses a humidifier with some panache.

This large capacity tower humidifier has a transparent tank with a blue decorative light that gives this humidifier a very sleek look that would be beautiful in any room.

But it doesn’t depend on its looks.

It has some of the best features that you can actually find on a humidifier.

This humidifier runs for 34 hours with a 12 L tank and can cover a room up to 750 square feet.

It features customizable humidity from 45% to 95% relative humidity.

Built-in hygrometer and 4 speed humidistat allow you to dial in the humidity level that you want and then turn the humidifier off when the targeted humidity level is reached.

Built-in aromatherapy tray is this very quiet humidifier, about 30db, a nearly silent frequency for your peace of mind.

It also has a 24 hour timer.

Item model number: Honovos
Dimensions: 9 * 9 * 29.9 in
Weight: 5.5 lb
Square footage covered: 750 square feet
Noise level: 30db

Features

  • Cover 750 square feet
  • 12 L tank for fewer refills
  • Top filling refill
  • Aromatherapy tray
  • Hygrometer/Humidistat
  • Auto shutoff
  • Completely filter free
  • One year warranty

Remarks

This is a very well reviewed stylish humidifier.

Many people say that they enjoy the blue UV lamp.

But there is nothing in the description that indicates that the blue light is anything other than a decorative light.

So don’t count on the blue light having any type of antimicrobial purpose.

Click here to see MZTDYTL Humidifiers

10. MZTDYTL

What does it spell? Apparently it spells the maker of a very impressive top fill humidifier.

While it is one of the smaller humidifiers on our list, it has a lot of great features that make it a very popular and positively reviewed humidifier.

This little cool mist humidifier can moisturize the air up to 24 hours of continuous operation without refilling.

The tank size is 3 l or roughly .79 gallons and it can easily handle a room that is 350 square feet.

Some of its functions include 360 adjustable nozzle, short water auto shutdown, and use as an aromatherapy diffuser.

The humidifier is also completely filterless.

As for the noise level over the humidifier, the only specification given is that it is quiet.

This is a small top fill humidifier that is meant to be simple, not only to refill with water but also to clean and to dial in the settings that you want the humidifier to run on.

Item model number: MZTDYTL
Dimensions: 9.4 in by 3.15 in
Effective range: 350 square feet
Materials: bpa-free plastic

Features

  • 350 square feet
  • 3 l tank
  • 360 degree Mist nozzle
  • Short water Auto turn off
  • Aromatherapy tray
  • Top fill design
  • 24-hour operation
  • 1 year hassle free warranty

Remarks

This top filling humidifier gets a lot of outstanding reviews due to good craftsmanship, nice design, and it’s simplicity. Many people say that it is just the right size.

Click here for Megawise top fill adjustable humidifiers

Megawise top fill adjustable humidifier

This is another humidifier that is small but has a very sleek vortex look that can fit into the decor of any room.

It can handle a space as big as 322 sq ft which is perfect for any room including the living room, the bedroom, a baby’s room or an office.

The water tank holds 4.5 l/ 1.18 Gal. and can run for 40 hours without refilling.

Is also one of the quietest humidifiers on this list coming in at 28db.

It also features a sleep button that allows the humidifier to be completely silent and shut off the light.

It features a sensitive touch screen for settings and is very easy to operate.

It also does not have to be disassembled or a lid be taken off in order to refill the humidifier.

Built-in timer allows it to run for 1 hour 2 hours 4 hours or 8 hours and it has an adjustable three level Mist setting.

Item name: Megawise
Package Dimensions: 13.82 * 8.03 * 7.99 in
Weight: 2.08 Oz.
Affected area 350 square feet
Noise level 28 db

Features

  • Covers 350 square feet
  • 1.18 gallon tank
  • 40 hours of operation between refills
  • Top filling
  • 360 degree mist nozzle
  • Adjustable timer

Remarks

This is a small humidifier with many of the bells and whistles including aromatherapy tray or humidistat.
Though it does not have many of the features that humidifier manufacturers are rushing to offer, it is a very sleek looking humidifier that is also one of the quietest humidifiers available.

top fill humidifier for dry eyesTop fill humidifiers are the wave of the future.

After using a top fill humidifier, why would you ever want to go back to the awkward mess of filling and cleaning an old traditional style humidifier.

