Humidifiers

As luck would have it the humidifier that we keep in the girls room has died. No wonder since we have run it all night for the last 3 years or so. I liked it, but it required changing those yucky filters, and those are not cheap. So what kind of humidifier for babies do you have? Ours was a cool mist, which I think at the time the pedi recommended.

 

We use the Vicks Warm Air Humidifier. Our ped. told us the only reason the cool mists were recommended for kids was because people where literally burning their kids with them. They would put them so close to them and have the mist directly pointed at them that it was literally causing skin burns. :fool:

 

We have an older hot steam type and you have to put your hand right where the steam comes out to get steam burned. Even a few inches away, it's fine. However, with a mobile and curious toddler, there is a very real danger of them touching where the steam comes out or playing with and removing the lid. Taking the lid off during operation will cause very hot water to drip all over the place from where the heater is enclosed (it's part of the lid) and they could definitely get scalded that way.

We also have a very cute and simple green frog cool mist that was about $15 at Aldi and doesn't use any filters. That's the kind we use for the kids' room. They can take it apart while it's running and not get hurt (and they have done exactly that). You do have to clean it with bleach water to keep it from growing algae but otherwise, it's zero maintenance. It works great.

ETA: Here's our frog (and other options)

 

I agree ~ if your toddler is running around or able to touch & play with it, heat is not the best option. We only use ours at night and they are still in cribs. When we had this discussion with our ped., the twins were like 3 months old. So, her recommendation was based on an infant.....not a toddler that could grab it.

Sorry I should have been more specific!

 

We have this one and love, love, LOVE it! No filters, and ultra-quiet functioning. You do have to clean it... but it's a snap compared to changing filters, etc. I'm actually thinking of buying another since we live in such a dry climate.
Venta Humidifier


This one does both warm and cold, but our pedi said to never use a warm mist humidifier because it can harbor lots of germs thanks to the warmth.

 

Different world here ... we're only running dehumidifiers ... if not, mold would be growing on the walls!

 

We have a Vicks Cool Mist from CVS. It was around $20. It does require a cleaning every couple of days, but it's easy.

 

We had a regular one when they were newborns, a Reli On. And the filter was a pain in the butt & spendy. When it died, I had every intention of getting the same one, but they didn't carry it anymore. So I got the cute Froggie one from Target:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/187-4831497-8446944?ASIN=B0008GPM5E&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B0008GPM5E|Crane_Frog_Cool_Mist_Humidifier&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B0008GPM5E&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

And I love it so much more!! You can get the filter, but you don't have to. Great adjustable steam output & it hold a LOT of water. Also, I think it automatically shuts off when the water runs out. And, the kids love it. They've become quite attached to their "froggie", which is just an extra comfort when they're sick.

 

We have a small steam one. We only use it at night, and haven't used it since the girls have been in big kid beds because it was spring/summer and we didn't need it. So this is a useful thread -- I hadn't thought about the fact that they could burn themselves if they happened to get out of bed and touch it.

We were also terrible about cleaning it and it was totally encrusted with that nasty mineral build-up. I've never used the filter kind, but my first reaction is that I'd rather change a filter (even if it was gross) and at least know that it was clean. That mineral buildup never, ever comes off, even if you clean it regularly, which is why I got so discouraged that I basically just quit cleaning it. :blush:

So, what is the absolute lowest-maintenance humidifier there is? :blink:

 

There is a filter available for the little frog one we use but it's optional. We have great water (as in our shower has clear glass that stays clear...) so we don't bother with it but you could if you have hard water.

 

Adding a table spoon of white vinegar to the water in your humidifier will keep the mineral crud down (as well as mold). That's what we do. During the dry months, we have very hard well waters.

 

Thank you both! :good: