Home » Baby Bargains Blog » Reviews » More gear!» Humidifiers We always know when its wintertime here at the ranch in Colorado—the furnace kicks in and everyone’s skin dries out quicker than you can say Palm Desert.Hence, humidifiers are a way of life here.But even if you live in a moist climate, running a humidifier in your baby’s room in the winter can keep throats, nasal passages and skin from drying out—and make everyone happier.Top Rated Products Baby MonitorsBedding & BathCar SeatsChild CarriersFeeding BabyMore gear!NurseryStrollers & More Recommended Buying Advice Brand Reviews Here’s the 411 on buying a humidifier.First, there are two basic types of humidifiers: 1 EVAPORATIVE HUMIDIFIERS.Water is soaked into a wick and then a fan blows the moisture out.While these are affordable, they can be rather noisy (the fan) and you have to replace the filters regularly.Sound waves disperse the mois- ture, so there’s no fan—hence these humidifiers are quieter.

The downside: sometime these humidifiers leave a coating of white dust on furniture.There’s also one more choice to make when it comes to humidifiers: warm or cool mist.Like the name implies, warm mist humidifiers use a heating element to warm the water.While that might sound appealing if you live in a cold climate, we do NOT recommend these humidifiers for baby’s room.That’s because warm mist humidifiers can overheat the room—and that is a risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.Also: the warm mist coming out of the humidifier can cause a scalding injury if touched by a wayward toddler.Some quick additional points: • CONSIDER ROOM SIZE.Humidifiers are rated by gallon output and most will tell you the size room they cover—match this to the size room your baby is in.You don’t need a giant humidifier for most bedrooms.• CLEAN IT REGULARLY.Humidifiers have detailed cleaning instructions—follow these!If not, you risk mold or mildew build-up in the unit or shortening the life of the humidifier.

A humidistat works like a thermostat, setting the humidity at a certain level and turning on or off the humidifier until it reaches that level.This is a nice feature, but not completely necessary.CONSIDER A WHOLE-HOUSE HUMIDIFIER.If you are planning to do any HVAC work on your home, consider installing a whole-house humidifier.These automatically kick in when your furnace runs (or can be controlled by a thermostat).Since they are permanently installed and plumbed to a water line, you never have to refill the humidifier.You do have to change the filter and clean out the drip pan, but that’s just once a year.FYI: Honeywell makes a whole house steam humidifier which is excellent.• SKIP THE VAPORIZER.A vaporizer is a humidifier that lets you disperse medication in your child’s room.Generally, this is NOT recommended—that’s because pediatricians rarely prescribe medication that needs to be vaporized these days.Click on the Recommendedn tab above to read reviews of our top picks.BB Rating What's This?

A A EXCELLENT-our top pick!B GOOD-above average quality, prices, and creativity.vicks vaporizer on specialC FAIR-could stand some improvement.vapor stores near 75038Could stand some major improvement.best vape tank for flavorAppointments at Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations.anvanda vaporizerWhen should I use a cool-mist humidifier versus a warm-mist humidifier for a child with a cold?e cigarette clicks

Answers from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.For their safety, always use cool-mist humidifiers for children.vape shop 46227Hot water or steam from a warm-mist humidifier or steam vaporizer can burn a child if he or she gets too close.cheap dry herb vaporizer pensIn the event of a spill, hot water might also burn.pen pal vape pen reviewHumidifiers add moisture to the air, which may help ease coughing and congestion due to a cold.d&w dry herb vaporizer starter kit with oil attachment reviewsWarm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers are equally effective in humidifying the air.By the time the water vapor reaches your child's lower airways, it's the same temperature regardless of whether it started out warm or cool.

If you use a humidifier, be sure to keep it clean to prevent mineral buildup and the growth of bacteria and molds.Humidifiers that hold standing water, particularly cool-mist humidifiers, can disperse these materials into the air.Warm-mist humidifiers generally disperse less, if any, of these materials into the air.Emptying the tank and drying all surfaces of the humidifier daily is one way to safely keep it clean.Also, consider refilling the tank with bottled water that is labeled "distilled" or "purified," both of which contain lower mineral content than most tap water.With Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.Vicks VapoRub: An effective nasal decongestant?Flu germs: How long can they live outside the body?ShareTweet References Tobin MJ, et al.In: Principles and Practice of Mechanical Ventilation.Pappas DE, et al.The common cold in children: Treatment and prevention.Use and care of home humidifiers.See more Expert Answers Advertisement Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.