Category: Humidifiers

Is a Humidifier Good for Allergies? How So?

Allergies are a topic most of us can identify with.

Allergy symptoms like Itchy burning eyes, sneezing, headaches are all annoyances that we can relate to.

And we can tell you when pollen season has arrived by the way we’re feeling.

But allergies and humidity are not something that we automatically make the connection between.

In fact, you may be surprised to find that the relative humidity, whether high or low, impacts whether or not you may be having allergy and respiratory symptoms.

Low humidity, which would be characterized by a percentage level of 40% and below,
Is the condition known as dry air.

Itchy flaking skin, static electricity, and raw bloody noses, are a regular result of dry air.

High humidity, which would be characterized as humidity 60% or more,
generally results in frizzy hair and a swampy feeling.

But both have elements that cause allergies to flare.

humidifier for allergies

Is a Humidifier Good for Allergies?

A humidifier is a device that adds moisture to the air. It’s that simple.

A humidifier is good for dry air allergies because when there’s a lack of moisture in the air, airborne particles like pollen and mold spores, have nothing to weigh them down and are able to travel further.

On the other hand, when a room has the ideal relative humidity of between 40 and 60 percent, dust particles are not able to float as readily, which makes them not inhaled as easily.

A humidifier also helps moisturize the breathing airways and nasal passages,

bringing a great deal of relief when you are suffering from symptoms like congestion and dry nose, common to colds and allergies.

Humidifier for Allergies 

Our top 2 choices for humidifiers are Levoit and Pure Guardian

Levoit is the mother of all humidifiers.
It has all the features you could ask for in a humidifier and it can be used as either a cool mist or warm mist.

 

 Pure Guardian has just about all the same features as the Levoit but it has  something Levoit doesn’t.

Self cleaning UV and mold resistant plastic.

The newer generation of humidifiers goes the next step in providing remedies for keeping the humidifier from becoming contaminated with bacteria and mold.

This feature alone may very well outweigh the rest.

When is a humidifier not good for allergies?

  A humidifier has a built-in disadvantage in that it has to be cleaned often in order for it not to become a source of airborne allergens itself.

Let me explain a little further,

Because of the nature of the humidifier and the way it works, it requires filling and refilling with water.

Standing water can become contaminated with bacteria in as little as 48 to 72 hours.

Not only the water inside of the basin, but the mouth, the cap, and the filter all have water moving through them and have the capacity to get moldy and covered in bacteria very quickly.

Running a dirty humidifier will take all the germs in the humidifier water and spit them into the air.

Another time when a humidifier is not good for allergies is when the humidity is already high.

A high relative humidity can cause allergies to flare as well as low humidity.

High humidity causes dust mites populations to explode. The humidity in the air is actually what dust mites feed on. Which creates an ideal environment for them to flourish.

Also extra moisture in the air gives mold one of its main components to take root.
And where you have mold you have mold spores traveling through the air, ready to be inhaled.

So when the humidity is high, the last thing you want to do is add more moisture to the air with a humidifier.

A dehumidifier is a device that reduces the moisture in the air.

hygrometer- humidistatDehumidifier for Allergies

 If you have high humidity but your temperatures are not too high, then a dehumidifier may be the ideal machine you need to bring down the overall relative humidity in your home.

If you’re having high humidity combined with high temperatures then you probably already have a window air conditioner for a central heat and air unit that’s running.

Both of these types of air conditioners dehumidify as they cool. Many units allow for the dehumidifier function to run independently. It’s called dry mode on your settings.

Most allergies in relation to humidity can be avoided by keeping your relative humidity between 40 and 60%.

Hygrometer
But to know what your relative humidity is, you have to have a way to measure it.

A hygrometer is a gauge that does just that. You can buy one pretty cheaply.

But they also come standard on a lot of humidifiers and dehumidifiers.

In fact if you are shopping for either a humidifier or dehumidifier, finding one that has a hygrometer / humidistat will help you keep up with your humidity level and help your appliance keep it at an optimal point.

Levoit comes with a hygrometer/ humidistat as a common feature.

Recap

Allergies and allergic symptoms have more to do with the humidity then you may have ever given it credit for.

Most people can tell you when pollen season has arrived because of how it makes them feel,

But most people do not make the connection between humidity and allergies.

Low humidity, known as dry air, allows allergens as well as germs and viruses to float and travel much further.

Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier weighs down airborne particles so that they settle to the surface faster and stay out of the ambient air that you breathe.

Cool mist from a humidifier also hydrates and gives dry and swollen nasal passages some much needed relief .

High humidity is also a problem for allergy sufferers because excessive moisture in the air breeds higher levels of dust mites. It also facilitates the growth of mold.

A dehumidifier is a better option for reducing moisture when temperatures are mild.
If the weather is hot and humid, refrigerated air conditioners also perform as dehumidifiers. Most even have a dry mode setting that allows you to run your AC as a dehumidifier.

A Humidifier for Nosebleeds and Dry Nose Relief?

At the time of writing this article, it is mid September, and the daytime high temperatures are still in the high 90s.

Summer is refusing to give up.

But even though the afternoon highs are still insane, the mornings are getting pretty chilly.

We are moving into Autumn, whether the Summer likes it or not.

One thing that starts to happen when the season changes is that the tissues begin to come out more and more.

Lots of crusty, dried out nasal passages,
and bloody noses.

It’s been happening to me the last few days pretty regularly.

And as we get closer to Winter and deeper into it, the dryness only continues and is perpetuated with heaters and closed up houses.

It’s not uncommon for the nasal passages to get so dry during the winter that they actually crack and bleed.

Nosebleeds are one of the telltale signs that your humidity is definitely too low.

You may have noticed a lot of static electricity in the house too.

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

This would require humidification during winter areas with cold winter climates.

best humidifier for nosebleedsLow humidity not only affects your nasal passages, it can also have an effect on your capacity to block and resist viral particles from entering your airways.

What’s more, without the proper level of moisture in the air, viral particles have more freedom to travel further inside of a room.

Which means the dry air can make it easier for you to get sick.

It’s pretty obvious that relative humidity affects your life much more than most of us have given it credit for.

Luckily there’s a solution.

The good ‘ol humidifier.

What is the best humidifier for a dry nose?

The best humidifier for nosebleeds is a cool mist humidifier.

When the inside of your nose is dry and cracked, the cool mist that emits from a cool mist humidifier will offer you some much needed relief.