  If you were in the market for a humidifier, top filling is the way to go, hands down.

Q and A

Do cool mist humidifiers make the room cold?

Cool mist humidifiers may make you feel a little cold directly in front of the nozzle emitting the cool mist, but they do not put out enough cool mist to change the temperature of an entire room.
One of the main culprits that is drying out the air in the first place is the heat running.
Since low humidity can be typically a winter issue more so than other times of the year, humidifiers and heaters are usually running simultaneously.

The cool mist from a humidifier can actually be quite refreshing when you are in a dry heated house.

Do warm mist humidifiers make the room hot?

Warm mist humidifiers are basically steam machines. Steam will heat up a room and make it feel swampy.

Running a warm mist humidifier in an already warm room, that is being warmed by a heater can actually make a very uncomfortable feeling in the environment.

The best use of a warm mist humidifier is to use it in conjunction with a medicated salve like Vicks or eucalyptus.

Steam along with the medicinal additives can open up your airways nicely and help you breathe easier when you are congested.

But it would be well worth it to run it in a cooler room rather than a heated room.

Can humidifiers be harmful?

The reason humidifiers could be considered dangerous or harmful is the easy growth of mold and bacteria that can happen when a humidifier is not properly maintained

The main issue is leaving water in a humidifier when the humidifier is not in use.

Standing water can begin to form mold and bacteria in as little as 48 to 60 hours.

Imagine running a humidifier that has had water standing in it for a week.

The result would be that the germs and bacteria that have been growing in the standing water would be emitted throughout the air of the entire room.

Everyone in the room would then be breathing in the mold and bacteria from that humidifier that has been allowed to go without being maintained

This is precisely how a  humidifier can be considered harmful.

But maintaining the proper relative humidity with a humidifier is one of the easiest and best things you can do to protect your health from humidity related problems like dry skin and bloody noses, etc.

  That is one of the main benefits of using a top fill humidifier. They are so much easier to clean because all the parts are accessible from the top.

What happens if a humidifier runs out of water?

Most humidifiers when they run out of water will automatically turn off.

But if you have a cheaper type cool mist humidifier that doesn’t have an auto shutdown future when the humidifier turns off, then the humidifier will continue to run.

Fortunately, it will not damage the humidifier if the water runs out.

Do Humidifiers Help With Dry Eyes?

This has been the weather year from hell.

Record blizzards. Record rainfall. And record heat all in one year.

It seems like we have been trapped in the house all year.

And the utility bill has shot to record highs too.

Can Low Humidity Cause Dry Eyes?

There’s a couple of times a year when dry eyes are more of a problem than usual.

The winter, especially this past year, can be so cold that you can’t get outside for much of anything.

The dry air outside and the heater going non-stop inside create a super dry environment where it feels like your eyeballs can’t make any tears.

Levoit HumidifierBut it’s not just the winter, summer can have you stuck in the house also, with the air conditioner running continuously, and ceiling fans blowing and drying the air throughout the house.

Refrigerated air conditioners like window ACS, and central heat and air units, dehumidify as they cool.

That means they are actually sucking the humidity out of the air, which can cause extra dry conditions.

Once again making the air so dry that your eyes get dry and burn.

Do humidifiers help with dry eyes?

Humidifiers are devices that add moisture into the air. Relative indoor humidity has more to do with having and maintaining good health than most people are aware of. And that includes eye health.

There are a couple of ways that a humidifier can help with dry eyes.

1.Reduce dust and allergies

One of the biggest problems with low humidity dry air is the amount of dust that can accumulate and float through the air.

Dust has an absorbing nature to it that tends to dry out your skin and in this case your eyes.

One benefit of using a humidifier when you have dry eyes is that humidity has a type of “mudding” effect on dust, which causes it to be too heavy to float.

And the particles that make up dust are not just dirt.

Dust can be comprised all types of particulates including allergens like pollen, the exoskeletons of insects, feces, dried skin, germs, bacteria, and honestly just about everything you can think of.

And without enough moisture in the air to wash and weigh down this nasty airborne recipe,

They are free to come in contact with your eyes, mouth, and skin.

Humidifiers not only emit moisture back into the air to balance out the relative humidity when the air is dry, they also have a washing effect on the air.

