Comfortable, moist air is naturally soothing to skin, beneficial for our health and is a boon for a home’s interior. Numerous additional environmental and personal benefits are connected with the presence of a home’s indoor humidifier. Take a look at the advantages of using a humidifier indoors.

What is a Humidifier?

First off, what is a humidifier? A humidifier is a system built to gently emit continuous water vapors or steam throughout a home with the goal to sustain adequate indoor air moisture levels, known as humidity.

A homeowner has several types of humidifiers from which to choose. Some humidifiers are high-tech and elaborate, while others are traditional enough to just do the job without fancy bells and whistles.

Central Humidifiers

Central humidifiers are devices built into a home’s heating and air conditioning systems. Generally, central humidifiers humidify an entire home. Central humidifiers are known to be more expensive, due to their overall reach within the home.

Rapidly rotating circular discs and cool mists are sent through a home via an impeller humidifier. The cost-effective impeller humidifier is safe to keep around children, because the risk of burns is eliminated. However, overuse can trigger allergies or asthma in some individuals.

Other Humidifiers

Ultrasonic humidifiers emit water mists along with ultrasonic vibrations.

Homeowners can purchase an evaporator to blow moist air through a filter. An evaporator can be used only in one room at a time.

A steam vaporizer does just what the name indicates: it releases steam, but through electricity. Steam vaporizers are portable and readily available at drugstores.

Experts indicate that an ideal level of indoor humidity is between 30 to 50 percent. Too low humidity causes problems, like dry skin or irritated sinuses and itchy eyes. Equally problematic is humidity that is too high. When a home’s moisture level is above the recommended percentage, condensation can form on the walls and lead to mold formations and dangerous bacterial growths. Plus, the environment within in a high-humidity home ends up feeling stuffy, which causes respiratory issues in vulnerable individuals.

The benefits of using a humidifier are incredibly diverse, from improving overall health of a home’s occupants to preserving the home’s interior.

Health Benefits Provided by Humidifiers

Homeowners who run humidifiers in their homes experience less colds and flus during the winter season. Viruses travel through dry air with strength and stamina, but moist air leaves viruses weakened. When your humidifier is set at an ideal level, you and your family are likely to avoid catching a virus in the cold months and recover faster if they do end up being sick.

Sinuses bathe in moisture, leaving your nose and throat feeling comfortable. But when the indoor temps are dry, your nose feels tight and dry, too. People even snore more when their throats and sinuses are dry. Leave a humidifier running throughout the night and day, and your sinuses will thank you for the hydration.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Like all bodily organs, skin needs hydration. Running a humidifier in your home gives your skin the moisture it needs to look vibrant, feel less dry, experience less flaking and be nourished enough to avoid hastened aging.

Those with asthma experience improvement when a humidifier runs, because the humidifier aids in breathing. The important fact to remember is that humidifiers must be kept clean to thwart the growth of mildew and mold—both of which trigger symptoms in asthma sufferers.

Environmental Advantages Humidifiers Offer

Moist air feels like warm air. When winter hits, homeowners can save on electric and heating bills by increasing the level of humidity inside the home. A hydrated environment feels warmer in winter.

Your houseplants thrive when humidity levels are high. In dry surroundings, like during winter, indoor plants tend to droop and wither, and the soil becomes parched. A humidifier that raises the indoor moisture levels will also benefit your plants.

Furniture is often made from wood, and wood needs moisture to prevent it from cracking or splitting. Your furnishings will benefit from a hydrated environment. You can manage the indoor moisture levels with a humidifier—and preserve the integrity of your home’s wooden furnishings.

Electric shocks tend to become more prevalent in dry air. Keep yourself and your loved ones from experiencing these tiny shocks of electricity by sustaining the indoor humidity level of your home via a humidifier.

Plus, wallpaper tends to peel slower when the indoor humidity is at an optimum level. Cracks in paint can also be prevented with the continual use of a humidifier.

Problems Caused by Humidifiers

When a humidifier is not cleaned regularly, the system can produce mold, which then travels throughout your home and spurs a multitude of associated health problems, from watery eyes to runny nose to coughs and congestion. Be sure to clean your humidifier weekly, change the filters regularly and use distilled water (regular water contains minerals that could build up in your humidifier, leaving bacterial growth behind).

Mold Removal

Mold spores are difficult to clean up. Tackling a do-it-yourself mold cleanup only spreads the mold spores, contaminating other parts of your home. If you detect mold, however significant or insignificant, contact a professional mold remediation service to clear out the mold from your home. Experts who handle mold spores can detect mold even when it is concealed behind wallpaper, underneath floorboards or beneath carpeting.

Mold makes its presence known through its musty odor and black splotches on walls, ceilings and floors. Mold growth is often found in dark, damp spaces, like in bathrooms and around drainpipes. As mentioned, humidifiers are no less susceptible to mold growth, if left uncleaned.

RestorationMaster is a trusted mold removal and remediation service company loyally serving residences and businesses in the St. Louis community. The company is certified for mold remediation and will restore your home to its pre-damaged condition. Once the mold is removed from your home by skilled technicians, like those from RestorationMaster, you’ll rest easy and experience greater indoor air quality.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.