...so when you snooze, you don't lose.
Nostrils got you down? From allergies to dry skin to blocked nasal passages, a humidifier can provide you with some breathing relief while you sleep. There are SO many choices out there, though, including warm-mist humidifiers and cool-mist humidifiers. Don't have the time or patience right now to sift through every type of humidifier and user review? That's fine because I've done it for you!
You can't go wrong with this humidifier for your bedroom or another room in the house: Honeywell HCM350W Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier. It comes in white or black, and here's the bundle that includes the humidifier, as well as an extra filter and filter cleaner.
A Few Things to Know About Humidifiers in General
- Is cool mist better than warm mist? They do the same thing: ease the symptoms of a cold or allergies and symptoms that come with dry indoor air, such as irritated throats, bloody noses and parched skin. But cool mist is the safer option for households with kids, rambunctious pets or clumsy adults since the warm-mist humidifiers have boiling hot water inside when in use.
- Cleaning is key. No matter which humidifier you use, frequent cleaning every three days or so is a good practice. Keeping it clean is essential to prevent mold and mineral buildup, which could be dispersed in the air via its vapor and have a negative effect on allergies and more. When it's not in use, empty the water and dry all the parts.
- Use filtered or distilled water. Tap water has a higher mineral content, and using filtered or distilled (the best option) water will prolong the filter's life.
- Do not use essential oils with it. This is not your essential oil diffuser! (Get one separately here.) Oils can damage a humidifier.
What's Great About This Cool-Mist Humidifier
For starters, the Honeywell Cool Mist Germ Free Humidifier is easy to fill, carry, use and clean. There are some cuter and smaller droplet-shaped or animal-shaped (for kids) humidifiers out there, but what good is that when you have to clean a bunch of tiny parts or have to refill the humidifier over and over? Forget it! The Honeywell is a fairly large machine at around 10-by-18-by-13 inches, which allows it to run for about 24 hours on the low speed setting (there are three speeds to adjust the moisture level you prefer). More positives:
- It's pretty quiet, but do expect some white noise, especially on the high setting.
- Unlike humidifiers that don't use filters, it doesn't put out any "white dust" from water impurities into the room.
- The filter (Honeywell Replacement Wicking Filter model HAC504) is treated with an antimicrobial that the company says inhibits up to 99.99% of mold growth on the filter.
To note, you will never actually see mist coming out of the humidifier. It will be transparent. And the air won't feel humid...like you're not going to feel as though you're in Costa Rica all of a sudden...but you should feel better.
Hope this helps you breathe deeply and sleep well!
Speaking of breathing deeply, have you started detoxifying your home yet? Here's your Starter Guide to Detoxing Your Home.