Which can be a big relief when you suffer from dry eyes.

humidifier for dry eyes2. Reduce the evaporation of tears

Dry eyes are not just symptomatic of dry air. There are many reasons a person or pet can have dry eyes.

I have a dog, for instance, that is a distemper survivor.

Distemper is a debilitating canine disease that leaves the dog with a nerve disorder that causes them to bob their head continually. And that’s if they survive at all.

Another one of the effects of distemper is that it causes a dog to lose their ability to create tears.

One of the things we do to help our dog deal with his condition besides using tear drops and washing his eyes with a wet rag, is to run a humidifier for him to help soothe his eyes.

Dryness in your eyes can be due to your tears evaporating too quickly.

And if you are already having a problem with producing tears or having them evaporate too quickly,

Best Humidity Level for Dry Eyes

Dry air caused by low humidity only makes the problem worse.

Maintaining a relative humidity between 40 and 60% is a must if you already have this type of condition.

Adding moisture back into the air can provide extra moisture that can help prevent the tears in your eyes from evaporating as quickly.

Humidifier Problems

But it wouldn’t be right to espouse the use of a humidifier as a remedy for dry eyes without going into a little detail on the problems a humidifier can cause if they are not maintained properly.

  The nature of the humidifier is that you have to add water to it for it to do its job.

The water that you use in a humidifier, especially when you’re talking about using it for helping with dry eye syndrome, is very important.

Unfortunately tap water can be full of all types of chemicals and debris that is not good for your eyes.

If you are considering a humidifier to help with your dry eyes, you should also consider using distilled water in the humidifier to keep anything that is foreign in tap water from getting into your eyeballs.

Another issue with humidifiers is that they must be cleaned often and never used when they have old standing water in them.

The issue is that bacteria and mold can begin to grow very quickly in the water of a humidifier. As well as all the connecting points that the water moves through. 
 Bacteria can emerge in as little as 48 hours in standing water.

  Running a humidifier with germy standing water means you will be emitting all the bacteria from the water into the air and essentially turning your humidifier into an allergy spouting machine.

Fortunately the humidifier world is beginning to catch up with the need for a humidifier that does not have the chance of getting contaminated nearly as easily as they were once known for.

Some companies like Pure Guardian have begun to put UV lamps pointing at the water in the humidifiers as a way to kill any type of bacteria that is growing in the basin.

Others include germ resistant plastics in their construction that keeps mold and bacteria from having anything to feed on inside of the basin of a humidifier.

Hopefully if this trend continues, the humidifier industry as a whole will follow suit and germ-free humidifiers will be the norm instead of the exception.

Low Humidity Symptoms – Benefits of a Humidifier

Low Humidity Symptoms

The effects of humidity and the lack thereof can have a lot of symptoms on your body that you may have not considered before.

Some of them are very logical and make complete sense straight away, while other symptoms may not be as obvious.

Low relative humidity is at the heart of many issues that you face every day.

But it is one of the last places most people look when they are looking for solutions for a variety of different problems.

Here’s a small list of low humidity symptoms:

 

static electricity low humidity1.Static electricity

You reach out for your wife’s hand or to give your daughter a hug and suddenly you get zapped. Static shock! And it seems like everything you touch is a live wire for the next few weeks.

Static electricity is an indication that the humidity is low.

Static electricity is essentially an imbalance of negative and positive ions in the air.

The shock you feel is the balancing of the ions jumping from one object to another.

But when the air is keeping a relative humidity of 40% or more, the moisture in the air absorbs the shock instead of you and your next victim.

If you notice you’re getting zapped with  static electricity around the house more than usual, you can be certain that your humidity is low.

A humidifier is a device that adds moisture back to the air which is beneficial for reducing the amount of static electrical shock around the house.

Check out the Levoit Warm and Cool mist Humidifier Here.

Humidifier Benefit # 1

Reduce Static Electricity


2. Dry Nose/ Bloody Nose

Another symptom of low humidity that is easier to identify than some others is having a dry nose.

When you blow your nose and it feels brittle and painful to do so, or worse, you have a baby that has a sore brittle nose, the relative humidity in your house has more than certainly dropped.

Nosebleeds go hand in hand with dried nasal passages. If you notice blood on the tissue that you have used to clear your nose or worse, you flat out have a crack on the inner walls of your nose and blood is beginning to drip,

You will more than likely find that the relative humidity in your home has dropped below the 40% mark.

