Is there a Humidifier that does not Mold?
Certain humidifiers do not mold because they are made with special technology that prevents mold and bacteria development inside them. Humidifiers that do not mold can be divided into two subtypes.
This division is based on the method used to avoid bacteria and mold from growing inside the humidifier.
Humidifiers that use UV light
Some humidifiers are designed with a special UV light that is beamed inside the components. The UV light destroys the DNA of cells of bacteria, mold, and mildews. Therefore, the UV light’s continued beaming prevents mold, bacteria, and mildew from growing inside such humidifiers.
Humidifiers that have germicide
Germicides are chemicals that interfere with the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew. Germicides work by killing off the cells that need to multiply rapidly for mold and mildew to grow in damp conditions.
For humidifiers that use germicides, the chemical is applied inside the plastic compartment. It remains active for as long as the humidifier is in use. Thus, such humidifiers remain completely mold-free during their lifetime.
How do I Know if my Humidifier has Mold?
You will know if your humidifier has mold by either experiencing or observing others’ development of a condition called ‘humidifier lung.’
This condition occurs when people breathe air that is contaminated with spores of molds and bacteria. The small particles of the spores get into the body of people through the nasal cavity.
Here are a few noticeable symptoms of the condition. When you either experience or observe them in others, it means that your humidifier has mold.
- Mild to moderate fever
- Dry cough
- Fatigue and difficulty in breathing
- General aches in the body
Alternatively, humidifier with a different unpleasant smell could signal the presence of mold. Spores of molds have a distinctively pungent smell even when they are dead.
If there are molds in your humidifier, small particles of molds and spores pass to the air together with the moisture. The particles cause a distinctive smell in the room.
What Happens if you Use a Moldy Humidifier?
Several unpleasant things can happen if you use a humidifier with mold, mildew, and bacteria growing inside.
Here is a brief explanation of how the effects of using a humidifier that has mold unfold and what it means for your health and general comfort.
Foul Odors in the Air
Molds and bacteria usually grow in water that has been stagnant for some time. When they inhabit the internal components of your humidifier, they spread spores across the entire device.
The spores of molds find their way into the air as the humidifier dissipates moisture. The spores have a naturally pungent smell. When they get discharged into the house’s atmosphere with the moisture, you will undoubtedly start to smell the foul odor in the entire house.
Sickness
The spores of molds can cause a range of unpleasant health conditions. Primarily, when people breathe air that is full of spores, their air passages get irritated.
The irritation leads to coughing, congestion, and general discomfort. You do not want your children to get sick because of breathing spores-laden air from your poorly maintained humidifier.
Damages to the Humidifier
If the molds and spores find their way to the filter of your humidifier, they accumulate around this delicate component. With time, the accumulation of mildew and spores on the filter interferes with how the device functions. You will end up either replacing the filter or the entire device sooner than later if molds invade the filter.
How do I Make my Humidifier Mold-Free?
Making and keeping your humidifier free of molds can help you realize all the benefits of having a humidifier in the home. Because mold growth is one of the biggest problems associated with using a humidifier, you must ensure that spores of molds do not thrive inside your device.
Here are a few things that you can do to make your humidifier mold-free.
Replace the water in the tank daily
It is common for some water to remain in the water tank even if you let the humidifier run the whole day. Stagnant and stale water is the perfect breeding ground for spores of molds and bacteria.
To prevent the growth of spores in your humidifier, empty its water tank every day. Replace the stagnant water with fresh water before re-plugging your humidifier into the wall socket and running it.
Carry out routine cleaning
Regular cleaning of your humidifier helps to keep the mold and mildews at bay. Regular cleaning of the humidifier should be a long process.
You only need to clean the visible parts and check that everything is working well. Sticking to this simple procedure is vital for ensuring that your humidifier is free of mold.
Deep-clean the humidifier every week
Deep cleaning your humidifier entails disassembling it and thoroughly washing every part before reassembling it. The in-depth cleaning process gives you the chance to remove all the dirt and other particles that usually accumulate in humidifiers’ internal components.
This, in turn, prevents the growth of mold, mildews, and bacteria in your device.
Does Vinegar Kill Mold in Humidifiers?
Vinegar does not kill mold in humidifiers. Vinegar is used to remove the deposits of minerals that often accumulate inside the humidifier.
