Warm vs. Cold mist humidifiers

[luvmylittleboy2003]

Our air is so dry now that winter is here. I feel like I'm going to turn into dust . I want to buy a couple of cheap (like Vicks, etc...) to put in our bedroom and my sons bedroom. Can anyone tell me the difference between the two and a good, cheap brand you would recommend? Tia

 

[drakester]

I don't think it matters just be careful to keep them clean. They produce a lot of mold and blow them in the air. You might want to put just a dash of bleach in the H2O.

 

[Belle4mygrl]

If I am not mistaken, someone please correct me.

dry air doesn't have moisture (that is why get shocked) and warm air has moisture. So I say if you want to put moisture back in the air, use a warm air humidifier. Then again you are using water for both so I don't know. I hope others come along and give their knowledge because I need to use one and would like to know the best.

I am in KY too! we get shocked alot don't we.

 

[ajh88]

We've had both and I prefer the warm mist. The cool mist makes the house feel cooler and a little "clammy", IMHO. The down side is that the warm mist doesn't humidify as large of an area. I think mold/bacteria is more of a problem in cool mist humidifiers (but I could be mistaken).

If you just want to add some moisture to one room (like a bedroom for the evening), I'd go with the cheap-o $10 Vicks humidifier.

**Edited to clarify:
If you are sick (or your child is sick) you should use cool mist - it is easier to breathe.
Any time you add humidity to the air, you could cause mold in your house. I meant that mold may build up INSIDE the cool mist humdifier because of their design (I don't know about all of them, but some have a "wick" inside that may become moldy). If you are using an anti-fungal treatment, then hopefully that is less of a problem.
OTOH, warm mist humdifiers (vaporizers) are a bit more difficult to clean and can cause steam burns if you aren't careful.

We have both - a console type cool mist humidifier for the house and a warm mist vaporizer because that's what I prefer. I just feel like my house feels damp inside when we use the cool one but maybe that's just me.

 

[lindsmom]

I think mold/bacteria is more of a problem in cool mist humidifiers (but I could be mistaken).

We used to use a warm humidifier for DD, when she had colds as a baby. Her room is painted dark blue ceiling (like night sky). When she moved out into a bigger room, we noticed the dark spots of mold ALL OVER the ceiling. Even though we had the machine itself clean, the warm air produced quite a bit of mold on the ceiling and we didn't notice because of the color. Yeesh!

Yes, they work, but definitely look out for the mold.

 

[michellejed]

We use to use a humidifier but stopped 3 years ago when I started to use an old canning pot on my stove.

I have it set to low and only have it on when we are home and up, not at night.

No dry skin, no static, can use tap water.

Our house is about 1200 sq ft and it hasn't been a problem in any of the 3 bedrooms.

No matter what you use, don't let condensation form on the inside of your windows, you don't want mold.

 

[deedeecee]

I was told that the warm mist humidifiers were more likely to cause mold issues than the cool air mist humidifiers.
I switched to a cool mist humidifier.
We change the water daily when in use. No mold issues so far.

 

[becky7953]

I was told that the warm mist humidifiers were more likely to cause mold issues than the cool air mist humidifiers.
I switched to a cool mist humidifier.
We change the water daily when in use. No mold issues so far.

I too heard that about warm mist humidifiers. Also I was always told to use cold mist humidifiers in a childs room.

 

[luvmylittleboy2003]

Thanks for all great replies.
I will keep a look out for condensation on the windows, once we buy one. Thanks for the heads up!!

 

[LeslieG]

I seem to remember that my kids' doctor recommended to run a cool mist when they had colds.

 

[pednurse]

Cool mist is safer and more effective. You don't have to worry about burns from a warm-mist vaporizor. And the cool-mist humidifiers will cover a larger area for getting the humidity up. As long as you keep them clean and add a bacteriostat (look in the humidifier section...usually the same section where the furnace filters are....at the hardware stores) to them and keep them clean....and make sure you aren't overdoing it with the humidity, then you won't have a mold problem. We have a 2-story house and use a larger console-style humidifier to work for the entire house (you can also get a small, cheap humidity level indicator to make sure you keep the levels correct in the air) and haven't had any mold problems for the many years we've used it. Just have to remember to clean it & add the bacteriostat to it regularly. (And when the kids have had croup or bad colds.....we've added a small cool-mist humidifier to their rooms....the tabletop style....to add a bit more humidity for their comfort....the cool mist is best, especially for reducing the swelling in the throat for croup......just add an extra blanket to keep them warmer if you feel they are too cold). Hope this info helps!

 

[luvmylittleboy2003]

Do you use the Bacteriostat in a warm and cool humidifier or is it just for a cool one?

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

No matter what you use, don't let condensation form on the inside of your windows, you don't want mold.

Do you mean in between the panes? We have a lot of water in between our window panes. The glass has white film on it (on the inside of the two panes). Does this mean we have mold somewhere?

FWIW, we don't use a humidifier...don't need one. The air is humid enough without adding more water to it. We are in an apartment and so the windows technically don't belong to us, and the super KNOWS what they look like between the panes.

 

[pednurse]

Do you use the Bacteriostat in a warm and cool humidifier or is it just for a cool one?

We only use the cool mist so as far as I know the basteriostat is for the cool mist. I don't really know for the warm vaporizors....but the bottle of bacteriostat I have specifically states that it is for cool mist humidifiers only.