Sleeping next to a cool mist humidifier a few feet away can help you wake up without the pain of having to blow a dried crusty nose out.

Cool mist humidifiers come in the traditional wick style and ultrasonic.

The noise that humidifiers make has been compared to a blanket of white noise that can help your baby sleep.

That’s not a bad point. A sound that helps a baby sleep while it gives them relief from a dried out nose…

Not everybody wants a white noise machine in the bedroom though.

Ultrasonic humidifiers are known for being a quieter choice but if you have dogs sleeping around the house,

They can actually be much louder for canines because of the sensitivity of their hearing.

Humidifier for Dry Nose

 

Fortunately, today’s humidifiers give you a lot more choices than having to pick a cool mist or a warm mist, or just outright owning both a cool mist humidifier and a vaporizer.

The Levoit gives you the option of using your humidifier as a cool mist humidifier or a warm mist humidifier. 2 in 1. 

It also comes with a humidity meter and humidistat to read and give you the capacity to set the humidifier so that it comes on and turns off as needed according to the humidity level in the room.

And it can do all of that through Wi-Fi.
By just accessing the accompanying app, you can schedule your humidifier, set alerts for functions like giving you a heads up when it’s time to fill the water, and when it’s time to clean the machine.

As you probably know, keeping a humidifier clean is the key to preventing it from becoming contaminated with bacteria.

This air humidifier is easy to clean and also comes with a larger basin so that you do not have to fill it as often.

And what’s a modern appliance without a remote control?

best humidifier for dry nose

Humidifier disadvantages

As we have already touched on, humidifiers have a big disadvantage.
They have to be cleaned often.

Bacteria and mold will start building up very quickly around the water cap.
Standing water can become contaminated in as little as 48 hrs.

It’s very important not to run a cool mist humidifier that has standing water in it.

If you do, you risk spreading germs and bacteria throughout the air.

That’s why one of the very first features I suggest looking for in a humidifier is one that is easy to clean.

Warm mist humidifier steamers have an advantage in that they bring the water to a boiling point to produce steam, which can kill bacteria before it becomes a problem.

But using steam to humidify when you have a dried and bloody nose doesn’t give you the same relief as a cool mist humidifier

Best of both worlds.

Germ-free is the next step and humidifier evolution.

There are a couple of humidifiers that use ultraviolet light to kill the bacteria inside of the humidifier before it has a chance to grow. Pure Guardian Ultrasonic has nearly all the features of the Levoit. It’s a combination of a warm and cool humidifier, it has a large tank and an essential oils tray. But it does something that the Levoit does not do and that is provide a UV lamp to kill bacteria. The materials are also made out of treated plastic that also help resist the formation of mold and bacterium inside of the humidifier. Dyson also has a humidifier that uses ultraviolet light to kill the bacteria and protect the user from any type of germ spread from the humidifier. Like most of their products, it is on the expensive side. But it has some features you won’t find with any other brands like for instance, it oscillates. It also makes the claim that it kills 99.99% of bacteria, mold or mildew. And you can add in a “high velocity fan” with the Dyson AM 10.

Nosebleeds, much of the time, are a symptom of low humidity in your home.

When the humidity drops, the body’s source of moisture also diminishes.

But thankfully a cool mist humidifier can replenish the moisture in the air and give you some relief when you have a dry and brittle nose.

Today’s humidifiers come loaded with all the bells and whistles.

Being able to access your humidifier with your smartphone is a fully realized ideal these days.

Alerts telling you when to clean the air purifier and when it’s running out of water are at your fingertips.

  There are even a few options available that give you a germ-free bacteria and mold resistant security.

Ultraviolet light and mold resistant plastic are the new wave of humidifiers and well worth checking out.

Because even though a cool mist humidifier can give you some much-needed relief when your skin and nasal passages are dried out,

Humidifiers have a built-in problem in that they must be cleaned often.

Having a humidifier that’s easy to clean or even better yet a humidifier that is bacteria free using UVC,

is the first thing I want to know when shopping for a humidifier.

Humidifier for Dogs? Does Humidity Affect Your Pets?

Are humidifiers good for dogs?

Winter is the time of the year when the relative humidity usually drops  below the point that is healthy, not only for the people in your house, but also your dogs and other pets.

Low Humidity affects animals, much the same way as it does humans.

It dries out the skin and facilitates the travel of germs and bacteria through the air.

Dry skin makes an excellent breeding ground for acne and other conditions like psoriasis on people,

humidity and dogsBut it can be an even bigger problem for dogs.

Why is that?

Dogs can’t resist scratching. They will scratch themselves raw. And dry skin is itchy.

And without enough moisture in the air to keep the dust from floating, airborne bacteria can attach itself to a dog’s hide and cause even more itchy havoc.

And you can see, low humidity is not a canine’s friend.

humidifier for dogs

What type of humidifier is the best humidifier for dogs?

A cool mist wick humidifier is the best for dogs because it doesn’t make the air steamy or emit a high pitch sound.

But it might be better to explain why certain types and features of humidifiers are not recommended for dogs.

Steam humidifiers are not the best for dogs.

Steam can make a room feel swampy.
That’s not such a good feeling and if you have a permanent coat on, it can be miserable.

Steam humidifiers are also the ones that usually come with the mentholated
Additives that you can put in the humidifier and are supposed to help with congestion.

But these additives have an ingredient in them called camphor that is poisonous for dogs and most animals.

Aromatherapy and essential oils like treaty oil and eucalyptus are also dangerous for pets.

So even though it’s a nice feature on a humidifier to have the capacity to use it with essential oils, it should not be used as a diffuser for your dog.

Another type of humidifier that is not recommended for dogs is the Ultrasonic.

  It’s all in the name of these humidifiers. “Ultra” and “Sonic”

These humidifiers are very quiet for humans.

But for dogs, they can make a very high pitched noise that is an irritation.

On the same lines of a dog whistle, people can’t hear one, but dogs hear them very loudly.

Best Humidifier for Dogs

The best humidifier for dogs is a humidifier that suits not only your animals, but your own needs too.

Very rarely does a dog have his own area, where he can also have a humidifier that is exclusively for him or her.

The best humidifier for dogs or people is currently the Levoit.

Humidifiers have come a long way. They’re not your mama’s humidifier, you might say.

