I’ve been thinking of getting a humidifier for my home, but I wasn’t 100% certain of what they did and how I would benefit from one? If you’re feeling the same way as me – ‘You’ve heard it’s good to have one, but you aren’t 100% sure why’ then you absolutely have to read this Q&A with Solenco who helped me answer all my questions on this topic.
What is a humidifier?
A humidifier adds moisture to the air to prevent dryness that can cause irritation to you and your family. Humidifiers are effective for treating dryness of your skin, nose, throat, and lips. Additionally, they can ease some of the symptoms caused by the flu or common cold. However, overusing your humidifier could potentially worsen respiratory problems and thus careful control is needed. The Stylies Alaze is an evaporative humidifier that comes with a hygrostat which will allow you to set the desired humidity level and will therefore not over humidify.
What does a humidifier do?
A humidifer add moisture or humidity to the air which acts as a natural moisturising agent that helps in relieving dryness. For this reason, humidifiers are often used for relieving:
- dry skin
- sinus congestion/headache
- dry throat
- nose irritation
- bloody noses
- irritated vocal cords
- dry cough
- cracked lips
You may be susceptible to these discomforts when the air in your home is dry. This is especially common during winter months on the Highveld or Summer in the Western and Eastern Cape in South Africa.
What are the pros and cons of humidifiers?
The big advantage of an evaporator is that the humidity level is reached automatically, and over-humidification is not possible because saturated air cannot absorb more water. Furthermore, evaporator systems consume little power and work very efficiently. The Stylies Alaze has recently won with the DtGV Seal of Approval from the German Consumer watchdog due to its ability to humidify very effectively at such a low energy rating.
Should you use a humidifier when you use a heater to keep moisture in the air?
Yes, if you are using gas heaters as these tend to dry out the air.
How does a humidifier work?
Humidifiers are household appliances that emit water vapor, moisture, or steam to increase moisture levels in the air (humidity) in your home or office. There are a number of different types, including:
- Ultrasonic humidifiers produce a cool or hot mist using an ultrasonic vibration which releases the mist into the air
- Evaporators use a fan to blow air through a wet wick, filter, or belt which is how the Stylies Alaze humidifiers the air.
- Steam vaporizers use electricity to create steam that cools before leaving the machine. Avoid this type of humidifier if you have children; hot water inside this type of humidifier may cause burns if spilled.
Can you put essential oils in a humidifier?
Not in our unit, as our humidifier is an evaporative humidifier, essential oils can only be used in ultrasonic humidifiers.
These questions were supplied by ‘it’s a Sher thing’ and answered by Solenco. For more information on what other devices they offer, please visit their website on https://www.solencosa.co.za/collections/humidifiers-home
