Five Benefits of Cool Mist Humidifiers

Cool mist humidifiers come in a wide range of styles: single room, multi-room, whole house, and console. These humidifiers have many benefits, some of which you may have never considered. They work by adding moisture to the air. The proven health benefits alone will reassure you of the value of these humidifiers, but below are five other benefits that make these humidifiers an essential household item.


Air Quality
Many people are concerned about outdoor air and take various steps to help protect the air that we breathe. But when it comes to the air quality indoors, we sometimes do not take those same helpful steps. Various types of smoke, dust particles, and microscopic bacteria often affect indoor air and can contribute to ill health. The heating that is used inside your home can also create dry air that can contribute to dust and bacteria. These factors can result in several health issues such as colds, respiratory infections, allergies, and dry lips to name a few. Cool mist humidifiers help to inject moisture into the air and will help to improve the air quality inside your home or office which will ease cold, allergy, and other respiratory symptoms. In addition, they will benefit dry, itchy skin.

Comfort
Moisturized air is very easy to breathe and it is soothing to your nasal passages and to your respiratory tract. A dry nose or a dry throat can be very uncomfortable but cool mist humidifiers will dramatically decrease the levels of dry air. This, in turn, will keep moisture in your mucous membranes and that will lead to a much more comfortable breathing pattern.

Safety
Cool mist humidifiers do not have a heating element so there is no concern about hot water like in warm mist humidifiers. It could be very easy for someone (especially a child) to get too close to a humidifier that emits hot vapors and they could burn their face or hands; or even tip over the humidifier and spew hot water over various parts of their body. There is never that concern with cool mist humidifiers so they are much safer to use.

Cost
Cool mist humidifiers are typically inexpensive and they require less energy than a humidifier that has a heating element and needs to warm the water. If you are looking for a humidifier to use in a single room, a smaller style is your best bet but remember that you will have to refill the water more frequently.

Protect The Things You Value
Last, but certainly not least, cool mist humidifiers will prevent the dryness in your home from doing damage, especially to items like wood furniture and wood flooring. Many musical instruments can be harmed from dry air as well. Cool mist humidifiers will protect all these things from cracking and warping.

All About Cool Mist Humidifiers

Cool mist humidifiers and warm mist humidifiers are equally effective at humidifying the air, but most experts, when asked, will recommend that you go with cool mist humidifiers. This is mainly for two reasons: cool-mist humidifiers don't boil water and because of this, there is no risk of a child (or an adult) burning themselves, and they are also more energy efficient. Humidifiers work by adding moisture to the air. In turn, this helps to ease coughing and congestion brought on by a cold. Actually, by the time the vapors from a humidifier reach your airways, the vapor is the same temperature whether it started out cool or warm. If your child has Croup, the cool mist will help to reduce inflammation and swelling in the airways. When anyone is congested, breathing in this air will thin secretions. Even if someone has a nose bleed air from these humidifiers will moisturize the mucous membranes and help them to heal.

Even if you are not sick, cool mist humidifiers will help to protect you and your family from the sometimes damaging and unhealthy effects of dry, parched air. Humid air can also damage your home furnishings and promote dust mites. In particular, wood furniture and wood flooring can be easily damaged by too much humidity in a room. Some of the common signs of too much humidity in your home are musty odors, condensation on windows, and stains on your ceilings and walls. Cool mist humidifiers come in many different sizes and can be used in one room, a whole house, and in an office if you find the air in your work space to be uncomfortable. Be certain to look for a humidifier that is quiet and is easy to clean especially if you intend to use it often. Also be sure to look for one that has the features that are the most important to you. If you are in the market for one that you plan to use on a daily basis, you may want an attractive model that fits well with the décor in your home. Some come with a demineralization cartridge that ensures the water is free of things like lime scale, bacteria, and other germs.

Cool mist humidifiers are usually less expensive than warm mist humidifiers because they do not come with a heating element. Many come with an air cleaning filter and this is a great option because the filter will also remove dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and odors from the air. It is very important to always keep your humidifier clean in order to prevent bacteria and mold growth. You will find instructions with the humidifier on how best to do this, but usually washing it daily with soap and water will do the trick. Distilled water should always be used in cool mist humidifiers (unless you purchase one with a demineralization option) because of mineral deposits in regular tap water.

Cool Mist Humidifiers - What Type Works Best

There are basically three types of cool air humidifiers and you really cannot go wrong with any of the three types. It all comes down to personal preference. These humidifiers can be used to make your home or office so much more comfortable, especially in the winter time when the air becomes so much dryer. If the air in your home or office dips below 30% relative humidity, you can suffer from dry mucous membranes which, in turn, can lead to infections and nosebleeds. Low humidity will often aggravate the symptoms of asthma. Cool mist humidifiers use a filter to trap minerals and impurities in the air and they release a cool, invisible mist that evaporates into the air. They do not heat the water so there is no burn risk which is a real plus if you have a child or older person living in your home. The three types are:

Evaporation Wick
This type of humidifier uses a wick to absorb water. The water is then evaporated by a fan. This is a very natural form of evaporation which some people consider to be an added benefit. The evaporation rate will slow as the humidity in the air increases so these units are actually self-regulating. Some people will go with another type of humidifier because of the noise from the fan while others say the sound relaxes them and helps them to sleep.

Impeller
For these cool mist humidifiers a spinning disk creates the mist. This process of creating humidity is much quieter than creating it with a fan. Impeller humidifiers are usually available as smaller units so they are easy to move from room to room. They use minimal electricity unlike warm mist humidifiers that have heating elements. These usually will not require any replacement filters.

Ultrasonic
The ultrasonic style is a much more modern type and creates a mist through sound waves that vibrate the water. They are very efficient and nearly silent to our human ears. You will find that this style almost always will include a demineralization filter which will trap minerals before they are released into the air. Some ultrasonic humidifies come with a heating option. When using the cool mist, they too, use a low power consumption.

Distilled water should be used in all cool mist humidifiers to prevent the build up of crusty mineral deposits or scale, as this can be a breeding ground for mold. The humidifiers that include demineralization filters will help with this problem as well.

Adding cool mist humidifiers to your room or your child’s room is a great way to help prevent colds and the spread of germs, especially during the flu season.