Humidifiers: tips for the use and care of home humidifiers

Humidity is the amount of moisture or water vapor in the air. People tend to feel more comfortable when the relative humidity is between 35-55 percent.

If the humidity is too low, people may be left with physical discomforts such as a dry nose, throat, lips, and skin. Low humidity may also wreak havoc on your home causing static electricity, cracks in furniture, flooring, cabinetry, paint, and peeling wallpaper.

High levels of humidity cause problems, such as a room to feel stuffy and for biological contaminants to thrive. We often add or remove moisture to make a room feel more comfortable. Read more at HealthHouse.org

There are four general types of humidifiers:

• Ultrasonic, which creates a cool mist by means of ultrasonic sound vibrations.
• Impeller, or "cool mist", which produces a cool mist by means of a high-speed rotating disk.
• Evaporative, which transmits 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 creates 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.

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