The mineral deposits accumulate if one uses hard water in the humidifier. It is always advisable to use demineralized water in your humidifier to prevent the accumulation of sediments.
The use of a mixture of vinegar and water in equal amounts helps one clean the humidifier’s internal components thoroughly. The mix of vinegar and water forces the deposits to come off the surface of your humidifier’s internal components.
You can then use a soft-bristled brush to remove the dirty mixture of vinegar, water, and mineral deposits.
How to Clean a Humidifier
Routine cleaning of your humidifier should be an easy process. However, some humidifiers have intricate designs that may make the standard cleaning process a herculean task.
For such humidifiers, disassembling and reassembling their components often takes a long time. Nevertheless, the steps of conducting routine cleaning of your humidifier are as follows.
- Turn off the humidifier and unplug it from the wall socket. This is a safety measure to ensure that you can freely and safely clean your humidifier’s inside parts.
- Empty the water tank. In most cases, humidifiers will have excess water in their tanks at the end of every day. It is advisable to empty the water every day and replace it with fresh water. This habit helps to prevent the growth of molds, which thrive in stagnant water. Before cleaning your humidifier, ensure that the water tank is drained of all excess water.
- Disassemble the humidifier. This step entails unlatching all the components of the humidifier. How quickly you can disassemble a humidifier depends on the design of the device. Devices with simple designs can be disassembled quicker than those with intricate designs.
- Disinfect your humidifier. Use a mixture of bleach water in the following ratio: one gallon of water (3.8 liters) with one teaspoon of bleach. You can use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach. Pour the mixture into the humidifier and swirl it so that the mixture reaches all your humidifier’s internal surfaces. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- Use a mixture of water and vinegar to remove mineral deposits. Fill up the tank with warm water and a small amount of vinegar. Let the mixture rest for about 30 minutes again. Pour it and use your cleaning brush to remove deposits from all corners of the tank.
- Rinsing and drying. Rinse all the components if you need to so that they are immaculate. Spread them out on towels so that they can dry properly. You can then reassemble your humidifier and prepare to use it again.
Best Mold Free Humidifier
1. Pure Guardian H4810AR Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier
The Pure Guardian H4810AR can be the ideal humidifier if you are looking for a powerful and highly functional device. It dissipates both cool and warm moisture; therefore, you can use it to help relieve the flu symptoms and keep the air in your house perfectly humidified.
The humidifier uses special germ protection technology to prevent the growth of molds on its surface. Thus, you do not have to worry about continually fighting the mildew’s growth in your humidifier when using this device.
It has excellent additions, including the essential oils tray. You can use the tray to add special aromas to scent your room. Alternatively, you can add some oils to the tray to help relieve the cold and flu symptoms.
Although the three-speed settings feature enables users to personalize the humidifier’s performance, this procedure may not be easy. The control panel of this humidifier has four buttons that are close to each other. It is easy for anyone to erroneously press the wrong button or get confused with the settings.
Pros
- Easy maintenance because it does not have a filter
- Great additions, including the essential oils tray for aromatherapy
- Ideal for use in large rooms that measure 600 square feet
Cons
- The many settings on the control panel can be confusing
2. Honeywell HCM350W Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier
The Honeywell HCM350W is a small but powerful humidifier designed to humidify the air in small to medium-sized rooms effectively. It has a 3.8-liter water tank and a 24-hour run time.
Thus, if you let this humidifier run nonstop, you will have to replace the water in its tank every day. The good news is that refilling humidifier water tank is a breeze. You need only to refill it using your water supply.
There is no need to worry about the molds’ problem because the tank has UV light-based technology that is used to kill up to 99.9 percent of bacteria in the water.
This humidifier uses evaporative technology to dissipate moisture in the air. The moisture evaporates and spreads rapidly within the room after it is blown across a wicking filter.
Thanks to this technology, the humidifier automatically maintains the humidity percentage of the room’s air within the recommended range of 40% to 60%.
Pros
- Effective humidification performance using evaporative technology
- Its 3.8-liter water tank and 24-hour runtime are ideal for small to medium-sized rooms
- Easy to refill the tank and operate the humidifier
Cons
- Heavy maintenance involving occasionally replacing the filter
- The humidifier releases cool mist only
3. Pure Guardian H5450BCA Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier
The Pure Guardian H5450BCA is an elegantly designed and versatile humidifier ideal for small-sized rooms, including bedrooms, study rooms, and children’s rooms.
