Humidifiers 101: What you need to know this winter

At this late stage of the pandemic, I’m all about minimizing risk in as many practical ways as possible. That’s why I decided that our house needed a new humidifier this year. Many experts say that the virus is more likely to transmit in dry, indoor air. And cold weather plus running the heat inside is a surefire way to dry out the air in your house and make it easier for viruses to transmit. (Here’s an article with quotes from infectious disease experts who explain why dry indoor air is more of a risk.)

I’m a big believer in doing my research any time I buy something that costs much more than twenty bucks. So I put in a good hour of reading reviews of home humidifiers before I bought a new one.

Click HERE to see a great comprehensive review of humidifiers as well as a FAQ section that explains the differences between warm mist and cool mist humidifiers and which one might be more appropriate for your house.

After reading the reviews on the site linked above and also Amazon reviews, I bought the Elechomes Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier at Amazon. 

(When I bought it, the price was $79.99 but prices can and do fluctuate this time of year.)

So far, I am LOVING it. I really like how it shows me exactly what percentage of humidity I have in the house. It’s also so very quiet that I can forget that it’s running at all.

When it comes to humidity, you need to be like Goldilocks. You don’t want too much or too little. It really does need to be “just right.” The ideal range for indoor humidity is between 30 to 50 percent.

Hope this info helps you if you’re considering using a humidifier this winter!