A cool mist humidifier can add the depleted humidity back into your air and give you some cool relief inside of your nasal passages.

Humidifier Benefit # 2

Soothe and Hydrate the linings in your nose


3.Dry skin

Following the same logic as having a dry nose is the low humidity symptom of dried and cracking skin.

The moisture in a person’s skin is absorbed primarily through the humidity in the air.

There is a saying that “dry skin equals dehydrated skin”.

Winter is the time of year that is known for having drier air consistently.

It is also the time of the year when the air is continually dried out further but running the heater continually.

So it is not a coincidence that people experience drier than usual skin during this time of year.

But dry skin is not exclusive to colder seasons,

The climate indoors can suffer from low humidity in the summer as well.

  Tightly sealed rooms running air conditioners that are dehumidifying as they cool and having fans blowing can also have an effect on the relative humidity inside.

Humidifier Benefit # 3

Return Moisture to your skin

dust -low humidity4.Extra Dusty house

Have you noticed the surfaces in your home or office seem particularly dusty?

A dusty room is a symptom of low humidity.

When the airborne particles in a room don’t have enough moisture to weigh them down or give them that ” mud” like texture,

they are free to float further and longer and essentially make the room extra Dusty.

  Dustiness is also a major issue when dealing with dry skin.

Your skin is not the only thing absorbing the moisture from the air.

Dust and dry skin.

Dust is also absorbing the moisture, not only out of the air, but out of your skin as well.

You have probably been in a old room where dust has settled for years,

Or maybe you have been around a wood shop where there are mountains of dust everywhere and in the air. 

If you have then you probably noticed how dried out your skin felt afterwards.

It’s the same concept, being in a dusty room with low humidity.

The combination of dust and dry air will suck the moisture right out of your skin.

Humidifier Benefit #4

Reduce dust and dry skin caused by dust

5. Acne

Acne can be a symptom of low humidity. As surprising as that may sound, the effect that dry air has on your skin can facilitate the spread of acne.

Dried cracked skin can allow the bacteria it causes acne to burrow down deeper into the epidermis.

Dry skin can also flake and clog your pores even more.

And finally the imbalance of humidity can cause your skin overcompensate in the creation of oils.

If you are struggling with acne, dry air may be one of your issues. A humidifier can restore the balance of relative moisture back into your air and produce a positive result in your fight against acne.

Humidifier Benefit #5

Help inhibit the spread of Acne

6. Allergies / Asthma triggers

When the air is dry and there is little moisture to cling to the dust particles in the air.

The particulates such as pollen, insect remains, feces, and the other 1000 particles that make up dust, are free to float further through your home than if there was adequate moisture to weigh them down.

Allergies and asthma attacks can result from the lack of moisture that is responsible for reducing household allergens and triggers.

Elechomes SH8820 is a humidifier that does everything you need and more. It also has a carrying handle that puts it above the fray. Pretty sweet.

 

Humidifier Benefit #6

Reduce the travel of allergens in the air

7. Dry eyes

Dry eyes can be described as eyes that have dried out tears.

Hello there are many causes that can cause the tear ducts to produce less tears than they should,

The dry air caused by a lack of humidity can also cause the tears in your eyes to evaporate quickly and leave you with dry burning eyes.

Running a cool mist humidifier will add moisture back into the air and help create an environment where your eyes don’t dry out nearly as bad.

Humidifier Benefit #7

Sooth Dry Eyes 

8. Cold and flu viruses

One of the most fascinating symptoms of low humidity is the easy spread of colds, flus and viruses.

Not only does the lack of moisture in the air create conditions that are conducive to viruses and bacteria traveling further and staying airborne longer,

Low relative humidity has a drying effect on the linings of your airways.
The result of dry mucus linings is they are not able to ward off foreign substances as easily. source

And creates a type of docking effect where viruses and germs can remain longer causing an increased risk of infection.

The National Library of Medicine has stated that the majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%.

If the flu and cold bug is going through your house, the chances are that your relative humidity is lower than the 40 to 60% optimal range.

The humidifier may help reduce the spread of cold and flu germs, and it can also have a cooling effect on your sinuses when you are struggling with congestion and a raw nose and throat brought on by being sick.

Humidifier Benefit #8

Help Prevent the Spread of Colds and Viruses