The other day we found out that our youngest had the croup. Pretty nasty sounding cough accompanies the croup, but luckily, it didn’t seem that there was much damage. Mostly just dried out from the lack of humidity in the winter air. Our heat pump is badly in need of repair or else it might provide the needed humidity, but that’s another story for another time.
So we’re supposed to get a “humidifier”. Hmm. Seems to be lots of choices. Warm mist, cool mist, humidifier, vaporizer. How to choose? How indeed. According to the helpful lady at Wal-Mart, we should get cool mist (ie, a humidifier). From what I can tell, in the beginning there were only vaporizers. But as time wore on, dainty little hands were burnt from the warm mist produced. You and I both know that warm things don’t burn. That mist is downright hot. But I digress.
And so, with the advent of new technology, cool mist products were born. Now there are all sorts of selections and capacities. Auto-shut off, timed humidifying, you can probably even find a model that will brew coffee with that warm mist, too.
So after two nights of use, the cool mist clearance model we found at Target started smelling funny. Not bad funny, and not quite burning funny. It was more of that smoldering smell that electronics sometimes get funny. Which is to say that even if it doesn’t cause a fire, it’s likely to break soon. So back to Target I went.
But before buying another model, I pulled Google into the mix. Please be aware that if you should search on humidifiers vs. vaporizers, you’ll get a lot of hits on products for keeping your contraband moist. If you make it past those, you’ll find that generally speaking, there is little to no difference between the two products – except for that burning issue.
While I don’t want to seem callous, it occurs to me that a child who happens to learn this lesson the hard way will not be likely to have to learn it again. And our children are generally intelligent enough to at least not burn themselves severely even when they do test our advice. If you have very small children, however, you may want to keep this in mind. Close to the unit, the mist is hot. Try it yourself if you need convincing.
So with all that in mind, here’s my own opinion on the matter: Vaporizers are cheap. Ten bucks at Wal-Mart. Humidifiers aren’t. Water that is boiled is unlikely to harbor any bacteria of any sort. Warm air to me seems to hold water better than cold air. Normally I find warmer air to be more soothing than cold air. There are no moving parts on most vaporizers, as they just have a little heating element to do the boiling.
You’ll also not find a filter on the ten dollar model from Wal-Mart, for the aforementioned reason of not having any bacteria in the mist. And finally, because of the vaporizing action, you can add menthol or a similar additive to the warm mist to help even further. Guess which product we use now? And hey – someone else even agrees!
Comments
109 responses to “Humidifier or Vaporizer?”
WARNING: Do NOT keep eucalyptus oil in plastic containers. Do NOT keep it in the medicine cup on your vaporizer, which is plastic. Eucalyptus oil can melt plastic – this has happened to me. Don’t add too much to the water – remember it is highly flammable – it can damage the heating unit of the vaporizer. It is safer in a glass bottle diffuser.
Tip: Just add “one drop” of eucalyptus oil to the water – it will be mild and pleasant. You can add more if needed. Or you can use a diffuser instead of adding oil to the water. You can easily make you own diffuser by using a small glass bottle, add few drops of the oil and cover the mouth with cotton ball, and leave it on the nightstand. Few drops will be enough for “many days” of aromatherapy. Little goes a long way. Don’t have to waste money on Vicks and other products; most all contain eucalyptus and/or camphor/menthol anyway. NOTE: It is toxic and highly flammable – handle with care.
Hi Elizabeth –
Thanks for the note! If you don’t happen to have a Wal-Mart nearby (and who doesn’t), you can get it online.
I have been using a vaporizer for my daughter when she’s sick ever since she was a baby. She is now 11 yrs. old and I would NEVER even think of changing to a cool mist. After a long hot shower, the warm, mentholyptus-smelling air not only helps loosen the congestion in her head and chest so she can get through the night, but it is just a comforting feeling to her in general-I know there are bunches of Mom’s out there that know exactly what i’m talking about! Beware though, I live in Florida and the last time I tried to purchase the liquid that goes into the vaporizer machines, I had to go to 3 stores before I finally found it. The store employee’s told me that they no longer were carrying the liquid because the vaporizers were not being made anymore and people were switching to humidifiers. I don’t know how accurate this info. is, but I do know that I finally had to drive to my local Walmart to find the liquid. I will definetly be stocking up on it and probably purchasing an extra vaporizer just in case! GOOD LUCK!!
Can somebody please tell me the best way to humidify a large high ceiling living room? I recently moved from FL to CT and am no expert on humidifiers. I see that everyone is recommending warm mist vaporizers but surely one of those can’t be used for my large room in which I have several musical instruments that should be kept in air that isn’t too dry. Many thanks!
Hi Cassie –
My wife works with scents when she creates lotions and soaps, and using a few drops in the water shouldn’t hurt anything – but keep in mind that Vick’s is some pretty powerful stuff. If you have to use enough to overpower the Vick’s it might not be a good idea!
I was wondering if you could put anything into the vaporizer to make the room smell good- I like the smell of lavendar and chammomile when I sleep- is there a way for the steam to be scented with lavendar or chammomile and not vicks cold medicine?
I use the vaporizer too, but it isnt enough to counter our central heating system’s drying effects, , so you know what, I just spray water on the carpet in my bedroom ! In the morning, the carpet is bone dry, my 2 year old baby is breathing well, and i dont have pins in my throat!
Oh, i also dry clothes in winter on a rack that I place right underneath the vents. The house smells nice , clothes dont get static. I live in an apartment with public coin operated dryers, so i am happy that i get to ensure hygeine as well as save money by avoiding them!
Glad I Googled! I’m planning on getting another vaporizer tonight (I already have two – one in each child’s room – now the grownups need one). I had a humidifier first and it was a mess. I set it on a dresser, but the wood got soaked, so I quickly moved it to the floor, but the floor got soaked. I ended up putting it on a plastic bag, on a towel, on the floor until I’d finally had it with soggy towels every day and the flaking white powder and the nasty orange *stuff* on the inside … threw it away. I’ve been using the same vaporizers ever since, descaling twice a year, cleaning as needed (the humidifier really should have been cleaned DAILY. C’mon peeps, I have three kids. Like I have time for that?) and they are wonderful!
None of my curious and peril-prone children have been burned from the mist, just FYI.
My BIGGEST and only problem with Cool Mist Humidifiers (I do have one) is that they leave the white mineral powder all over the place – And I am not buying 20 Gallons of distilled water a week to humidify my apartment with a clean mist humidifier.
Last year I read somewhere that the FDA or (whatever board governs this) does not have any conclusive evidence as to whether OR NOT the powder is harmful. It’s basically mineral from the water that is being jettisoned into the air during the ultrasonic vibrations that create the mist. You will especially notice this white powder around electronic LCD screens. After a few months, you will have a nice thick coating of white around things that have a static charge.
To me this is a bit scary…we have enough crap in the air of our homes without shooting more into it. I would never have one of these in my house if I had a baby. Warm mist vapourizers are the way to go. They may be a little more $ to operate due to the heating element, and not quite as safe around small hands but ultimately it’s pumping out CLEAN (bacteria and particulate) steam… Not just vibrating whatever junk is in the trunk so that it “jumps” into the air.
So…. burned fingers, or respiratory illness for life…. no brainer there – bring on the steam!