Using a humidifier at home when the air is dry, especially in winter when the heater is always on, can add moisture to prevent dry skin and relieve allergy symptoms and cold. Although humidifiers have several benefits, you need to know how to operate them in your home and their risks to prevent adverse health effects.

Some safety precautions for using humidifiers in your home include:

1. Use Distilled Water

Using water with impurities increases the risk of other particles besides water being emitted into the air, especially with cool mist machines. Distilled water has fewer minerals and ensures clean air in your home.

1. Clean the Machine

Cleaning your humidifier after every use is necessary. After cleaning the humidifier, allow the tank to dry before using it again. Ensure you rinse and replace the water in the humidifier’s tank every night, so the humidifier doesn’t work with old standing water containing molds, fungi, and bacteria.

Over time, white particles called scale will accumulate in the humidifier. Your humidifier can emit these particles into the air. As you breathe in the particles, they accumulate in your lungs, causing different health problems.

You can remove mold and scale in your humidifier by cleaning it every few days with vinegar and water or hydrogen peroxide, or any recommended cleaning solution.

1. Manage Humidity

Avoid adding excess moisture to a room and ensure the humidity is not above 50%. When humidity is above 50%, mold and bacteria can grow, triggering respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies.

The optimum humidity in a room should be between 30 – 50%, and you can monitor the humidity with a hygrometer. It’s advisable to only use the humidifier when necessary, not at all times.

1. Open Interior Doors

To prevent excess humidity in a room, ensure the room doors are open to allow adequate ventilation in your home.

1. Replace the Filters Regularly

If your humidifiers have filters, ensure you replace them regularly, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Risks of Using Humidifiers

Taking the precautions above will ensure the safe use of a humidifier. Some risks of humidifiers include:

• Emission of harmful substances that cause respiratory problems
• Burns from warm mist humidifiers
• Accumulated bacteria and other microorganisms in older humidifiers
• Hazardous minerals and particles from cool mist humidifiers

Recommendations for Using Humidifiers

Different brands and types of humidifiers are available, so you should consider your needs before getting a humidifier.

• What Humidifier Best Suits Your Space

A cool humidifier may be best for you if you want to use it in a child’s room or any space where people are at risk of touching the humidifier. Many people prefer warm mist humidifiers because they heat the water before releasing it, expelling safer air.

• The Settings in the Humidifier

Getting a Humidifier with an adjustable setting is preferable to allow you to set the humidifier to suit your needs.

• The Size of the Room the Humidifier Will Run

Ensure your preferred humidifier can disperse air to reach all parts of the room you intend to fit the humidifier. Humidifiers are available in different specifications, so you can always find one for your space, irrespective of its size.