Adding vinegar to humidifier water will help to reduce bacteria, mold and mildew

Cold Air has less water molecules than hot Air. This is because of the lower energy level. The humidity level is not only low in cold regions but there are certain hot regions where the level of humidity is very low but the problem is in cold areas.

Low degree of humidity can cause many problems like irritation in many parts of the body, dryness of skin, cold, cough, allergy and asthma. To deal with this problem, we need humidifiers.

Humidifiers release moisture-filled air which helps in dealing with the problem of cracked lips, dry skin, dry throat, dry cough, headache and skin irritation. It also improves air quality, hence making the environment better for inhabitants.

Why do we need to clean Humidifiers?

The humidifiers help in a lot of ways, but they can also cause severe problems. If they are not cleaned appropriately, they develop bacteria and Mold and release contaminated air in the surrounding.

Breathing in contaminated air has severe repercussions. It may lead to problems like severe cough, lung infection, high fever, asthma, anxiety and depression. It may cause respiratory problems. To deal with these problems and to make humidifiers run effectively, we need to clean them.

Why adding Vinegar to the humidifier water is better than other disinfectants?

As said, the humidifiers need to be cleaned like any other electric appliance. If they are not cleaned repeatedly and properly, they can develop bacteria and fungus on their filter and surface. If we do not remove these harmful microorganisms, humidifiers might release contaminated air in the surrounding.

This will have a negative impact on the health of individuals who will breathe in that surrounding. There are many disinfectants available which can clean the humidifiers. The best method to clean the humidifier is to clean it by adding the Vinegar in its water.

Other ways by which we can clean the humidifier is by using the chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide or any other disinfectant. But there are some repercussions of using these chemicals. These chemicals have a terrible impact on the health of individuals. They can cause problems like nose, throat and skin irritation, lungs and respiratory problems.

To prevent oneself and one's family from a ramification of these disinfectants, one should use vinegar to clean humidifiers as it has stood the test of time. It is a cheap option and is readily accessible. It has no side effects as one can understand from the fact that vinegar is used in food to make the taste of food better.

Steps of adding vinegar to the humidifier water:

• The first step is to unplug the humidifier and disassemble it.
• After disassembling, remove all water from the tank or water reservoir.
• Add a cup of vinegar in boiling water and mix it.
• Then add this mixture in the water reservoir and leave it for a half-hour.
• Rinse the filter thoroughly with this mixture.
• After waiting for 30 minutes, pour the mixture.
• After that clean the reservoir with a brush to clean remaining particles.
• Then wait for the humidifier to dry completely.
• Repeat these steps after every 3-4 days for better health.

This is the most organic way of cleaning the humidifier. It is easy and cost-efficient.

Health benefits of using vinegar to clean the humidifiers

Vinegar has long been used for food preservation. Since the old times, it has been used to preserve food e.g. pickles.

The author of the book "Encyclopedia of Food Science and Nutrition" (2nd edition, 2003) opines that because of acetic content and low PH level of vinegar, it a preservative for both domestic uses and in the food industry. He further says that they use it for food preservation or pickling of a wide variety of foods such as vegetables, meat, fish and spiced fruits.

1. Kwon and Y.S. Jeong, in their book " Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food system, 2014" argue that antiseptic properties of vinegar make it a powerful defence against bacteria, virus and fungus.

From the above discussions, we can see that vinegar is a credible choice and when it is used in water to clean the humidifiers, it cleans fungus and bacteria hence helping the humidifier release fresh air which is very helpful for good health.

Types of vinegar we can add in humidifier water to clean it

Vinegar history dates back to 5000 BC and is one of the most commonly used products in the world. It is available in almost every country. It is available in various flavours around the world depending on the substrate:

• Wine vinegar
• Balsamic vinegar
• Red vinegar
• White vinegar
• Distilled white vinegar
• Sherry vinegar
• Fruit vinegar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Rice vinegar
• Coconut vinegar
• Honey vinegar
• And many more

Any vinegar will work but preference should be given to Apple cider vinegar, and white distilled vinegar.

This is because of certain characteristics they have in relation to the cleaning of fungus. They are easily available and can be used for other food items in the home.

Conclusion

In this article, we have tried to discuss the use of humidifiers, the need of cleaning them and the best way to clean them. Adding vinegar to the humidifier water is the most effective way of cleaning them.

It shows better results than other disinfectants, and the best thing is that it does not have a terrible impact on the health of individuals. Vinegar is readily available and is cheap. One has to consider the cost-effectiveness of the process as the process has to be repeated after every three-four days. People conscious about their health prefer adding vinegar as a cleaning agent in the humidifier water.