Humidifier & Vaporizer Dangers

Now that the Winter season is here, a humidifier or vaporizer could come in handy.  Both are often used to relieve congestion.  But, how safe are they?

According to my daughter's pediatrician, harmful mold could be lurking inside your humidifier and vaporizer which could be harmful.

Princess with her pediatrician

Like most babies her age, Princess has been dealing with congestion from teething.  The doctor advises that I should use steam to loosen the mucus.  The cool mist humidifier that my own doctor recommends for me seems to help.  But, I remember someone mentioning that a vaporizer may work even better.  The machine heats water and produces hot steam which should help with her stuffy nose.

I've been using this vaporizer without knowing about hidden dangers that could affect my baby girl.  The pediatrician tells me that mold will eventually form inside the machine which could aerosolize and cause respiratory distress like wheezing.  As she's saying all this, I am completely dumb founded.  So many people use these products!

She also adds that the moisture from them may also get into curtains and the carpet in her room.  In addition, there could be water damage in wooden furniture.  We are fortunate that there hasn't been any damage to the decor.  But, all this information is a lot for me to swallow because I've been using a vaporizer for the last few months.  Thank goodness Princess is ok!

While it's important to clean our vaporizer after every use, there's no way to get to every nook and cranny.  Mold eventually builds up no matter how much you clean it out.  I always go through the container with a fine tooth comb, and change the water every day.  However in order for me to clear away all the mold from the filter, I would have to take the darn thing apart.  The instruction manual advises not to tamper with it, so that's out of the question.  Besides, who has time for all than anyway?

If you look closely, you can see mold in the filter

Instead of using a humidifier or vaporizer, the pediatrician says that the steam from a hot shower should do the trick in clearing up congestion.  So if you have either of the two, your best bet would be to toss it in the trash or get a refund.

Weather Anchor Mama