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How to clean a humidifier
By Tim Heffernan This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full blog on how to clean a humidifier here. Cleaning a humidifier is not hard. Below, we'll walk you through the steps. But far more important than how you clean your humidifier is that you clean it. If you had to design an ideal appliance for growing microbes—mold, bacteria, amoebae—you'd come up with something like a humidifier. Ample water? Check. Ample air? Check. Lots of surface area? Check. Easy to ignore? Check plus. The impact of microbial growth in humidifiers is so common that it has a name: humidifier lung. The condition is a so-called hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Humidifiers can harbor microbes and blow them or their excretions into your air, triggering an immunoresponse. In acute (sudden, severe) cases, humidifier lung can present symptoms akin to an asthmatic or allergic attack, as Wirecutter's Tim Barribeau and his now-wife discovered: "I woke up feeling like we were dying. We both had incredibly tight chests, where we couldn't get in enough air to breathe properly, accompanied by constant coughing fits and tunnel vision." In chronic cases (low-level, long-term, untreated), it can cause permanent scarring of lung tissue and reduced lung capacity. The risk of humidifier lung is especially high for infants and children, which is why we spoke with the American Academy of Pediatrics for—and emphasize regular cleaning in—our guide to humidifiers for babies. But adults, as Tim's case illustrates, are also vulnerable. And although humidifier manufacturers are aware of the risk too, and take steps to eliminate microbes such as installing UV bulbs and antimicrobial treatments, they also recommend regular cleaning; the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers says to do it weekly on every humidifier. Better to be doubly safe than twice sorry. Furthermore, adults are also vulnerable to ignoring the health risks of dirty humidifiers even when they're fully aware of them. I can attest to this: I long-term tested our upgrade humidifier pick for about four months in winter 2017–18, and I can recall cleaning it exactly once. I knew full well that weekly cleaning was recommended—I'm the goldang author of our humidifier guides! Luckily, I got away with it. But don't be like me. Clean your humidifier at least weekly. Here's how:
The best humidifier for a large room
By Tim Heffernan This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full large room humidifier guide here.
The best humidifier
By John Holecek and Tim Heffernan This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After more than 100 hours of research (including 80-plus hours of lab testing) over the past four years, the Honeywell HCM-350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier remains our pick as the best humidifier for most people. It's quiet, leakproof, effective, and energy-efficient, and it's the easiest model to fill and clean we've ever found.
The Blume cigar humidifier keeps tabs on your collection
When it comes to keeping cigars fresh in a small humidor, the options range from humdipacks to compact devices that measure and regulate humidity. If you forget to check on the packs or miss a low water or battery alarm, you could be throwing away the money you've invested in your smoking habit. Some of those units allow for optional accessories that add WiFi connectivity, but Cigar Zen has a more modern solution for maintaining a cigar collection. The company has developed Blume: a smart humidification device that connects to your phone to help you keep tabs on the storage space.
Dyson tackles the humidifier, kills water-based bacteria with UV light
In a launch presentation in Tokyo, Japan (apparently the company's favorite place for new product launches), Dyson tackled the surprisingly sketchy hygiene issues that come with more typical humidifiers. To prove how gosh-darn better Dyson's Hygienic Mist humidifier is, the company's microbiology team (which of course it has) incubated water with bacteria to see how a typical humidifier transmits that to a room. A selection of agar jelly plates grossly demonstrated how that bacteria spreads around a room. However, in an early comparison, with the same concentration of bacteria in the water, Dyson's test humidifier, with UV light cleansing the water, knocked out 99.9 percent of the bacteria -- the current model manages this in three minutes. The device launches in Japan in early November, priced at 60,000 yen (roughly a hefty $560) and we've got the rest of the engineering details after the break.
Feline-powered humidifier pales in comparison to Alice B. Toklas' catnip brownies
We know what you're thinking -- how can you combine the awesome power of electrical generation with the subtle charms of your housecat? The Wool Ball hybrid humidifier, designed by a certain Yuan Gu for the Chinese firm Yadu, gets its power from the playful swipes of your pet -- or from a wall socket, if your tabby is as lazy as ours. There's no telling when this one will make it to market, but sometimes gadgets are better in the abstract anyways.
USB anion humidifier soda can confirms you shouldn't be allowed to have a credit card
Worried that retailers might be running out of utter crap to sell? Been looking for that perfect accessory to go with your "You don't have to be crazy to work here, but it helps" sign? Enter the USB-powered, soda can-shaped anion humidifier. Not only will this magical and totally necessary device clean the air around you and re-energize your fat, lazy body, but it will look cool while doing it -- you know, just sitting there being all soda-can-badass. When you absolutely, positively can't find anything else to do with $24.99, the "Portable Can Shape USB Office Home Miniature Anion Humidifier" is there.[Thanks, Simon]
USB aroma humidifier keeps your cube fragrant, co-workers irritated
We're not entirely convinced you want your computer spewing moisture into the air, let alone "fragrance oils," but sometimes you gotta bring the tacky, and it's at that moment Brando will be there with the USB humidifier. Featuring ultrasonic vapor action and a high-tech blue LED, this .67-ounce humidifier probably won't have any effect on the surrounding air unless you add in those optional aroma oils, but let's face it -- you can probably dampen your pipes and makes things smell a good deal better by just taking a shower, Sparky.
