Air purifiers and humidifiers have different functions. Air purifiers are clean indoor air, but do nothing for indoor humidity levels. They remove dust and smoke from the air, as well as allergenic substances like animal dander and pollen. Humidifiers add water into the air, but do not clean it. They are used to relieve health issues from dry air and help reduce static electricity in the home. Mechanical air purifiers use filters to remove relatively large airborne pollutants, such as dust and pet dander, from the air. Filters are often made from foam, pleated paper or polyester, or some other synthetic material. A high efficiency particulate air filter, commonly known as HEPA, is capable of removing 99.97 percent of airborne particles. HEPA filters can remove extremely small particles, but cannot remove odors. An air purifier may combine a HEPA filter with a charcoal filter to help reduce odors. Humidifiers add water to indoor air, increasing the relative humidity of the indoor environment.

Dry winter air can cause chapped skin and contribute to respiratory problems. Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier can reduce dry skin and decrease breathing problems, including lessening coughs. Adding humidity to indoor air can also reduce static electricity and prevent wooden furniture from cracking. Four main types of humidifiers are ultrasonic, impeller-driven, evaporative and steam vaporizers. Ultrasonic and impeller humidifiers both produce a cool mist. Ultrasonic models are quiet because they use ultrasonic waves to produce mist, while impeller models use a rotating disk that can produce noise. Evaporative humidifiers use a fan to evaporate water into the air, and are also cold humidifiers. Steam vaporizers create a warm mist by heating water with an electrical element. Some models allow the mist to cool slightly before exiting the machine, and are known as warm mist humidifiers. The standing water in humidifiers can become home to a wide variety of bacteria, mold and fungi.

When the humidifier is turned on, these organisms can be released into your home’s air, and breathing them can cause lung problems and even infections. honeywell long-life pure hepa quietcare air purifierIn the past, disinfectants used with humidifiers have also created problems. review winix wac5500 true hepa air cleaner with plasmawave technologyMinerals from the humidifier’s water tank can be released into the air, where they settle out as a fine white dust. therapure tower air purifier reviewHumidifiers that use heat to evaporate water are prone to mineral build-up on the heating element, and the filters in evaporative humidifiers can also harbor bacteria and molds.

You must keep humidifiers clean, and you need to occasionally descale them to remove mineral build-up. Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week Sold by Great-Vacs and Fulfilled by Amazon.DetailsRainbow Fragrances Assorted, 4, 4 count 1.67oz. 8 x 8 x 8 inches 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) #195,542 in Home and Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home and Kitchen) #244 in Home & Kitchen > Heating, Cooling & Air Quality > Humidifiers & Vaporizers > Single Room Humidifiers #1,514 in Baby > Feeding > Bottle-Feeding 5 star53%4 star17%3 star16%2 star9%1 star5%See all 81 customer reviewsTop Customer Reviewsgreat productDoes a Decent Job for the PriceVery PleasedAir PurifierAttractive unit & fascinating concept, vortex of air/water mixing...Just not at all effective on smoke.does a good job but loud.

I'm happy with my purchaseWorks so good I bought two! See and discover other items: home humidifierNegative ions are oxygen atoms charged with an extra electron. They are created in nature by the effects of water, air, sunlight and the Earth’s inherent radiation.Negatively charged ions are most prevalent in natural places and particularly around moving water or after a thunderstorm.That taste in the air and feeling you get at the beach, near a waterfall or after a storm is your body being saturated in the benefits of negative ions.What if there were a way to take that feeling you have with you and keep it going in your bedroom, lounge room, kitchen or office, as well as cleaning the air of contaminants?Ahead is how to use special negative ion generating ionizers like this to both clear the air in your home of allergens and have some surprisingly beneficial effects on your health as well.In high enough concentrations, negative ions clear the air of mold spores, pollen, pet dander, odors, cigarette smoke, bacteria, viruses, dust and other hazardous airborne particles.

They do this by attaching to these positively charged particles in large numbers. This causes the germs, mold, pollen and other allergens to become too heavy to stay airborne.At this point they drop to the floor or attach to a nearby surface. This removes them from the air you breathe and prevents them from causing respiratory problems and other health issues.Himalayan salt lamps can also clean the air in a different way. There’s more on salt lamps and whether they do produce negative ions here.Unfortunately, our homes and workplaces are usually sealed off from the natural benefits of negative ions. Even if you do keep your windows open, aside from all the air pollution, if you live in a busy town or city then the concentration of negative ions in the air may only be a tenth of that found in country environments.Add to that, positive ion producing air conditioning, electrical equipment like televisions and clothes dryers, and even carpet and upholstery, and our homes have become what has been described as ‘positive ion prisons’.

For a list of the harmful effects positive ions can have on your health see the page on What are Negative and Positive Ions?.You do have one negative ion generator in your home already. Your shower, with its stream of hot water and steam, is a good producer of negative ions. That’s likely part of why so many people need a shower to wake up in the morning.It’s not much use in the other rooms of your house though. Fortunately, scientists have come up with another even more effective way to create these negatively charged ions and receive their health benefits in whatever room you spend time in — negative ionizers.Modern ionizers work by using a method called ‘corona discharge’, which is actually modeled on the way lightning occurs in nature.A tiny current of electrons flow down a needle to its point. The nearer the electrons come to the needlepoint, the closer they are forced together.Since electrons naturally repel each other, when they reached the very tip of the needle they are forced off into the nearest air molecule and become a negative ion.

Negative ions repel each other as well, so as more and more are produced they are emitted further and further out into the room they are in. The more powerful the ionizer, like this extremely high powered one, the more beneficial ions they can produce and the larger their range.So what does ion therapy with an ionizer do for you in terms of health and wellbeing? There are highlighted links to references if you would like to read the relevant scientific research, but for a handy summary here are the top 10 health benefits of negative ions: Nowadays, new and innovative ways of generating negative ions benefits are being developed. Negative ion generators are becoming smaller and more stylish. There are even highly portable versions you can take to work, like USB stick ionizers that you plug into your computer at the office to counteract that positive ion heavy environment. Alternatively, ionic light bulbs that produce negative ions whenever they are switched on.This site will review the best negative ionizers for your home, office and even for your car.