Dry air in your home? You might need a humidifier

Cold weather combined with running furnaces can lead to dry air in your home. Pat Foran investigates the pros and cons of humidifiers for Consumer Alert.

The cold snap in Ontario this week had many furnaces working overtime and you may have noticed the air in your home is dry and maybe even a bit uncomfortable.

A humidifier can help with that.

It can also help you have better skin, better sleep and overall better health, but if you use one, you have to keep it clean or it could spread germs and bacteria.

While humidifiers cannot prevent colds and or the flu, they can go a long way in helping your body fight off those nasty infections by keeping the air moist in your home.

At Consumer Reports' test labs, researchers use a climate-controlled chamber where they run humidifiers overnight to track how many gallons of water each emits.

Ideally, you want a relative humidity between 30 and 50 per cent.

After many hours of testing, researchers recommend the Vicks VUL525C Mini Filter Free Ultrasonic Cool Mist, which retails for about $53.

Tobie Stanger with Consumer Reports says when it comes to humidifiers, it’s important to keep them clean and in tip-top shape.

“It’s really important to keep your humidifier clean because you don’t want a buildup of gunk inside that can spread microbes through the air and possibly get you sick,” said Stanger.

To keep your humidifier fresh, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, which typically include daily and weekly maintenance.

If you have kids in the house, it’s recommended to follow this advice.

“In a nursery or child’s room, you want to ensure things are safe, so Consumer Reports recommends you get a cool mist humidifier. A warm mist humidifier which heats water has the potential to scald if there’s an accident,” said Stanger.

For kids, testers recommend the Honeywell Designer Series Cool Mist Humidifier HUL430BC, which is easy to clean and use. Bonuses include no wick, cartridge, or filter that needs to be replaced. It sells for around $100.

Humidifiers tend to work best if you position it on a flat surface and raised at least two feet above the floor. This allows for more moisture to dissipate into the air.

As mentioned, you want the relative humidity in your home to be between 30 and 50 per cent and an easy way to measure humidity is with a hygrometer. You can buy one at most hardware stores or online for about $10 to $20.