The question of whether humidifiers make the room cold is very common among parents who use these convenient appliances, particularly during the winter and summer.
It goes without saying that all devices of this type work to add more humidity to the air inside a room. This process helps protect against issues that can be caused by dry air – like the irritation of the throat, lips, skin, and nose.
Today’s market offers different kinds of humidifiers. And even though the purpose of each humidifier is to add moisture to the air, they all function in different ways.
For example, cool-mist humidifiers produce a cool mist that is capable of increasing humidity levels inside a room without increasing the room temperature at the same time. Warm-mist humidifiers, on the other hand, create warm mist and increase ambient room temperature at the same time.
As they don’t increase ambient temperature, cool-mist humidifiers are capable of making rooms feel a bit cooler. This turns them into an ideal choice for use in the kid’s room or a nursery, as well as for general summertime use.
On the other hand, warm-mist humidifiers can make a room feel slightly warmer, which makes them more suitable for wintertime use.
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Will My Cool-Mist Humidifier Make the Room Cold?
A cool-mist humidifier won’t make the room cold, but it will make it feel slightly cooler.
The reason behind this is the fact that these appliances function by dispersing cool moisture. And as they release this cool moisture into the room’s air, the overall humidity level is increased – but not the temperature.
The people in the room may still feel warmer, though. This is because the added humidity makes it hard for the body to sweat, which can, in turn, lead to body heat retention.
How Cool-Mist Humidifiers Work?
A cool-mist humidifier can be either an evaporative humidifier or an ultrasonic humidifier. These two kinds of cool-mist humidifiers function in different ways.
- Evaporative Humidifiers
A cool-mist humidifier of this kind will almost always sport a rotating fan. This part of the humidifier blows air through a wet wick.
The result of this is the evaporation of water, which leads to the creation of moisture that the device then disperses into the air.
- Ultrasonic Humidifiers
An ultrasonic cool-mist humidifier, on the other hand, is never equipped with a fan.
Rather, ultrasonic humidifiers utilize a nebulizer, which is a tiny device for producing a fine spray of liquid that can increase humidity. One thing that makes this kind of cool-mist humidifier especially good for nurseries and children’s rooms is that it’s quiet in operation.
These two types of cool-mist humidifiers do not increase the room temperature while adding moisture to the air.
Why Do I Need a Cool-Mist Humidifier?
To Reduce the Symptoms Caused by Allergies & Dry Air
Moisture can be of great help when it comes to alleviating symptoms caused by seasonal allergies and dry air. Dry air is notorious for causing a scratchy throat, as well as dry skin, dry nasal passages, and dry eyes. It is also capable of worsening the symptoms of the common cold, flu, and hay fever.
By increasing humidity levels inside the rooms of your home, a cool-mist humidifier can create a conducive environment for comfortable breathing and better sleep. And, as you already know, better sleep means better health and fewer hospital bill expenses.
High humidity created by humidifiers can also help the skin retain its inherent moistness and remain clear and soft. Therefore, skin issues like cracked lips and eczema get minimized. The optimal breathing conditions created by the humidifier, on the other hand, can loosen the build-up mucus.
To Reduce Static Electricity
Caused by positive and negative charges of an object on or within the surface material, static electricity brings about an imbalance of electric charges.
Unfortunately, this phenomenon can be quite hazardous. It can lead to fire breakouts, paralysis, and sometimes even death.
Static electricity can be minimized by increasing the air’s moisture content, which can be easily done by using a humidifier. This can be beneficial to both the people and the electrical appliances within the house.
To Freshen the Room
As they increase the overall freshness of the air by adding humidity to it, cool-mist humidifiers are also capable of preventing stale indoor air.
This is bound to help you get the right amount of sleep as well as increase the quality of it. The reason behind this is that fresh air increases the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the cells within your body.
In addition, spending time in a fresh room gives psychological satisfaction. This is bound to boost the productivity and mental well-being of all members of your family.
To Increase Humidity Levels During Dry Months
When relative humidity – which is used to measure the dryness of air – goes below 30%, being inside a room becomes somewhat uncomfortable.
Achieving adequate humidity levels throughout the year is not an easy task, but cool-mist humidifiers can certainly assist in working out this challenge.
By adding the right amount of moisture to the air during dry months, a cool-mist humidifier can keep the infections and diseases at bay.
The Pros & Cons of Cool-Mist Humidifiers
The Pros of Cool-Mist Humidifiers
They Eliminate Allergens and Dust Mites
Even though they’re really tiny and can only be seen under a microscope, the dust mites can cause a variety of allergy symptoms, most of which resemble symptoms caused by pollen allergies: a stuffy nose with sneezing, itchy skin, and watery eyes.
