Humidifiers: Steaming Up for Safety

Our Mission: We ignite the movement that empowers parents to protect children from harmful chemicals. Donate »

Blog

Healthy Child

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Getting ready to pull out that ole’ humidifier for wintertime? Shopping for a new one? STOP!

Certain humidifiers can disperse materials, like microorganisms and minerals into indoor air from their water tanks, and high humidity can breed mold and dust mites. These factors create asthma attacks waiting to happen.

Safe Humidity Levels

The best thing to do before purchasing a humidifier, is to test the humidity levels in your home. A hygrometer (humidity guage), which you can purchase at your local hardware store, will do just this.

Humans are most comfortable when humidity is at 40-45 percent. Very dry air below 30 percent humidity causes dry nasal passages, skin and throats. Dust mites and mold thrive when humidity rises above 50 percent. Therefore, the ideal humidity is in the range of 30-50 percent.

If the humidity level is above 50 percent, do not use a humidifier. Not only is a humidifier unnecessary, but it will increase the level of mold and dust mites in your home.

Choosing the Right Humidifier

The two types of humidifiers which generally appear to produce the greatest dispersions of both microorganisms and minerals are:

Ultrasonic, which create a cool mist by means of ultrasonic sound vibrations.
Impeller, or "cool mist," which produce a cool mist by means of a high speed rotating disk.

Two additional types of humidifiers can allow for growth of micro-organisms if they are equipped with a tank that holds standing water, but generally disperse less, if any, of these pollutants into the air. These are:

Evaporative, which transmit moisture into the air invisibly by using a fan to blow air through a moistened absorbent material, such as a belt, wick, or filter.
Steam vaporizer, which create steam by heating water with an electrical heating element or electrodes. "Warm mist" humidifiers are a type of steam vaporizer humidifier in which the steam is cooled before exiting the machine.

Note: Steam vaporizer and evaporative humidifiers are not expected to disperse substantial amounts of minerals. A steam vaporizer tested by EPA did not disperse measurable amounts of minerals; evaporative humidifiers have not been tested by EPA for mineral dispersal.

Also, while there are currently no studies showing whether or not the plastic humidifier leaches any chemicals into the water being dispersed into the air – if you’d like to find an option made of a safer plastic, The Softlanding recommends the Vicks Warm Steam Humidifier, Crane Humidifiers, or the GermGuardian H3010 Digital Ultrasonic Humidifier as BPA, PVC and phthalate-free options (Note: all humidifiers have a PVC wrapped cord).

Keep it Clean:

And whether your humidifier is new or old, keeping it clean is extremely important. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Use distilled or demineralized water as tap water can contain more minerals which can filter into the air.
Change water daily.
Empty water tank and dry interior surfaces every time you turn off the machine.
Monitor humidity levels frequently while using the humidifier. Maintain humidity between 30-50 percent.
Watch for condensation on windows. If you see droplets of water on windows, the humidity may be high enough to breed mold.
Clean your humidifier every two to three days of operation, as recommended by the manufacturer. Use 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution or vinegar to remove mineral deposits or film from the tank or other parts
Change filters and wicks often
Before storing, clean the machine and its parts thoroughly.
After removing from storage, clean the machine and its parts thoroughly before first use.
Replace older humidifiers