These days they come with some pretty elaborate features

1. Hygrometer

A hygrometer is like a thermometer but instead of measuring the temperature, it measures the relative humidity.

Why is this important?

Because how do you know if your humidity has dipped under the 40% mark that is the lowest you want your relative humidity to drop. 40 to 60% humidity is optimal.

2. Hydrostat

This is similar to a thermostat on the furnace, except for it controls the humidifier according to the hygrometer settings.

A hydrostat feature ensures that humidity stays at the optimal point.

3.  Auto shut off

There was a time that if you had a humidifier running in the house, it would keep running regardless of whether it ran out of water or not.

Not so with humidifiers these days.

Auto shut off turns the power off on your humidifier when it runs out of water.

4.  Easy to clean

A humidifier that is dishwasher safe and easy to clean is an important feature because of the amount of maintenance humidifiers require to keep them from accumulating bacteria and mold.

5.  Cool mist / warm mist optional

Warm mist may not be preferable for dogs but there are times when you want to have the option of using steam instead of cool mist.

Gone are the days where you had to have a humidifier for cool mist and a vaporizer for warm mist. Levoit has this feature and performed well in either capacity.

6.  Aromatherapy /essential oil ready

Again not a feature you want to use when your dog is in the house. Most essential oils that are geared towards breathing better contain menthol which is not good for dogs.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the option of using a humidifier as an aromatherapy diffuser when you want or need to.

7. Wifi

Humidifiers have joined the Wi-Fi craze.

Wi-Fi gives you the capacity to check the relative humidity right from your phone,
Turn the humidifier on or off remotely or schedule a time you wanted to go on or off.
It also has bells and whistles like alerting you when your water is too low or when it is time to maintain your humidifier again.

8. Remote

A remote goes without saying these days. Every device in your bedroom needs a remote. Who wants to get up out of bed and turn down a humidifier or turn it on?

9. Large tank

A large tank is one of the biggest necessities in my opinion when it comes to finding the right humidifier.
A humidifier that has to be filled too often is a humidifier that is probably not going to get the use it needs.
A Humidifier with a large tank cuts down on the amount of refilling and can make your life much easier.

humidity affects dogsRecap

Dogs can have adverse reactions to low humidity and humans can, and maybe even more.

More because, when dry skin causes a person to itch, they typically don’t scratch till they are completely raw.

But that can’t be said of dogs. They would generally scratch themselves till they’re bleeding if they are itchy enough.

A humidifier for dogs it’s a great way to add moisture to the air when they are having scratching and itching episodes related to dry skin.

But there are definitely some features that some humidifiers have that are not cohesive with dogs and can cause them more discomfort and even be poisonous to them.

Ultrasonic air humidifiers are known for being extremely quiet to humans but they may be too loud for dogs since they have such sensitive hearing.

Warm mist humidifiers can make a room feel swampy especially for dogs and other animals.

Warm mist humidifiers or steamers generally come with some type of menthol additive that can be dangerous to dogs also.

Essential oils like eucalyptus and tea tree oil should be avoided when you are using a humidifier for dogs also.

Does Dry Skin Cause Acne?- Humidifier Series

If you have ever struggled with acne, then you know how hard it can be to get rid of and the amount of distress that it can produce.

You also know that there isn’t a magic bullet that can instantly fix it.

Finding solutions that actually make a big difference can be hard.

  And there’s a lot of rocks to look under to find one.

Does Dry Skin Cause Acne? Dry skin is one of those parts of the puzzle that can actually be a big component to discovering why you are having persistent acne and taking a step to reduce the problem.

Dry and cracking skin can create a fertile surface for acne to spread deeper and further down and help clog pores through flaking. Dry skin can also cause skin to create to much oil to balance the effects of the dryness.

One of the biggest factors that leads to dry skin is a drop in the relative humidity.

Which is usually due to the winter cold taking over.

Not only is the humidity level in winter typically lower, it also is the time of year when the heater is drying everything out.

Including your skin.

can dry skin cause acneHealthy glowing skin needs a consistent 40 to 60% relative humidity to stay sufficiently hydrated.

When the relative humidity is down, your skin will reflect it by drying and cracking, opening the door to multiple symptoms including those associated with psoriasis and acne.

Does dry skin cause acne?

  Dry skin facilitates the spread of acne in a couple of different ways.

1.  Dry skin damage allows the bacteria that causes acne to burrow down deeper into the epidermis.

2. Dry skin can also cause a counter balance reaction that causes the skin to create more oil than usual.

If you were to look at your acne problem in terms of a growing a garden,

Having dry skin would equate to the soil in your garden being tilled and well prepared for planting seed.

  So even though the dryness of your skin is not technically the cause or the seed( in this example) of the acne, it can be one of the factors that helps it grow stronger and faster.

Obviously the relative humidity is not 100% the reason for all dry skin,

Some other reasons can include reactions to soap, perfumes, and chlorine.

But the climate is easily the biggest factor to point to when you are experiencing dryer than average skin.

Fortunately introducing moisture back into a room is simple enough with the use of a humidifier.

How do you know if this article is specifically about you whether or not you should be using a humidifier?

The answer is by measuring your humidity to ensure you are keeping to the 40 to 60% relative humidity rule.

How exactly do you do that?

A hygrometer is a humidity meter that can be easily read to measure your own humidity and determine your own needs.

  Hygrometers are usually paired up with a thermometer. These “Thermo hygrometers” are sold at pretty much any home improvement store and are pretty inexpensive.

If you measure your humidity, and it is below the 40% mark, then you’re on to something. It’s time to take steps to improve the moisture in your home or environment.

will dry skin cause acneHumidity is usually not considered one of The usual suspects when health issues arise.

Unless of course you’re having a crazy amount of static electricity or the inside of your nose is dry and bleeding.

But humidity has a lot more to do with keeping healthy and avoiding a lot of seasonal health issues than most people are aware of.

Most people can tell you that the humidity is adversely affecting them when it is too high.

But not as many people recognize the symptoms of low humidity.

Regulating the humidity in your home not only will help moisturize your skin,
It also keeps the dust particles including germs and bacteria from being able to travel.

Is a cool mist humidifier or warm mist better for acne?

Warm mist humidifiers tend to need less maintenance because the temperature of the water is raised to a point that bacteria and mold doesn’t take root.

But the steam from these humidifiers tends to make a room feel swampy.

Cool mist humidifiers produce moisture  in the air that is actually refreshing,

But they do require more frequent maintenance to keep bacteria from growing in them.

