Room humidifiers are beneficial pieces of equipment that increase the amount of humidity or moisture in the air by sending out steam or water vapor. This becomes helpful due to the fact that the natural humidity level varies depending upon the weather conditions taking place at the moment. For instance, the air during the summer tends to be moister, while the winter air is dryer.
With that being said, having a higher level of humidity isn’t always possible by natural means and requires assistance from room humidifiers in order to get the health benefits that are associated with it.
Humidifiers can be an efficient method to increase humidity, especially during dryer months when it becomes even more necessary.
Let’s get started by identifying five benefits of using a room humidifier and knowing how to use it effectively.
1. Decrease Sickness with Room Humidifiers
First things first, you should be aware of the fact that when a room humidifier adds moisture to the air around you, it can help prevent you from becoming sick. One example is the influenza virus, which is able to last longer in drier conditions.
Room humidifiers can help relieve the symptoms of allergies, asthma, coughing, dry and itchy throats, nose bleeds, runny noses, and sinus congestion by soothing tissues in the nose and throat,
Also, humidifiers can also help keep sickness away by assisting with loosening congestion by moistening the nasal passage. Boosting air moisture can make it easier to expel mucus when coughing or blowing your nose by keeping it from getting dry.
2. Alleviate Snoring with Room Humidifiers
Among the health benefits of humidifiers that you will come across, humidifiers can also reduce the sound of snoring that interrupts the sleep of those around you. Room humidifiers can also lower nasal congestion by working on loosening mucus that may be blocking your airway, which means less snoring. Be aware that snoring occurs quite often in men, people that are overweight, along with those dealing with sleep apnea, nasal problems, and drinking too much alcohol.
3. Prevent Dry Skin with Room Humidifiers
Being that dry air yanks moisture away from your skin, this leads to causing your skin to feel irritated and become itchy. Humidifiers can come to the rescue in that regard by bringing in more moisture in the air to counteract the discomfort and rejuvenate your skin again.
Not only is it important to gain health benefits from using a room humidifier, but you also need to know how to use humidifiers correctly.
Clean Your Humidifier
Letting humidifiers become dirty establishes mold and bacteria that can lead to lung infections, asthma, allergy flare-ups, and flu-like symptoms. Make sure that you clean your humidifier after each use and get the water tank completely dry before you use it again by following the following steps:
- Use distilled water: When water is distilled, it contains fewer minerals, such as the unwanted ones that can be found in tap water that can bring about unhealthy bacteria forming inside of a humidifier.
- Change the humidifier water: Empty out the water that is in your humidifier tank and make it a habit to replace the water at least once a day.
- Clean with hydrogen peroxide: Cleanse your room’s humidifier with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the minerals from the tank. Also, after diligently cleaning your humidifier with hydrogen peroxide, thoroughly rinse the tank to ensure that chemicals aren’t able to be released into the air.
- Replace humidifier filters: If your room humidifier has a filter, be sure to replace it as frequently as the manufacturer recommends, and even more so if it is dirty.
Take Control of Humidity
As a reminder, you shouldn’t put too much moisture in a room because it isn’t a good idea because you don’t want the excess humidity in a room to cause bacteria and mold to build up, which can lead to respiratory problems.
The humidity of a room should stay within the range of 30 and 50 percent, as suggested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). You can purchase a hygrometer that may resemble a thermometer to measure the moisture in your home.
Also, keep in mind that you should only be running your humidifier when you need it and not when you are away at work.
Open Interior Doors
In order to prevent the over-humidifying of a room in your home, it is a wise idea to keep the door open in the room in order to let air flow into and out of the area.
Be Careful When Using Humidifiers in Children’s Rooms
When you decide to use a room humidifier in a child’s room, consider the safest option. There could be a potential safety issue if you have a humidifier that boils or heats the water. Also, cool mist humidifiers can emit harmful elements if you haven’t cleaned them properly.
