Do Humidifiers Really Work?

Many products on the market can do a lot to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). For starters, a humidifier controls the quantity of humidity in your house. Optimal humidity levels will enhance your air quality to make you breathe more comfortably.

Apart from helping you manage your indoor air's moisture content, do humidifiers purify the air?

With a humidifier bringing moisture to the room, a congested nose, irritating throat and eyes, crapped skin and dry hair, sinus issues, nosebleeds, and breathing problems may be relieved.  

A humidifier does not clean the air and has no impact on the number of airborne allergens. It does, therefore, serve an essential purpose in your house. Rather than cleansing the air, the humidifiers apply moisture to the atmosphere to raise humidity levels. This can make the atmosphere more comfortable and easier to breathe compared to dry air.

Do Humidifiers Help With Dust?

Humidifiers do not help with dust. The humidifier does not cleanse any of the air from the impurities. Moisturizing the atmosphere will make an excellent habitat for dust mites to survive and grow if you don't maintain the humidity level between 30-50 percent.

How Does A Humidifier Function?

In the cold season, the humidifier brings warmth to the atmosphere. Enhanced moisture will ease dry skin and eyes, allergy and asthma complications, and sore throat so that you feel more relaxed in your home. Most of the humidifiers come with filters that collect toxins, dirt, debris, and other contaminants.

This is helpful to the general air quality, but you can get much more comfortable or benefit from a full-home humidifier instead of a smaller, compact unit. Clean the filter of your humidifier sometimes and refresh it as suggested. This is important if you have allergies or asthma.

Theres No Air Purification

Conversely, while the filter will enable your humidifier to boost the IAQ of your apartment, air purification is not its function. The essential purpose of the humidifier is to restore moisture into the air. They achieve this through the circulation of the water vapor into a space that may or may not be apparent.

Compare the humidifier to the dehumidifier where the dehumidifier extracts water vapor from the air. Add water to the tank to keep the humidifier operating. It turns this water into a perfect mist and releases it into the ambient air. Humidifiers are better used in arid areas since they add moisture to the atmosphere.

What Can You Do to Increase Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?

Since humidifiers do not clean the air, people use air purifiers. The fundamental distinction between the air purifier and the humidifier is that they build the air purifiers to clean the air from allergens, pollen, mold, and odor control. There is some controversy regarding air purifiers vs. humidifiers.

Some people also ask if the air purifier is like a humidifier. They're not. There is a range of variations between a humidifier and an air purifier. The humidifiers regulate only the amount of humidity in the room and do little to preserve the air quality or the level of pollutants in the air. Find a humidifier and air purifier for your optimal home convenience.

Rid Your Home of bacteria, soil, dust, allergens

They have distinct purposes, but they can operate together for full proper efficiency. The humidifier plays an essential role in the household, but it's not intended to keep your air clear. Instead, mount an all-home air purifier. It will effectively work for your home of bacteria, soil, dust, allergens, and other irritants that may destroy your IAQ.

They are much more powerful and secure than their compact counterparts, and the better models will neutralize contaminants as small as 30 microns. Keep your home tidy to boost your IAQ. Dust, vacuum, and mop periodically to remove contaminants from the floors and furniture.

Can You Use A Humidifier And Air Purifier In The Same Room?

You can use the air purifier and humidifier in the same place and at the same time. Each gadget has a specific function. The air purifier filters the air from the contaminants, while the humidifier brings moisture to the atmosphere for additional convenience.

It is better to have the air purifier and humidifier on either side of the room. If the devices are too close, the humidifier will cause the air purifier's filter to get moist and clogged because of the excessive moisture, making the air purifier inefficient.

No matter which device you use or why you choose it, comply with all manufacturers' cleaning guidelines. Wash the humidifiers for at least a couple of days to prevent the minerals from being built within them. You can also use them with purified water to minimize the mineral content. The air purifier filters must be adjusted regularly (every 6 to 12 months) to keep them functional.

How Do Humidifiers Clean The Air And Things Around You?

You want everything clean, and to keep it that way we have some tips:

1) Do Cool Mist Humidifiers Cause Allergies

No, not always. If you have allergies or asthma it's suggested to use a cool mist humidifier instead of a warm mist humidifier because they're less likely to trigger an allergic reaction in your lungs.

2) Do Cool Mist Humidifiers Cause Mold

Mold growing is not a problem for most models of humidifiers. However, there are some models in which mold can grow if you use tap water and/or don't clean it regularly. You should always follow the manufacturer's instructions on cleaning the humidifier and the reservoir because they usually have specific instructions for preventing mold buildup.

3) Keep it clean.

Regularly clean your humidifier with warm, soapy water to remove any germs and bacteria that may have accumulated.

4) Only use distilled or sterile water to fill it.

Tap water can contain a lot of germs and bacteria, including Cryptococcus neoformans, the fungus that causes cryptococcosis in people with immune system deficiencies, such as AIDS and transplant patients undergoing immunosuppressive drug therapy.

5) Avoid getting essential oils on the machine's parts.

This could cause mold growth or release harmful toxins into the air over time.

6) Don't use your humidifier if you are sick.

When you are sick, the number of microbes in your nasal passages increases greatly, and this may get passed on to other family members who breathe the airborne bacteria that your humidifier puts into the air.

7) Clean the water tank daily.

You can do this by using a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts warm water. Then rinse it out with warm tap water. Note: Never mix bleach with vinegar, or any other cleaning products together! This could result in toxic fumes being released into the air, which could be very harmful if inhaled over a long period of time.

8) Use only distilled or sterile water to fill the humidifier.

Tap water can contain a lot of germs and bacteria, including Cryptococcus neoformans, the fungus that causes cryptococcosis in people with immune system deficiencies, such as AIDS and transplant patients undergoing immunosuppressive drug therapy.

9) Store your humidifier in a clean room or cabinet.

This is where you can safely keep it away from pets, children and any other family members who are likely to touch it with their hands.

10) Only run your machine when you are home.

This way you can keep an eye on it and make sure that it is working properly.

11) Keep the humidifier at least 2 feet away from your bed.

It is generally recommended that you do not sleep in a room that has a humidifier, but if you do, make sure the machine is at least 2 feet away from your bed.

12) Keep windows closed

in the room where the humidifier is being used.

13) Do You Need To Clean Your Humidifier Constantly?

No. Most humidifiers have a filter that absorbs any dust and mold that may be inside your humidifier. Over the course of weeks or months the filter will accumulate a lot of dust and mold, so it's recommended to clean the filter once every week or two to ensure proper operation of the humidifier.

Conclusion

Now, know which product would fit your conditions best when deciding between an air purifier vs. a humidifier. Optimistically, this information will give you the clarity and guidance you need to come to a well-informed judgment. A humidifier and an air purifier can be helpful for your home and wellbeing. And much of the time, people need to use both indoors to get the convenience and the relaxation they want.