  An important distinction to make when we talk about humidifiers and raising the relative humidity is we are not talking about facial steaming.

Most dermatologists agree that a facial steamer will do more damage to your skin and actually exacerbate acne, as well as other skin conditions like psoriasis and rosacea.

Recap

Dry skin can be a big component in the spread of acne because it allows the bacteria that causes acne to burrow deeper into the epidermis.

The flakes that result from having dry skin can also get inside of the pores and lead to redness and acne symptoms.

Dry skin equates to a lack of moisture in the air.

A common condition in Winter that is easily rectified with the use of a humidifier.

If you are concerned that dry skin and the low relative humidity is exasperating your acne,

An easy way to test the humidity in your house is with a hygrometer.

A hygrometer is a fairly cheap gauge that is easily read and will let you know if your humidity has dropped or risen beyond the safe region of 40 to 60 percent mark.

If you have found that it has fallen, then a humidifier is a device that will add moisture back into your air and return your home to a safe RH.

Baby Humidifier (Benefits -Best Features)

Having a new baby in the house is one of the most exciting times that you can possibly have in your entire life.

And  I’m speaking from a man’s point of view. Which doesn’t nearly compare to the elation that bringing home a new baby from the hospital has for a new mother.

It’s been a while since we had a new baby in our house. Our last one was a daughter who is now a teenager.

  But I can still remember waking up in the middle of the night and having an urge to get up and check to make sure she was breathing. That sounds a little obsessive. True nonetheless.

I can also remember all the snot and mucus that comes with a new baby. And using one of those snot suckers or baby aspirators, I think they’re actually called, to clean her nose out.

One of the things we always had in the bedroom (yes she slept in the same room as me and my wife) was the humidifier.

  The baby humidifier is a must if only for the white noise. I know it’s not meant for that, but it works awesome for putting a baby girl and her daddy to sleep.

But there’s much more to a baby humidifier than the calming sound it makes.

Humidifiers or actually one of the most important appliances you can own during the winter months when the humidity drops outside and the heater is going nonstop inside.

Low humidity causes dry air. And dry air can cause a whole lot of problems for people, especially children and babies.

Humidifier in baby room all night
Humidifier in baby room all night?

Using a humidifier in your baby’s room all night is completely acceptable as long as that is what is needed to achieve the 40% to 60% relative humidity to keep your baby from experiencing symptoms associated with low humidity and dry air.

Humidifier benefits for baby

1.Skincare

Babies specifically, can have very dry skin. And require a lot of baby lotion.

Dry skin is a symptom of dry air. You could say that dry skin equals dehydrated skin. And air that is deficient in humidity absorbs moisture from where it can, skin being a big one.

On the flip side, when the air has the proper relative humidity, which is 40 to 60% RH according to the National Library of Medicine,  Your skin absorbs the moisture out of the air.

A baby humidifier adds moisture back into the air when the relative humidity has dropped below the 40% mark.

This is an important part of helping keep your babies skin moisturized.

Babies also have an underdeveloped immune system. Which leads to more problems with colds and congestion, along with crusty noses.

2. Viruses and Germs

Low humidity/dry air creates more than one problem for newborns and children.

Firstly, it allows particles that are viral to travel much easier and spread through your home much faster.

Why is that?

Moisture in the air has a wetting effect on airborne particulates that causes dust particles to become too heavy to float, thereby keeping them from being able to travel.

That includes germs and viruses.

3.Dry air inhibits Immunity

Thirdly, the cilia, which is the part of your airways that help expel viruses, do not work as well in dry environments.

A research article published in MedicalNews Today reads “the hair-like organelles outside of cells that line the body’s airways, called cilia, do not function as well in dry conditions — they cannot expel viral particles as well as they otherwise would.”
That is why a baby humidifier is an invaluable tool for helping keep your baby and or your children healthy during the winter months.

4.Moistens Dried Noses and throats

Fourthly, when your baby’s nose is dried out, it’s a very painful situation for them and it’s also very painful for you to have to scrape off the dried snot and mucus.

A humidifier, when the air is very dry will hydrate the inside of your baby’s nose and help alleviate that problem.
By the same token , a baby humidifier will also help hydrate a sore dry throat.

As well as help you deal with the problem.

How close should the humidifier be to the babyHow close should the humidifier be to the baby?

The experts say that a humidifier should be placed three to four feet away from your baby.
One of the main reasons is that babies can be very curious and want to get a hold of the humidifier when they see the mist spraying out.

Not to mention, a lot of humidifiers are made to look like cute toys.

Baby humidifier downside

But there is a downside.

Humidifiers have to be strictly maintained.

The same device that is delivering healthy moisture into your air when the relative humidity has dropped, can also be a device that is responsible for spreading germs and bacteria when it is not cleaned and maintained regularly.

Buying a Baby Humidifier?

 

1. Easy to Clean

When you’re shopping for a new humidifier for your baby’s room, I always recommend researching humidifiers that are easy to clean.
It’s because you’re going to be doing it a lot.
Finding one that you can put in the dishwasher will make it that much easier

2. Humidity Meter (hygrostat)

The second must-have feature on a humidifier is a meter that tells you just exactly what your humidity is.

It’s called a hygrometer. Without one of these humidity gauges included, you cannot know what your relative humidity is and whether or not you actually need a humidifier running.

Most hygrometers these days are a combination tool that combines a thermometer to tell the temperature and a hygrometer to read the humidity level.

These are the two most important features I would recommend searching for while shopping for a new humidifier but there are other features that are well worth looking into.

3. Easy to Fill

A humidifier that is easy to fill up with water.
A lot of humidifiers have to be turned upside down and the fill hole unscrewed from the bottom.

This means you have to fill the humidifier from the bottom too. This usually means making some sort of mess.

You can get a humidifier these days that fills from the top and fits under the faucet without having to flip it over.

That’s a pretty cool feature.

3.Auto shut off.

It seems like auto shut off would be a standard feature on any humidifier.
I mean when it runs out of water, it should just flip some sort of switch and turn off right?
But that is not generally the way it works.
They run out of water and the motor just keeps on running.

But the new Modern humidifiers usually come with auto shut-off. Not such a small deal.

4.Wi-Fi

With all of the appliances that you can get integrated with Alexa and download your own app, why not a humidifier?

Actually, a humidifier makes more sense as a Wi-Fi device than some of the other appliances you can think of.

