Welcome to our discussion of the use of an air purifier vs humidifier for baby and parents!
Having a newborn in the home is exciting. Parents want to spend as much time with the young one as possible as they watch them grow. Every parent will believe that their new one is the most beautiful and precious, and always want to see them happy. Part of how they do this is through giving them the best comfort and safety possible.
Whichever parenting approach you use, though, there is always a uniting factor – every parent wants the best things for their child. The actual problem comes when trying to decide what is best. For instance, does your baby need a humidifier or an air purifier in their room? Do they need both? Or will these appliances cause more harm to their health?
Air Purifier Vs Humidifier For Baby: Do Babies Need Air Purifiers At All?
Before answering this question, it is important to know what air purifiers are, and what they are used for. They come in various sizes and shapes. You can choose one according to your preferences and your home décor. The most vital aspect to check is air purification capabilities. Especially knowing that not all of them will have the same abilities!
It is also great to know common air pollutants, especially those of indoor air. These include:
- Gaseous pollutants – can come from combustion sources such as tobacco smoke, gas stoves, vehicle exhaust, and so on. In addition, there are also furnishings, paints, varnishes, building materials, pesticides and cleaning products, and other products.
- Particulate matter – these can come from combustion appliances like cooking stoves, as well as particles and tiny organisms that include pollen, dust, viruses, dust mites, mold spores, smoke, and animal dander.
Knowledge of these pollutants reveals that you cannot avoid having them in your home, as they are very common. For instance, particulate matter like dust is everywhere. And this comes with negative effects such as asthma attacks, nausea, dizziness, and other respiratory issues. This is where air purifiers step in and correct the problem.
Not all purifiers are equal. Some will be better at removing very small air particles from the air, while others are better at removing gaseous pollutants. Still others can do both. The choice you make will depend on what you have in your house in terms of pollutants.
A Purifier That Does Both
The magic phrase here: get a HEPA filter. You might have heard of HEPA filters before, thanks to friends, or internet reviews. But not everyone understands what they are all about.
HEPA means High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance. In other words, the HEPA filter is like a police officer that pulls over harmful or nasty particles that are causing trouble and issues for others, handcuffs them, and locks them in prison so that they do not disturb the peace again.
This makes HEPA filters extremely efficient at capturing dust and other very small particles, with the smallest particle size being 0.3 microns. To put it into perspective, the human eye can only see particles that are at least 1 micron in size, so these filters will catch so many microscopic pollutants that you cannot see.
HEPA For Baby
If you are concerned that your baby is experiencing issues with their respiratory system, it is good to buy a portable air humidifier that has both a HEPA filtration system and a pre-filter. The pre-filter will catch any large or medium airborne particles, while the HEPA filter will catch the smaller particles.
These types of filters are also useful for removing any particles like animal dander and pollen from the nursery, and reduce the chances of certain health problems from showing up – like headaches, itchy noses and scratchy throats.
If gaseous pollutants are also an issue, then you should get a filter that combines HEPA technology, pre-filter, and activated carbon. Activated carbon has always been among the best ways to trap gaseous molecules, and prevent them from escaping into the air.
With all this said, remember that just because you have an air purifier, does not mean that all your problems regarding allergens and dust control will be over. In order to achieve optimum results, you will need to combine solutions, and also clean your home alongside cleaning your air purifiers. This will create a better, cleaner environment for your baby.
What About Humidifiers?
The main work of purifiers is cleaning indoor air, but they will not do anything in regards to the humidity levels in the room. If your humidity is good, this should not be a problem. But too low humidity will cause problems such as dry throat, irritation of the nasal cavity and eyes, and headaches, even if the air is clean.
The humidifier will increase the humidity levels to a comfortable level, and make it easier for your baby to breathe. If the air quality is a troubling issue for you, you first need to know if it is due to humidity or pollutant levels. You can find this out through a digital hygrometer that checks the humidity levels.
As a general guideline, the humidity in your home should ideally be between 30% to 50%. Anything less than 30% means you should buy a humidifier, and anything more than 50% will create the perfect breeding ground for various pathogens. So you need to keep a balance.
Similar to air purifiers, there are various kinds of humidifiers, which include:
- Ultrasonic humidifier – for both cool and warm mist
- Warm mist humidifier
- Evaporative humidifier – for cool mist
- Impeller humidifier – for cool mist
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, you can utilize both humidifiers and air purifiers in your baby’s nursery, depending on the results you want from them. Regardless of whether you choose one or both, maintaining them is a very important process you cannot ignore – this will keep them running properly for a longer time with more efficiency.
