Last Updated on March 25, 2024
It is absolutely tiring when you have to breathe in stale and dry air during the colder parts of the year. People turn toward humidifiers to fight such issues.
But does a humidifier clean the air as well?
You’d be surprised to know that these machines can do more than just add moisture to the air. As a matter of fact, some of them have been designed to clean up the air properly.
Humidifiers have the ability to –
- Improve indoor air quality
- Reduce pollutants, allergens, and even virus
Stick with us to know how a humidifier can do more than add humidity to your surroundings.
What Is a Humidifier?
There are times when you wake up and find your skin to be all dry and cracked up, and your throat is as dry and scratchy as the Saharan desert. That is the time that you should really consider including a humidifier in your vicinity.
But what exactly is it?
In simple words, a humidifier is a machine that adds humidity or moisture to the air around it. The mechanism of it is basically using water from a tank and spritzing it into the air. Here, the water comes out in the form of either steam or mist.
You can get different kinds of humidifiers as they come in different shapes and sizes. There are small portable ones and there are also large ones. You can also install humidifiers that have a whole house system.
In the market, you will see that there are evaporative, ultrasonic and steam humidifiers. The type of humidifier that you want to get is up to your needs.
One important thing that you should always do is to take proper care of your humidifier, otherwise there is a risk of the growth of bacteria and mold.
What Does a Humidifier Do?
Keep in mind that humidifiers are a great addition to your household as they can help you in more than one way. These are a few key points about these devices:
- They can come in aid in alleviating dry eyes, dry skin, and any other problems associated with low humidity.
- Humidifiers come in handy during winter periods as indoor heating systems really dry out the air.
- Static electricity in the air is reduced by them.
- Humidifiers are a blessing for those with allergy problems as they can clear up allergens and pollutants too.
- The device can also eliminate viruses from the air.
Does a Humidifier Clean the Air?
The answer is a yes and a no. There are some humidifiers that have been designed to do so, but not all possess this capability.
Humidifiers that were made to clean the air usually have a filtration system installed in them that eliminates impurities from the water before they are sprayed into the air.
Because of these filters, mold, bacteria, and other particles get removed from the water. Therefore, the overall air quality of your house will see an improvement.
Besides that, these devices help to decrease the amount of dust, allergens, and even pet dander in the air by making sure that they are not airborne.
Dry air causes these particles to become airborne and eventually causes issues for people that have allergies or respiratory problems.
When moisture gets added to the air by the machine, the particles get weighed down and hence, the probability of them getting inhaled becomes less likely.
You should also know there are humidifiers that have UV-C light installed in them that kills bacteria and germs in the water. All in all, this would lead to the air in your home being cleaner and safer to breathe.
Conclusion
To sum it up, while not all the humidifiers in the market can clean the air, there are ones that can actually help to improve indoor air quality by removing impurities, pollutants, and allergens to a limited extent.
If you want to make the most out of your device, it is crucial to pick the right kind of model that can clean the air. Just maintain the machine after buying if you do not want it to be a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.