I mean it is actually useful to have an app that will alert you when the water in the reservoir is approaching the empty level.

And being able to check your phone for the relative humidity in the house is also something that I find useful.

5. Aromatherapy and essential oils.

This is another feature that modern humidifiers have that I think is very useful.

After all, there are certain essential oils like eucalyptus and lavender that are very beneficial to you when you have a cold.

Having an aromatherapy tray on a humidifier is a good idea for that reason.

6. Optional hot or cold mist.

Almost exclusively, you will find warm mist humidifiers to be avoided when you look to experts on what type of humidifier to purchase for your baby’s room.

  It’s because of the danger of getting burned by boiling water.

But there are times when you want to be able to use a Vicks-type product in a humidifier to help your baby and your children breathe.

A cool-mist humidifier does not work with those types of methylated salves.

So there are times when a warm mist humidifier is a better option for your children’s room.

The main takeaway is caution. Don’t put the humidifier where they can get to it easily.

You can buy a humidifier that has the option of running cold or hot.

And that’s the best option for purchasing one.

Wrap-up!

As exciting as it is having a new baby in the house,

Everyone knows that has been there the stress of having a crying baby that is experiencing the effects of dry air in the room.

A baby humidifier isn’t the answer to everything but it is definitely a big help when you were dealing with a miserable baby that is having issues with dry air.

My Top 11 Ultimate “Plant Humidifier” Must Haves

1.Easy to fill

A humidifier must be easy to fill.

I have had humidifiers in the past that you could barely get the tank underneath the faucet in the kitchen to fill it up.

You practically have to turn the thing sideways to get it out from underneath the faucet.

And you can’t expect to do so without spilling some of the water.

Also , If I have to turn it upside down to fill it, that means I’m going to get water everywhere.

An easy to fill humidifier that fills from the top and fits in my sink is a must have for a plant humidifier.

2.  Easy to clean

Humidifiers are well known to be maintenance heavy devices that require cleaning at least once a week.

  And I can tell you that if it’s too hard to mess with, breaking it down and such, it’s probably not going to get done as often as it needs to.

That’s why, when it comes to a humidifier, one of the main things I’m looking for is how easy it is to clean.

On that note, I want to stick it in the dishwasher if I can, and just be done.

An Easy to clean is a “humidifier must have”. Plant or otherwise.


3.  Humidity meter (Hygrometer)

  Keeping the proper Humidity balance is such an important part of staying healthy and keeping my plants thriving that I want to make sure that I’m running the humidifier only when I need it.

And though I can tell you when it feels muggy or if I’m experiencing more than my share of static electricity, that is not enough to ensure that the humidity level in the house is staying at the proper relative humidity range.

The bottom line is, without a humidity meter (hygrometer) , I have no idea of what my RH (relative humidity) actually is.

One of my “humidifier must haves” is the inclusion of a hygrometer to provide me with an actual way of measuring the humidity without guessing.

4.  Humidistat

Along the same lines as a humidity meter, a humidistat turns the humidifier on and off to adjust to the humidity in the room.

It’s very much like a thermostat that you use for your heat and air conditioning. For instance, if you want your room to be 75°, you set your thermostat at 75 and the room slowly adjusts to that temperature.

That’s exactly the same way a humidistat works except for it adjusts the room for relative humidity level.

Smart humidifiers rely on sensors to tell the humidistat to adjust the humidity.

5. Auto shut off

If you have ever owned a basic drug store plastic humidifier then you know what I’m talking about already.

Most humidifiers from yesteryear were basic machines that you feel with water and turn on.

And the machine would stay on regardless until you hit the off button.Which made it not uncommon to come along and find your humidifier bone dry and still running.

Luckily “auto shut off” is a feature you can find fairly easily when you are shopping around for a humidifier these days.

Indicator lights and alerts are also part of the norm for humidifiers these days.

Smart humidifiers can even send you a text when the humidifier is about to be out of water.

Auto shut off is a must-have for your plant humidifier

6. Extra long run time.

A large basin that can hold enough water that my humidifier can run for at least a couple of days without me having to fill it is an essential convenience.

Along the same lines as having to clean it all the time, there is the built-in necessity of having to fill a humidifier with water continuously.

That’s why having a large water tank that doesn’t have to be filled as often is a must-have on the humidifier features list.

love my new plant humidifier


7. Warm or cool mist options

Some plants do better with steamier air because it creates more of a simulation of their natural habitat. Many tropical plants for instance are used to heavy humidity and high temperatures all day.

That being said, you may not want a vaporizer running all the time because they are steamier which can make the room feel swampy and it cost more to run a warm mist humidifier.

  That’s why owning a humidifier that has both an option to use it as a warm mist or cool mist is a must have for me.

8.  Aromatherapy / essential oils

Using essential oils around your plants may not seem like such a great idea until you realize that there are many essential oils and aromatherapy blends that will stop fungal growth.

They also Repel insects, and provide an all-natural alternative to fertilizers that have harmful chemicals and poisons in them.

The inclusion of an aromatherapy tray on a plant humidifier is an absolute must have feature.

9.  Wi-Fi

Every home appliance you can think of these days as a Wi-Fi version.

Some of them make a lot of sense and some not so much.

Having the option to monitor your humidifier through an app is a good idea because you can view the relative humidity in your home from a remote location and get an alert letting you know when your water is nearly gone.

You can even turn the humidifier light on, via your phone.

10. Quiet

Humidifiers are so noisy that they are practically White noise machines.

Which can be a good thing for some people and I know that kind of “white noise” can help a baby sleep,

But it’s not for me.

I don’t want a device in the bedroom or the living room but I have to turn the TV or radio up to hear it.

Having a humidifier that is quiet is a must have feature for me.

11. Germ-free

The latest innovation in humidifiers is the addition of different types of options to keep your humidifier germ-free.

Antimicrobial plastic and ultraviolet light are the main ideals at the forefront.

If a guy could get all the features included in this list and top it off with the option of being germ and bacteria free,

I would say that you would have the ultimate plant humidifier.

Plant Humidifier – When, Where, and How (My Experience)

I enjoy plants. I get a real jolt out of seeing plants and flowers that I have potted and kept up with the watering, thriving and growing, big and luscious.

I also have a couple of excellent areas where I put my plants that they seem to grow like crazy in.

