Protect your health by using humidifiers in dry air.

The cold wind blows, and we often talk about our skin being dry and our respiratory system being dry.

The reason I often say this is probably because of the dry indoor air.

Did you know that dry indoor air is a major cause of respiratory diseases?

The indoor temperature is appropriate at 18-21°C and the indoor humidity at 40%, but during this season, it is naturally lower than that.

Then we end up looking for a humidifier.

You need to properly maintain indoor humidity with a humidifier, but the important thing is... if indoor humidity exceeds 50%, it can promote the growth of living organisms, so caution is necessary.

Then, let's learn about how to manage humidifiers to maintain an appropriate indoor humidity level.

Protect your health by using and maintaining your humidifier properly.

 

 

Methods to maintain the proper indoor humidity during winter

Humidifier maintenance methods
Humidifiers help maintain the proper indoor humidity level and are effective in preventing respiratory illnesses, but if used improperly, they can be harmful to health, so it is important to keep a few precautions in mind.

Humidifier Maintenance Instructions
You must change the water at least once a day, and even if there is remaining water, it must be discarded.
Clean the humidifier at least once every 2 to 3 days.
When not using the humidifier, remove the water from the water tank and the vibrator part, then store it in a dry condition.

First, it is recommended to change the water used in humidifiers daily. Stagnant water in humidifiers can become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold, which can be released into the air as vapor, contaminating the environment and potentially causing people to inhale bacteria or mold along with the air. A common example is Legionella bacteria, which thrive in summer air conditioning systems and are also commonly found in humidifiers. When Legionella bacteria present in water droplets in the air enter the body through the respiratory system, they can cause symptoms similar to pneumonia, such as high fever and chills.

Therefore, when using a humidifier, water should be changed at least once a day, and even if water remains, it should be discarded. Ultrasonic humidifiers do not boil water when emitting vapor, so extra care should be taken regarding the cleanliness of the water used. It is safer to use cooled boiled water or purified water whenever possible.

When using a humidifier, caution should also be exercised with the use of humidifier disinfectants. In 2011, the main cause of the "unknown cause lung damage" that claimed the lives of pregnant women and infants before and after childbirth was identified as humidifier disinfectants (a substance added to water in humidifiers to prevent microbial growth and water scale formation). As a result, at the end of December of the same year, humidifier disinfectants were reclassified from general consumer products to medical devices.

However, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, there are currently no humidifier disinfectants officially approved as medical devices, so we should be cautious not to be misled by false or exaggerated advertising of products whose safety and efficacy have not been verified. It is also necessary to check whether the humidifier disinfectants in the home were purchased before the incident.