Maintaining optimal humidity in your home is critical for keeping comfort and well-being. As per the environmental protection Agency (EPA), the humidity level inside the house should be maintained within 30-50%. Dry air can make your surroundings uncomfortable, impact your health, and irritate your lungs and skin. A humidifier adds moisture to the air, making breathing easier and the indoor climate comfortable. Humidifiers help reduce airborne viruses and allergens, relieve dry skin and congestion, improve sleep quality, and keep you and your family healthy.
While a humidifier is an effective solution to tackle indoor humidity, the placement of a humidifier is as essential as the size and strength of the humidifier to keep it working effectively.
Factors to Consider While Placing the Humidifier
Objective – Understanding the primary goal of buying a humidifier will give you an idea of where to place your humidifier. Do you face humidity issues in all spaces in your house or particular areas? Are you facing breathing problems or want to help your baby sleep better? Zeroing on your primary aim will help you identify the location better. For example, if you want to improve the overall humidity level, the exact place where you place the humidifier is not so important; buy a portable humidifier and place it where you desire.
Airflow – Humidifiers require adequate airflow to distribute moisture to the air evenly. If there are restrictions to airflow, it will lead to excess moisture building up in a small space. It is ideal for keeping humidifiers away from doors and windows.
Room size – A large space such as a living room will require placement in a more central location to ensure that moisture is distributed evenly. Also, ensure that your humidifier is adequate for the size of the room that you want to humidify. If you employ a large humidifier in a small living room, the device will produce too much mist, creating a moist environment which can eventually lead to mold and mildew.
Type of Humidifier – Warm-mist humidifiers use boiling water to generate low-temperature mist. They’re ideal for wintertime and if you are suffering from allergies, colds, and congestion. Since they boil the water, they should be kept at a safe distance from your bed and out of reach of children and pets on a stable platform.
Cool mist humidifiers use an ultrasonic diaphragm to produce a super-fine mist at room temperature.
Evaporative humidifiers employ a mechanism where water evaporates (aided by a fan) with a particular setup intended to raise the humidity in a room.
Noise Level – Keep your humidifier in the corner of your room to prevent it from affecting your sleep and day-to-day life. Consider humidifiers with low-noise operation.
Humidifier Placement for Bedrooms
A good rule is to place the humidifier where the relative humidity level is below 30%. People tend to spend a lot of time in bedrooms. Humidifiers are often used in the bedrooms as they improve sleep quality. Using a humidifier in the bedroom will remove the dryness from the air and soothe your skin. Higher moisture will also help if you use night skincare products to nourish your skin.
The humidifier location in the bedroom depends on several factors, including the number of people sleeping in the room, room size, and your unit’s size. For optimal safety, place the humidifier close enough to your bed as the cooling effect will improve sleep quality, boost the immune system, and help you breathe easier, but not too close that it can get easily knocked off, causing burns. It is ideal to consider stable locations with minimal chance of the humidifier falling or rolling off the ground.
A critical distinction for humidifier placement in bedrooms is to keep it at least 3 feet away from the bed. It will keep you safe during the night, but it will also stop you from inhaling the humidifier’s moist discharge directly. Keep your humidifier away from windows or direct sources of sunlight, as exposure to sunlight may trigger algae growth in the humidifier’s water tank.
It is ideal to leave a gap between the humidifier and the wall to ensure smooth air circulation. If you use a warm mist humidifier at your bedtime, keep it away from your bed and place it on a stable surface due to the risk of burns that the hot mist or hot water may cause.
Another advantage of keeping a humidifier 3 feet away is to avoid being woken by the gurgling, the motor, and other sounds that humidifiers can sometimes make.
Some humidifiers also have a bright light or display that you may find distracting if it is too close when trying to get to sleep.
Humidifier Placement for Living Rooms
The living room is usually the largest in a house, and you need to consider a few factors before placing your humidifier. Place your humidifier in the living room where people tend to congregate, but not too near where it will get in the way.
Ensure to put a tray underneath the humidifier to collect water so that it doesn’t damage anything in case of a leak. If you put a humidifier in the living room, leave a few feet of space between the sofa, table, cabinet, or wall to prevent dispersed mist from obstructing and damaging the furniture.
Where to put your humidifier on the table, shelf, or floor?
Placing your humidifier on the table or floor depends on different situations. It is recommended you should put the humidifier on a sturdy table or nightstand at least 2 feet off the ground to ensure even mist distribution. Over time, the dispersed mist mixed with the air and distributed evenly across the room. Also, if the humidifier is placed on an elevation, it will be out of reach for children to meddle with the controls and less danger of accidentally tipping over the humidifier and spilling water from the reservoir.
If your humidifier has wheels, it should be placed directly on the floor. If you are putting your humidifier on a table, ensure that you have a tray or cloth to collect water in case of leaks. If you’re placing your humidifier on the floor, ensure to put a protective layer between the machine and the surface, such as a tray or other water-resistant material to catch droplets and spills, saving your carpet or flooring.
Where Not to Put a Humidifier?
Please do not place the humidifier near a heat source such as a radiator or vent as it can impact the humidity readings. If your humidifier is equipped with a hygrometer, it will produce a lower result due to being placed near a low-humidity air source. The humidifier will need to run longer and on a higher power to compensate for the low reading, creating more mist than required.
Keep your humidifier away from direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause damage to the humidifier and reduce its lifespan. It will also encourage bacteria growth inside the water tank, leading to respiratory issues when inhaled.
Do not place your humidifier directly on the carpet or wooden furniture to prevent mold from the humid discharge. It can also create slippery water puddles. Ensure to place a plastic tray or a water-resistant protective layer underneath the machine to catch spill droplets.
Keep your humidifier away from electrical equipment such as laptops, phones, TVs, as the humid air from the machine can rust your electric devices.
Ensure to keep your humidifier away from electrical sockets. Placing the humidifiers near an electrical outlet can lead to rust or short circuits.
Please don’t put the humidifier in a spot where you may forget it or that it isn’t easy to access.
Don’t place your humidifier nearby if you have some decor on the walls, photos, or something similar. If you have no choice, try to check everything once in a while. Check to be sure your child’s toys or clothes are not obstructing the outflow of mist.
To avoid water damage as the mist settles and condenses on surfaces overnight, ensure to keep the humidifier at least 1 foot away from walls, furniture, curtains, and electrical appliances.
Regularly change before each use and wipe the appliance from inside using a clean cloth or soft sponge with white vinegar and water.
If you are using an ultrasonic humidifier during your sleep, be mindful of white dust. It is generally caused if you use tap water that contains mineral deposits and settles on furniture or other surfaces, and dries up. White dust can be harmful to people with allergies, asthma, sinus or lung health conditions, especially infants and small children. Always use distilled water in the humidifier to prevent this issue.