One being the window sill in the kitchen,

  and  the other one being a bathtub (it’s a ridiculously small bathtub, I don’t know what the builders of the house were thinking when they put it in)

that sits underneath a skylight in the bathroom.

Both of those areas work well for growing because of their easy access to water and direct sunlight for 4 or 5 hours a day. Not to mention the amount of humidity in those rooms.

But I also have a room where even though it gets a lot of sunlight, it is very dry and a pain to carry water in there  to take care of the plants.

I know that makes me sound lazy, but there is a big difference in taking care of plants when you have easy access to water. Take it from me.

My Plant Humidifier Experience

Recently I decided to go the humidifier route, with the plants in that room.

After all, it only makes sense.

When you compare that room to the other rooms where we keep plants, there’s an obvious difference.

The plants in the bathroom and in the kitchen both get a lot of humidity.

  Bathrooms are naturally humid because of the showers going on and kitchens also get their share of humidity from the kitchen sink.

So putting a humidifier in the other plant room to keep moisture in the air seemed like the perfect ideal.

Are humidifiers good for plantsSo what did I learn from it?

 

Are humidifiers good for plants?

 

  Putting a humidifier with my plants works pretty well. Does it transform that area into a greenhouse? Not exactly. But it does make a difference.

The plants seem to be a little greener from just having a little humidity settling on them.

They have that vibe of being happy and healthy, the way they’re reaching for the sky..

I told you I like growing plants.

Do plants need a cool or warm mist humidifier?

 

 

I originally used a vaporizer because we just happen to have one in the closet.

And it made sense that tropical plants probably like hot humidity because of their natural habitat and what.

It also seemed like a good idea because the water in the vaporizer was being boiled which means less chance of mold and bacteria growing in it.

Both of those assumptions were true.

But nevertheless, I decided to take out the vaporizer and put a cool mist humidifier in there instead ,because the vaporizer was making the room feel too swampy.

Did I see a difference in the plants by swapping out the vaporizer with the humidifier?

No I didn’t. I’m guessing humidity is humidity no matter what the temperature is.

when should i use a humidifier for my plantsWhen should I use a humidifier for my plants?

 

Some of the other particulars like when and how, I just Googled them.

In Particular, I needed to know when to use it and where to put it.

I needed to know when the actual humidity in the house warranted using a humidifier and I needed to know when, as in what time of the day to use it.

What I found out about “when to use it” made perfect sense when I heard it.

The ideal is to run the humidifier in the morning before the sun shines directly on the plants.

That probably all depends on which room you’re putting them in and what time the Sun shines into that room.

The Sun hits my room in the afternoon, so running the humidifier in the morning is better for me.

The main reason and why it makes so much sense is that if you are running your humidifier at the same time that the Sun is directly hitting your plants,

The condensation that the humidifier creates can have a magnifying glass effect which can cause the sun to burn your plants.

The same reason why they say not to water your grass in the afternoon sun.

Told you it would make sense when you heard it.

As far as the humidity level in the house, it turns out that plants are very similar to humans in the level of humidity that they find most beneficial.

  Though some tropical plants need more humidity, most plants thrive best when the humidity in the house is between 40 and 60%.  Other plants like succulents prefer desert conditions so a humidifier is pretty useless for growing cactus.

How do you know what your humidity is?

A little device called a hygrometer. It’s also called a humidity gauge or a humidity meter.

As a standalone device, they’re pretty cheap. Around the $20 mark.

But you can also buy a humidifier that has a humidity meter built in. And a humidistat to control when the humidifier comes on and turns off according to the relative humidity of the room at any time.

A much more convenient option.

Where do you place a plant humidifier?

The other thing I needed to know was where to put the humidifier in relation to the plants.

The answer I found when I Googled this didn’t make as much sense to me.

It’s  because I would think that plants would love the feeling of having condensation on them.

Since, especially when you’re talking about tropical plants, they are used to having the rain pour down on them.

But the experts say that putting the humidifier too close to your plants can cause them to become limp and mushy.

This probably warrants experimenting.

I think I’m going to have to feel this one out a little longer, because with the amount of sunlight coming into that room, I haven’t noticed any mushiness in my plants.

Plant Humidifier Drawbacks

The main drawback is the maintenance required for the humidifier itself.

Not only is keeping it filled with water a drag, it also has to be cleaned weekly to avoid mold and bacteria growing in it.

So if you are shopping for a humidifier, I suggest you find one that has a big tank that doesn’t require refilling as often,

And find something that is easy to clean. Dishwasher friendly.

plant humidifierRecap

A humidifier for your plants is a great idea.

What better way to simulate the natural habitat of a tropical plant than to add moisture into the air with a humidifier?

Just remember that humidifiers require  some work. They have to be refilled and cleaned fairly often.

And there are some rules about when and where you want to put it. Like when to use it and where to put it.

And if you are shopping for a plant humidifier,

 

A few tips you might want to consider are:

  1. Find one that’s easy to clean.
  2. Find one that is big enough to run a long time without having to refill it.
  3. Get one with a humidity meter( hygrometer) so you can make sure you’re running when you need it and not when you don’t.
  4. And remember you can always go the vaporizer route to minimize  the cleaning.

Better yet, get a humidifier that can function as a cool mist humidifier or a warm mist (vaporizer).

Can a Humidifier Make you Sick? (A Better Question is When?)

Is there any truth to the idea that using a humidifier can make you sick? Why exactly do you think that could be?

Think about it…

The humidifier falls into a category of appliances and machines that use water and have a basin to fill with water.

Other machines like evaporative coolers,  air washers, and dehumidifiers all fall in the same category.

The one thing that each of these devices or machines have in common is the chance of getting contaminated when not maintained adequately.

More to the point, the water in them has a chance of getting contaminated when it is left standing.

Bacteria and mold can begin to take root and get a foothold in as little as 48 hours in standing water.

Can a humidifier make you sick?

humidifier mold sickness



A humidifier can make you sick when it is not maintained correctly.

A dirty humidifier with contaminated water can become a literal germ distributor when it is operated.

Diseases like Legionnaires are directly connected to breathing in the mist from bacteria contaminated water.

Pontiac Fever is a lesser version of the disease that occurs the exact same way.

Most people agree that a humidifier is not as likely to get bad enough to spread Legionnaires disease.

But it is a strong enough threat that the Israeli Ministry of Health issued a warning about the incorrect use of domestic humidifiers and their connection to Legionnaires.

