Humidifier - cool mist vs. warm mist, vaporizer questions?

FitSoccerGrl

I get so confused on which of these to use. I've heard not to use a warm mist humidifier because it can cause bacteria to grow. Is this true? Which is better cool mist or warm mist??

We are currently using the waterless vaporizer by Vicks: https://www.amazon.com/Vicks-V1900BX-Waterless-Vaporizer/dp/B001FWXKM2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332959626&sr=8-2

But, it just doesn't seem strong enough. Currently DD is super congested and I am trying to find some relief for her while she sleeps. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

**Sorry its not a clicky link - I don't know how to do that

CopperT0p

My pedi told me to buy a cool mist one for the reason you stated: warm can breed bacteria.  What I ended up doing when L was congested was taking long steamy showers with him multiple times a day, usually right before naps and bedtime.  This would help loosen him up, then I'd get the snot out, and then he'd sleep with the cool mist humidifier on. 

nosoup4u

FitSoccerGrl:

I get so confused on which of these to use. I've heard not to use a warm mist humidifier because it can cause bacteria to grow. Is this true? Which is better cool mist or warm mist??

 

It's the cold mist ones that can cause bacteria - you have to replace the filters so gross things don't start growing in them.

The warm mist one work by boiling the water on a hot plate, so no germs, but you have to clean off the mineral deposits every few days (it just soaks in vinegar, and it's pretty easy to do).

The risk with the warm ones is if the kid knocks it over or gets burned by the steam. But if you're only using it while she's sleeping, and it's somewhere she can't reach from her crib, I wouldn't worry about it.

We only use the warm mist humidifiers, I have an old Sunshine brand one that's great, and a Vicks one, that is just okay, but does add quite a bit of moisture to the air. hth

jandy09

Too much humidity in any room can cause mold. Cool mist humidifiers are recommended for children bc they could potentially burn themselves on a warm mist vaporizer.

We use a warm mist as DD doesn't have access to it. We only use it when she is  in her crib. We add eucalpytus oil when she is congested or has a cold. I also stick a pillow under one end of her mattress to keep her head elevated.

Hope your LO gets to feeling better!

FitSoccerGrl

Thank you everyone for your suggestions!! I appreciate all of them!

srs5624

nosoup4u:

FitSoccerGrl:

It's the cold mist ones that can cause bacteria - you have to replace the filters so gross things don't start growing in them.

The warm mist one work by boiling the water on a hot plate, so no germs, but you have to clean off the mineral deposits every few days (it just soaks in vinegar, and it's pretty easy to do).

Ditto this. We have the Vicks vaporizer (it's like $15 at Target) and you can hear the water boiling in the cylinder thing.

We used to have a cool mist humidifier in our old apartment. We had to clean it constantly to get the mold out of the humidifier.

 

I've only had to use ours once. If we were downstairs, I'd put it behind of of the gates so DS couldn't play with it. If we were sleeping, it was in his room on the floor. He couldn't get to it since he was in his crib.

He's too tall for the half-elevated mattress trick (he'd be able to climb out if I raised one side) but that works well for smaller kids.

shuaytos

Our doctor told us to get a warm mist humidifier. We had a cold mist to start with and it didn't seem to work as well as my warm mist one. Plus the cold mist one developed this pink slime/mold even though I cleaned it often. Now I use a war mist humidifier and I empty it out every day and drain the water from the tray. It's an extra step but I haven't had any problems since. We use it every day since we have the heater on and it helps a lot. His doctor said to just make sure the room is well ventilated during the day and it was fine to use every day.