Here, we’re going over what you need to know about these systems — from how they work to the different types available — so you can choose the humidifier that works best for your home and budget. You won’t have to worry about this cool mist humidifier from Homedics overheating. It also includes three essential oil pads, for moments when you want a little scent with your moisture. Plus, the device contains a built-in seven-color night light, making it the perfect bedside companion. In many parts of the country, excessively dry indoor air is an ongoing problem, especially in the winter when the air tends to be naturally dry. Maintaining proper humidity levels in your home through the use of a humidifier is essential for the protection of wood furniture and wood flooring. It is critical to make sure your humidifier works correctly and is properly maintained.
Humidifiers can help you add moisture to a dry room and relieve unwanted health symptoms. Some humidifiers require filters or have other parts that need to be cleaned or replaced.
But it also requires a little more maintenance, including regular replacement of the wicking filter. It’s louder than our other picks, too, though we find the fan’s white noise to be rather pleasant. If anything goes wrong, this model has the best warranty we’ve seen on any humidifier—five years for the basic machine, plus 10 years for the motor.
A former budget pick, the Vicks V750 just feels cheap in every sense of the word. On the plus side, it will continue working even after you accidentally snap half of the pieces in half during the cleaning process. Once or twice a week, give your humidifier a basic rinse and dry. Simply empty out the humidifier, take it all apart, and rinse or wipe down all of the pieces, to get rid of any biofilm that may have started growing. Then let the pieces air-dry before you put the humidifier back together again. The Canopy Bedside Humidifier is an attractive model with a lot of thoughtful design choices, all the way down to the packaging.
She consulted the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Improvement and Outdoor Director, Dan DiClerico, as well as the Lab’s extensive testing data. To survive harsh NYC winters (and the dry skin that comes along with it!), she’s been sleeping next to a cool mist humidifier for years.
This energy-smart evaporative model isn’t quite as easy to use as our top pick, but it’s great at keeping the humidity consistent and distributing it around the room. To use a humidifier, start by cleaning the water reservoir with mild dish soap to remove the residue from the manufacturing process. Additionally, place the unit at least 12 inches away from the walls in order to prevent mold and moisture damage.
Travel/Personal Humidifier
That might sound like a lot of work, but it’s worth doing to avoid the dreaded humidifier lung. These handy devices aren’t just for easing the pressure of seasonal stuffy noses—many humidifiers are also key in keeping skin and hair hydrated despite moisture-sucking indoor heat. They can also help soothe inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Board-certified dermatologist Teresa Song tells Bazaar that regularly using a humidifier is a bonus step for anyone’s skincare routine, as the appliances increase air moisture. There are a variety of humidifiers available for purchase that all require regular cleaning.
The Vornado UH200’s huge, streamlined tank leads to less maintenance than other humidifiers. The 1.75-gallon tank is large enough to last for more than a day, even in bigger spaces; the company claims it works in rooms up to 900 square feet. And because it’s just a smooth cylinder with a simple screw-on top, it’s also incredibly easy to clean. It comes with a convenient carrying handle, too, so you don’t have to worry about spilling the water everywhere after you refill it—which can be trickier with a lot of standard top-fill lids. Like a lot of ultrasonic humidifiers, this one has a complex water channel in the basin, which can be a little tricky to clean. Although it’s not as labyrinthine as those of other models we’ve tested, you may still need to get in there on occasion and really scrub for a while. The Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier is a simple and attractive humidifier that does the job well without costing too much.
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Although vinegar or citric acid will help with the visible limescale, it won’t kill off the mold or invisible microbes that are always attempting to take root in your humidifier. So you’ll need to periodically disinfect the whole unit using a solution of bleach or hydrogen peroxide. You’ll know it’s overdue if your humidifier starts smelling sort of dank. The flow-through drip-style humidifier uses water dripping onto a specially coated rectangular metal or plastic evaporator pad to add humidity to the air.
Spreading Bacteria
Evaporative portable humidifiers are one of the most common types of portable humidifiers. At the bottom of an evaporative humidifier, there’s something called a moist wick filter. To function, evaporative humidifiers use a fan that blows air through that moist wick filter, which then turns into a water vapor that is blown into the room to regulate humidity levels. In addition to keeping tabs on the humidity levels in your environment, professionals also recommend keeping your device as clean as possible on the inside, which means regularly changing its water. Storing water over a long period of time can lead to bacterial and fungal overgrowth.
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