The bottom line is that humidifiers
must be emptied once a day and cleaned thoroughly once a week.

And that yes, there is a chance of a humidifier making you sick if it is not cared for adequately.

And if you already have a predisposition to mold allergies, the chance of getting sick from an unmaintained humidifier can be that much worse.

So if you are in the market for a humidifier, it would be well worth it to search for one that is easy to clean and is dishwasher safe.

Many brands of humidifiers are starting to use features like ultraviolet light and carry additives that help keep mold and bacteria from growing or at least nearly as fast.

Over Humidifying

Another way that humidifiers can affect your health adversely is using one when the humidity is already high.

Air that is thick with heavy humidity can be harder to breathe.

And it’s very hard to breathe if you already suffer from a condition like asthma.

High humidity also promotes dust mite and mold growth.

Both of which fall into a category of airborne allergens that can cause symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, coughing, and fatigue.

Mold can also take root in your house, hiding in dark spaces where it can grow out of control and cause a great deal of damage in a very short time.

Maintaining a relative humidity between 40 and 60 percent is the key. And if the humidity is already above that range,

Running a humidifier will only make it more humid and exasperate the problem.

A dehumidifier or simply running the central heat and air would be a better solution to help reduce the humidity and thin the air.

Humidifier Pros Though Bro

healthy relative humidity

But with all the talk of how a humidifier can be dangerous when not properly kept,

It makes you forget how beneficial a humidifier actually is, when it is properly used and maintained.

And how important maintaining the proper relative humidity is to your health.

Humidity is a subject that most people don’t consider to be related to anything other than a bad hair day or a muggy uncomfortable afternoon.

But humidity has much more to do with staying healthy then you may have thought.

Like I previously mentioned, keeping the relative humidity at the optimal point is the key.

An actual quote in the National Library of Medicine states “the majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%.

That’s a pretty big statement.

Another study concluded that “rodents and environments with 10 to 20% relative humidity succumb to influenza virus infection or rapidly than those housed in 50% relative humidity”

This leads to the conclusion that relative humidity is much more important to maintaining your health than previously thought.

Wouldn’t you say?

Benefits of Optimal Humidity

Some of the benefits of using a humidifier when the air is too dry include:

  • Reducing flu and viral transmission

Studies show that a proper relative humidity keeps viral droplets from being able to travel as far during cold and flu season.

  • Repairing Dry skin

Dehydrated skin equals dry skin.  When there is not enough mouth in the air , the air itself becomes an absorber, pulling the moisture out of your skin.

Dry skin is also at the heart of acne. A lack of moisture in the air also exacerbates psoriasis.

Increasing the moisture in the air with a humidifier can help improve and heal dry, damaged skin.

  • Managing Dust

Dust is made up of a huge list everything you can think of including dead skin and the exoskeletons of insects. As well as pollen and mold spores.

Running a humidifier helps add weight to the dust particles floating through the air. This keeps dust from being able to enter your airways and cause any number of allergic symptoms.

And for asthma sufferers, it can be the difference in breathing or not and triggering an attack.

Recap

There is no question that a moldy humidifier can make you sick.

There are conditions including Legionnaires and Pontiac Fever that are  caught by breathing in humidity droplets that are tainted with mold.

It is obviously very important to keep your humidifier clean as well as any other devices or machines that you have in your home that require adding or emptying water like in the case of a dehumidifier.

But don’t let the maintenance involved in using a humidifier keep you from doing so.

The benefits of keeping the relative humidity between 40 and 60 percent are as important to your health as eating, drinking, and sleeping well and enough.

Your skincare is absolutely dependent and maintaining the proper humidity as well. This includes treating Acne and helping to relieve psoriasis.

How to Get Rid of Dust in the Air? – A Moist Ideal

Living in dusty conditions can have a number of adverse health effects including dry skin and breathing problems.

Common household dusting will never go away. But living with the amount of dust in the air can be minimized.

  Sometimes that may mean filtering out the dust before it has a chance to land.

And sometimes that may mean adding weight to the dust so that it lands quickly and doesn’t remain in the ambient or direct air that you are breathing.

Sometimes it means using an air compressor or leaf blower and blowing it to the wind.

In most cases it’s probably a little of All the above.

How to get rid of dust in the air?

Humidity

Humidity is a big factor when it comes to dust in your home.

That’s right.

Humidity is not the first thing you think of when you are trying to figure out a way to keep the dust in the air down.

But dry air facilitates dust including all the germs and bacteria that the dust floating through the air is carrying.

So much so, that the National Library of Medicine at PubMed has stated that:

“the majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%”.

How does that correlate to the amount of dust in the air and minimizing it?

  Because when the air is dryer, dust  floats easily because it has nothing to  weigh it down.

When the relative humidity is kept between 40 and 60%, there is enough moisture to adhere to the floating dust particles,

including viruses attached in the dust,

to weigh down the dust particles so that it becomes too heavy to float and fall out of the ambient air (the air that you breathe).

Dry Skin

 

Dry air not only creates an easy path for germs and allergens to travel, it also creates an atmosphere for dry skin.

The lack of moisture in the air actually creates a vacuum that pulls moisture from anywhere it can get it.

And one of those places just happens to be your skin.

The dust particles that land on your face are doing the exact same thing. Absorbing the moisture out of your skin and leaving you dried out and itchy.

So as funny as it may seem, the relative humidity is the first thing you want to check when your air quality is too dusty.

How can you know if the moisture level of your air is maintaining the optimal point? How do you check your relative humidity to make sure that it is on point?

A Hygrometer

A Hygrometer is a device that measures the humidity much the same way a thermometer measures the temperature.

And once you’ve found that the moisture level in your air has dipped below the point needed using a hygrometer,

You will need a way to correct the problem.

Humidifier

A Humidifier is the machine that adds moisture to the air if you find that the relative humidity in your room space has lowered to the point that dust and dry air have become a problem.

Humidifiers are not a new ideal and have been around for a long time.

But as the knowledge of maintaining the proper humidity level has so much to do with staying healthy and maintaining healthy skin,

Humidifiers have become sophisticated devices that come complete with a hygrometer/humidistat function to measure and maintain your relative humidity.

They also come with much larger basins and many options to help them stay germ free longer.

Air purifiers

  Of course, humidity or lack thereof is not the only reason your air may be dirty.

