One of the most practical and helpful home appliances you can have is a humidifier.
Designed to help balance the humidity levels in your home regardless of the weather, these devices can help you and your household stays healthy and comfortable.
And with winter upon us, now has never been a better time to get the humidifier out and running. No one wants to be plagued down with seasonal allergies, a sinus infection or the flu just before the holiday season. So using a humidifier is one of the best ways to help eliminate this threat in your house.
The goal of using a humidifier is to achieve around a 45% humidity level in the room so that there is minimal threat of dry skin, respiratory issues or even an uncomfortable night’s sleep.
But there is an artform to realize when using humidifiers. You need to clean them properly, prepare them correctly and place them strategically to get the best results.
However, there is no need to stress as we are here to help you learn how to use a humidifier properly. To do so, we’ve gathered up our top tips to consider when getting your humidifier up and running.
Know Your Type of Humidifier
It is first important to realize that not all humidifiers are created equal. Some are large. Some are small. Some use filtration. And others are filterless. Understanding the type of humidifier you have—or are thinking of purchasing—is the key to ensuring that you use it properly.
For example, if you have a humidifier that uses a filtration system, you will need to be extra diligent with your cleaning of the device before and after use. This is because this type of humidifier uses boiling water that, if not cleaned properly out of the appliance, can prompt mold or mildew to grow.
On the other hand, if you have a filterless humidifier, you likely have an ultrasonic vibration humidifier. With this, boiling water is not necessary and rely on vibrations to create the mist instead.
And for the best result of air quality, you should always be using distilled water in your humidifier whenever possible.
Be Mindful of Placement
As we alluded to at the start, you should be strategic with where you place humidifiers. For instance, if you have a baby or toddler in the house and are wanting to use a filtration humidifier that relies on boiling water, you should put it out of arms reach from the little ones. But this goes without saying that putting a humidifier that is child-safe in their room can hugely benefit them, as babies tend to be even more prone to getting congested and sick.
Another thing to keep in mind with placement is if the mist will be able to circulate into the room. While you don’t need to put the humidifier in the middle of the room, you should ensure that it can reach all four corners and that the doors are open to ensure maximum circulation of the air.
Here are some things to consider with the placement of your humidifier.
- In the bedroom. Putting the humidifier in your bedroom will really enhance your sleep at night and help you wake up feeling comfortable and your skin feeling hydrated. It will also help you breathe easier if you are feeling a bit congested or sick
- Away from the sun. This is importan if you are using a cool-mist humidifier because the appliance relies on cool water to create the vapor. Sunlight runs the risk of heating up the water in the humidifier too much and can have negative effects as a result.
- On a flat surface. Humidifiers need to be well supported and the best way to do so is to ensure it is on stable flooring that is capable of dealing with moisture.
Clean, Clean and Clean Again
To maximize the life of it, you will want to ensure you clean it after every use. The best humidifiers are designed to be quite easy to clean. But a few minutes of effort can end up making a world of difference.
To correctly clean your humidifier, make sure there is no water residue and that it is stored in a cool environment in between uses.
Using it the next time will be so much easier if it is clean and ready to go for the next session.
With these top tips, you will enjoy all the benefits that humidifiers are designed to provide to you and your home.
