Humidifiers: When They Help and How to Keep Them Clean

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Humidifiers: When They Help and How to Keep Them Clean

Dry air symptoms, humidity targets, types, and why cleaning is a health issue

Humidifiers help with genuinely dry indoor air, and a neglected one is a health risk rather than a neutral appliance. The cleaning is not optional maintenance.

When dry air is the problem

Central heating in winter drops indoor humidity considerably, which causes dry skin and lips, irritated eyes, a sore throat on waking, nosebleeds and static shocks.

Buy a cheap hygrometer before buying a humidifier. If the reading is already above about 50 percent, the problem is something else.

The target range

Around 40 to 60 percent relative humidity suits most homes. Above that encourages dust mites and mould, which makes asthma and allergies worse rather than better.

A humidistat that switches the unit off automatically is worth having, since running one continuously is how homes end up damp.

Types

Evaporative units blow air through a wet wick and cannot over-humidify. Ultrasonic units vibrate water into a fine mist, are very quiet, and disperse whatever is in the water.

Warm mist units boil the water, which kills organisms and creates a scald risk, so they are unsuitable in a child's room.

Cleaning is a health issue

Standing water grows bacteria and mould, and an ultrasonic unit then sprays it into the air. Humidifier fever and lung inflammation from contaminated units are documented.

Empty and dry the tank daily, clean it properly every few days as the manual specifies, and never top up stale water.

White dust

Ultrasonic units disperse dissolved minerals as a fine white dust. Distilled or filtered water removes it, and in hard water areas this is the main complaint.

Filters and water

Wick filters in evaporative units need replacing on schedule, since a saturated wick is a bacterial surface. Demineralisation cartridges reduce white dust and are a consumable.

Never add essential oils to a humidifier unless it is specifically designed for it, since they damage plastic components and are not safe to disperse around cats and birds.

Winter and summer

Humidity needs change through the year. Store the unit dry and clean over summer rather than leaving water in it, and check the hygrometer before switching it on again.

Judging whether it is working

Use the hygrometer rather than how the air feels, and move it around the room, since readings vary considerably between a windowsill and the middle of a room.

If humidity will not rise, the room is probably too ventilated or the unit is undersized for the space.

Babies and asthma

Speak to a doctor before using one for a child with a respiratory condition, and keep any unit out of reach with the cable secured.

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