It has a large transparent top that is supported by a sturdy black base. When placed prominently on flat surfaces, it can provide great aesthetic value in the room.
This humidifier is perfect for use whenever you need a cool or warm mist. You may have to switch to the warm mist mode if someone has a cold or flu. The warm mist helps to relieve the symptoms of colds and flu so that people can sleep well.
Switching from the cool mist to the warm mist mode is a straightforward process. Additionally, changing any mode of operation of this humidifier is easy.
This is because the humidifier has very few controls that are correctly positioned. You can use the large knob to adjust its performance according to your preferences.
Sadly, the Pure Guardian H5450BCA is limited to small-sized rooms that do not exceed 400 square feet. This is the case even though the humidifier has a sizeable 7-liter water tank and a 100-hour runtime.
Pros
- Delivers cool and warm mist
- Easy to operate because of a few and perfectly positioned controls
- It has an aromatherapy tray for creating a relaxing and healing atmosphere at home
Cons
- It is limited for use in small-sized rooms
4. YBZS Smart Sterilization Humidifier
The YBZS Smart Sterilization Humidifier is an elegantly designed and easy-to-use humidifier for small to medium-sized rooms.
Thanks to its compact design, you can move it from one room to another and conveniently refill the water tank. You do not have to dissociate the water tank from the humidifier’s base when you are refilling it.
One of the most amazing features of this humidifier relates to control options. You have three ways of controlling it: manual, remote, and smart. The humidifier has very few control buttons on its surface that one can use to change its operations.
The remote control fits perfectly into your palm, thus helping you change the performance of your humidifier. Lastly, you can use the MiHome app to control the humidifier from the comfort of your seat or bed using your phone.
The only notable weakness of this humidifier is that it is slightly noisy. You are likely to find the sound that it produces distracting if you use it in the bedroom or any other room where absolute silence is necessary.
Pros
- Convenient design that allows you to add water quickly
- The compact shape makes the humidifier highly portable
- It has three control options: manual, remote, and smart
- It automatically adjusts its performance to the air conditions in the room
Cons
- The humidifier is slightly noisy
5. Ovente Ultrasonic Home Water Cool Air Mist Machine
The Ovente HMD625BL humidifier may be the right choice for you if you are looking for a small humidifier for bedrooms or children’s rooms. It has an elegant design that can enhance the bedroom’s look if the humidifier is positioned where it is quite visible.
Moreover, its compact design makes it easy for one to move the humidifier around and store it. You do not need a lot of space to keep this device safe when you do not use it. Similarly, carrying it around the house requires minimal effort.
The Ovente HMD625BL has one large knob for adjusting the humidity level. One can choose the ideal level of humidification by merely turning the knob to the desired level. Thus, controlling this humidifier and personalizing its performance is a straightforward procedure.
Being an ultrasonic humidifier, the Ovente HMD625BL operates silently. The humidifier emits a noise that does not exceed 30dB. You will find it comfortable to place this humidifier in the bed side because of this feature.
Pros
- Its compact design allows for easy portability and storage
- Easy control using the moisture control knob
- The simple design allows for quick and effective cleaning
- The humidifier is relatively silent when operating
Cons
- The humidifier has a relatively small water tank that can hold only 2.5 liters
6. Air-O-Swiss 7147 Ultrasonic Humidifier
If you are looking for a large and powerful humidifier that dissipates cool and warm mist, you should consider the Air-O-Swiss 7147. Its large water tank can accommodate 11 liters and support the humidifier for up to 24 hours.
Moreover, this humidifier’s high output can be a great addition if you need to humidify the air in large rooms, including living rooms and bedrooms. However, moving this humidifier from one room to another may be a big issue. It large and bulky; thus, you will have to struggle to carry it around the house.
You can use the programmable hygrostat to ensure the humidifier runs according to your needs. The hygrostat automatically senses the air’s relative humidity needs and adjusts the humidifier’s performance accordingly.
Pros
- High output is perfect for large rooms that measure about 600 square feet
- Dissipates warm and cool mist
- It has an auto mode for easy operation and personalization
Cons
- It is cumbersome to carry it around the house