If for instance you live on a dirt road that is subject to dust being kicked up continually,

It is as simple as your environment.

An air purifier along with standard sweeping and vacuuming is going to do more to eliminate dust from your air at that point.

Most air purifiers work like a vacuum that pulls air through a series of filters that capture dust as well as other airborne particulates like pollen and mold spores.

Standard HEPA air purifiers are capable of filtering dust particles as small as .003 ppm. Any many air purifier manufacturers are selling purifiers with filters that are able to capture particles as small as .001 ppm

That’s pretty small.

Other air purifiers employ electronic technologies like negative ions and ultraviolet light.

Ionizers or negative ion generators use polarity to clump dust particles together so that they become too heavy to float and fall out of the air you breathe.

Similar to the effect that a humidifier has on the air as moisture helps clump and weigh down thus particles too.

Only with an ionizer, there is no moisture involved, only the production and release of ions.

It’s important though to realize that  ionizers actually make your surfaces extra Dusty.

And some surfaces like TV screens and computer monitors will attract the magnetized dust particles faster than other surfaces.

That’s an important distinction to make when you’re looking for a way to get dust out of your air.

  Because though the air that you are breathing will be cleaner with the use of an ionizer, the amount of dusting you do will probably increase.

Vacuuming

A great deal of dust in the air comes in the form of simple walking. Walking has a way of causing a whirlwind of dust to re-enter the airstream.

Frequent vacuuming can help keep dust out of the air more so than you may believe.

Other types of dust that come from machinery like sanders and table saws need to be vacuumed as it is produced in order to keep the level of dust from becoming a major ordeal.

Using compressed air to push the dust out of the air can work as long as there is a place for it to go. Like say a garage with a large door that the dust could be blown out of.

But dust that comes from construction like sanding wood or using a table saw will most always be better vacuumed with a shop VAC as it is being produced rather than blown with an air compressor.

The amount of dust created during a wood project can be pretty hard to displace by just blowing it.

Recap

Getting rid of dust in the air can be as simple as adding humidity back into the air with a humidifier.

Dusty air, a great deal of the time is due to a drop in the relative humidity.

By adding moisture back to the air with the humidifier, the dust in the air will absorb moisture and become too heavy to float and fall out of the air you breathe.

Other types of dusty air are environmental and can come from things like living next to a dirt road or a wind storm blowing through.

This type of dust can be rectified by using an air purifier that pulls air through a series of filters as a means of cleaning the air.

Other types of air purifiers like ionizers, though will clear the ambient air that you breathe, they will also leave your surfaces dustier. And create more of an opportunity to kick the dust back into the air.

And other types of Dusty air that are created using machinery are most always best resolved by attaching a shop VAC to the machinery that you are using to capture the dust as it is being created.

Do Humidifiers Clean the Air? (You May Be Surprised)

Do Humidifiers Clean the Air?

A humidifier is not the same thing as an air purifier and doesn’t have a way to filter air. But a humidifier can be a type of air purifier when the air is too dry. Maintaining the proper relative humidity in a room has an air purification effect on the air.
This is because humidity droplets are heavier than the dust particles , including viruses and bacteria. So when the humidity binds itself to the dust in the air, the dust becomes too heavy to float and falls out of the ambient air that you breathe. Very similar to the way an ionic air purifier works. Except in the case of the air purifier it is ions that are binding to dust and causing it to fall.

Get all the details in our Humidifier Guide.

Humidifier for Plants

Another way that humidifiers help clean the air is by keeping your air purifying plants healthy.

If you haven’t seen it, there’s a popular list of plants that NASA was conducted research on and determined natural air purifiers.

A humidifier is one of the best ways to keep your plant life thriving in your home.

Adding some of the plants like spider plant and rubber plant that NASA has determined are air purifying plants to your home is an excellent way of utilizing a humidifier in an air purification mode.

Dry air can cause a variety of issues including interrupting respiratory function and causing skin and acne problems.

When the Air does not have enough moisture, it allows dust to float and travel freely making it into your pores and also absorbing the moisture out of your skin and your nasal cavities.

Using a humidifier to keep the relative humidity in your home at 40 to 60% will alleviate most dry air symptoms.

  But on the flip side…  over-humidifying the air can have the opposite effect.

Air that is too humid can explode the dust mite population exponentially in your home. It will also promote mold growth which in turn will unleash mold spores into your Air.

When the humidity gets above 60%, running a  humidifier we’ll make the air quality worse.

For instance, Basements are notorious for being extra humid. Running a humidifier in a basement would be the opposite of what you need to do.

A dehumidifier is a more useful device at that point. Refrigerated air conditioners double as dehumidifiers and some even have “dry mode” settings that allow you to bring the humidity level down in your home without bringing the actual temperature down.

Many basements require industrial vents to pull the moisture out of the area.

Monitoring and keeping your relative humidity between 40 and 60% is the key .

You can purchase humidifiers and dehumidifiers that have a hygrometer or a humidistat built in to ensure that you are adding or taking away the right amount of humidity to stay healthy.

Both humidifiers and dehumidifiers come equipped with smart apps that you can get notifications from as well as monitor your relative humidity remotely at any time.

Though a humidifier can be a huge factor and do a great deal to help manage the air quality when conditions are dry,

A humidifier is not a replacement for an air purifier because indoor air pollution does not rely solely on the air being dry or extra humid.

And air purifiers are useful all year long whereas humidifiers usually gets stored away during the warmer and hot months.

But an air purifier will do nothing to add or take away moisture from your air.

And unfortunately there is not an appliance that can humidify, dehumidify, and filter the air. At least nothing available that can do a great job at any of the three.

Recap

A humidifier can help clean the air when conditions are dry.

Without the adequate moisture in the air, airborne particles, including germs, bacteria, and viruses, can float much easier and travel much further.

A humidifier will add moisture droplets to the air that will bind with the dust particles and cause them to be too heavy to float. The result will be cleaner and fresher air.

But a humidifier can actually make the air quality worse when the humidity is on the high side.

Higher levels of humidity promote mold growth and feed dust mite populations.

Reducing the humidity with a dehumidifier or refrigerator air conditioner will help keep the air quality good during times and seasons of heavy humidity.

But neither a humidifier or a dehumidifier is a replacement for an air purifier.

Air purifiers work 24/7 all year long to keep your air clean. Whereas humidifiers and dehumidifiers are both seasonal devices that are stored away when not in use.