These tiny critters carry a lot of germs and can be quite problematic. However, they require warm temperatures with less humidity – they cannot survive in drier and colder conditions.
In other words, dust mites can’t thrive inside a room where there’s high humidity created by a cool-mist humidifier.
They Increase the Longevity of Furniture
When humidity is at the right level, the amount of moisture in the air that’s inside the rooms of your house is ideal and, therefore, more beneficial for all kinds of furniture and fixtures.
They will perform better and last longer. These include tables, tiles, wood floors, chairs, as well as other fixtures and furniture.
They Are Inexpensive
When compared to warm-mist humidifiers, cool-mist humidifiers can be obtained at lower prices.
What is more, maintaining a cool-mist model requires less effort than maintaining a warm-mist humidifier.
They Can be Used as Medical Inhalants
Another great thing about the cool-mist humidifier is that this device can also be used as a medical inhalant.
If you’re dealing with respiratory or pulmonary issues, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s possible to add medical inhalants to the water tank of a cool-mist humidifier.
This kind of multi-tasked therapy is not only time-saving and energy-efficient but also more effective when compared to the direct application of medical inhalants.
They Are Safe to Use Around Children
Since they disperse cool, fine mist, these appliances carry no risk of burns and are, therefore, completely safe to use around kids.
This, however, cannot be said for their warm-mist counterparts, as they release steam. As you can already guess, hot steam can cause burns if kids get too close to the humidifier.
They Come in Various Colors & Shapes
Cool-mist humidifiers are available in a number of shapes and colors. It goes without saying that this makes them even more suitable for kids’ rooms and nurseries.
The Cons of Cool-Mist Humidifiers
They Can Harbor Mold & Bacteria
One of the most commonly asked questions concerning these devices is – “do cool-mist humidifiers harbor mold and bacteria?”. The answer to this question is yes, they do – but only if they’re not cleaned on a regular basis.
If you really don’t have time or simply don’t want to clean your humidifier at least once a week, fill its water tank with mineral water. Since it’s pure and deionized, mineral water is not a suitable environment for fungus and bacteria to grow in.
They Require Maintenance
Even though I said that these appliances require less maintenance than their warm-mist counterparts, they still need to be cleaned from time to time in order to work correctly.
If the maintenance isn’t carried out as outlined in the user’s instructions, it can cause more harm than good. For that matter, make sure to take your time and properly and carefully clean your cool-mist humidifier.
They Can be Loud
When in operation, a cool-mist humidifier will almost always be louder than all other types of humidifiers. However, while the noise that these devices produce isn’t exactly baby-friendly, it can’t really cause any harm to infants.
If you want your humidifier to be genuinely quiet while in operation, go for an ultrasonic one. These appliances have no fans and produce virtually no noise while adding moisture to the air.
Where Should I Place My Cool-Mist Humidifier?
Now that we’ve established how a cool-mist humidifier works and went over its advantages and disadvantages, let’s take a look at some places where putting this device can be beneficial:
Bedroom
Those who often wake up with a scratchy throat should definitely consider placing this device next to their bed – the cool air produced by the humidifier is bound to help.
However, if you decide to opt for a model that releases hot steam, make sure to keep it away from the bed so that you don’t accidentally knock it over during the night.
Office
If you spend a lot of time in the office, consider keeping one of these devices there.
In case your office is small, a portable, USB-powered model that can safely sit on your work desk would be the best solution.
Nursery or Kid’s Room
Just like adults, toddlers and infants can also have sleeping problems due to dry air.
A humidifier can make your child’s room feel cooler and more comfortable to sleep in. It can help prevent dry skin and soothe the kid’s nasal passages.
Plant Room
During the COVID-19 pandemic, owning plants has undoubtedly kicked off – so much so that a lot of folks now have rooms that are dedicated entirely to plants.
If you’re one of those people, consider getting a cool-mist humidifier – make the best out of it and let it help your plants get the amount of humidity they need in order to thrive.
The Takeaway
In summary, the answer to the question of “can a humidifier make a room feel cool?” is yes, it can, but only slightly. These devices can’t really make the room cold and drastically lower the temperature. This answer may or may not be disappointing for you depending on what you were hoping for.
After all, the mist produced by these appliances is not cold in the actual sense of that word. However, having an adequate amount of moisture in the air – which is precisely what humidifiers can help you achieve – can definitely provide a cooling effect.
But, as I mentioned above, this can also make you feel warmer due to reduced sweating and moisture retention.
