Humidifiers: Your Secret Weapon Against All Things Winter

Humidifiers have begun to pop up across bedrooms around the world. The often trendy looking devices restore moisture to the air, which is particularly helpful during dry winter months. We suppose that there can’t be a cure-all for all things winter, but humidifiers can certainly help you banish some of the freezing weather’s worst side effects.

If chapped lips, dry skin, bad headaches, scratchiness in the throat, and nosebleeds have become part of your winter routine, you may consider investing in an air humidifier for your bedroom. Here are a few to look at. Amazon sells some highly rated humidifiers for under $40 each.

Ten million air humidifiers were sold last year. Consumers can choose between cool and warm mist humidifiers. (Most medical professionals say both offer the same health benefits.) Their goal is the same: Tackle the detriments of dry air.

So far so good, right? One thing to keep in mind before buying a humidifier is that it needs to be cleaned. Thoroughly. Different devices come with varied instructions for cleaning. If not properly cleansed, humidifiers can actually release pollen and mold into the air — and that’s the last thing you need this winter.

“Homes kept at 40-60 percent relative humidity … are likely to have fewer flu viruses lingering in the air and on surfaces like sink faucets, door handles, and countertops compared to lower relative humidity levels,” Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told HuffPost.

She also noted that humidifiers help many people ease into deeper sleep or stop snoring.

Winters are long and dreary, and bloody noses and dry skin don’t give us any extra reason to celebrate the season. Bid the season’s not-so-sensational side effects goodbye. Enter your new sidekick: the humidifier.

(h/t Bustle)