My son is 5 months old and we were told to get him a humidifier way back in our infant care class. I think he could really benefit from one. Which was best or is best for you and your wee one? Warm, not warm...built in filter, removable filter?
Thanks
I love our cool mist removeable filter humidifier. It was the only one I know that didn't make a wet spot on the floor from the mist. I tried the ones w/a built in filter and it was hard to keep clean b/c I couldn't run water over any part of it and it was so darn heavy. The removeable filter allowed me to rinse most of the humidifier under running water.
It was suggested to us that a cool mist is safer than a warm mist, so we have a Vicks cool mist humidifier. It is about 6 years old now, and was given to us used by family, and we do not like that it puts out a lot of water in the mist, but it does the job, so we still use it. The only thing I would add is that the room gets considerably cooler with the cool mist humidifier, so you have to dress the baby warmer than you usually would!
We have humidifiers in all the bedrooms of my house. We need them to help with stuffiness in the winter and use them the rest of the year as white noise.
I would NOT get a warm one. It is not reccommended any more. Plus, the steam that comes out of it is really hot. As baby grows, you don't want to have to worry about him getting burned by the steam.
I have a removable filter one. The filters are 5 bucks at walmart and I replace every month or so.
* I put my humidifier in a throw away aluminum roasting pan, that way if we put it on wrong and it leaks, that catches any water that comes out. It is a Reli)on brand.
Whichever one... MAKE SURE that the filter is easily removable so you can clean it or replace it 1-2x per week. Those filters are breeding grounds for bacteria and molds, and cause TONS of lung infections and sinus infections
I think I've used every type out there at one time or another.
When our son was young we did cool mist.
I hated the untrasonic one because we used tap water and ended up with a mineral dust on everything.
We tried humidifiers with various filters - minerals build up - it depends again on how hard your water is.
Right now we have a warm mist humidifier and I love it.
Ok, mostly I love it because I can now use it with water from our reverse osmosis filter and no mineral build up is wonderful!
You need to keep the water reservoir clean - anything with sitting water in it will get moldy over time.
Let it dry out completely when you are not using it.
If there is a mineral build up, let it soak in vinegar for awhile before scrubbing it out.
Our pediatrician's nurse said that warm mist is best b/c it gets into their lungs better than cool mist ones, which is why I use one in winter. I have a Vicks warm mist. There is no filter. The heating area does get mineral build-up which I soak in vinegar weekly. I clean the water tank with bleach water every other week. The water tank holds enough for 2 nights so on the 2nd day when it's near empty, I empty everything and let it air out until that night when I refill. I used to have a cool mist one for myself and the filter was such a pain. After 2 or 3 years I couldn't even buy a replacement b/c they came out with a new model.
Cool mist for sure. The past few winters we have used the Walgreen's brand cool mist (no filter) and it does leave a little wet spot on the floor. I also empty it daily then refill with fresh water at night. Probably should do it more, but I wash with bleach about every 2 weeks. It's kind of a pain but it definitely helps baby sleep better and keeps their noses clear. Hugs to your little boy!
