October 14th — Hot Humidifier?

Do you have a hot vaporizer/humidifier? Do you like it? Feel safe using it?

The above is my vicks/walgreens vaporizer (about $20). My mother always called them humidifiers. They are not my first choice for helping with colds are there are more dangers than with cold air humidifiers. However I have more than a few rooms, more than a few kids, and so having more than on is helpful. Hopefully though we will be replacing this one.

(ignore my bed clearly not made in the mirror. Noticing such things when the Mom is sick with sick littles is just asking to be cursed with the same fate! 🙂

So why don’t I want to use this one if I don’t need to?

It is easy to get burned. There are warnings all over of children leaning into them and getting burned or spilling it on themselves. I have leaned in myself and OUCH. The one on my dresser in anchored with the box behind it and the mirror so it can not be tipped or pulled down and my younger children can not get their heads above the steam vent. Going by it though you better believe I am extra careful. Like all humidifiers they have a chance of growing mold, though because it is heated this is less likely. However be sure to dry it out before putting it away and clean it before using it. One of the main reasons I do not like this one as much as the other kids is because when using Essential Oils, the heat breaks them down. They still work from my experience but I have been told not as much.

Update on us: Baby kept us up again last night. My smilie baby was miserable, her cry was so quiet it was scary and we heard every breath she took because her air way was restricted. Her fever spiked and we worked with her all night to keep it down and help her breath. The humidifier and EO’s helped, it was obvious when the vapor tank ran low and she got worse. Tylenol did little. Best of all was being on Mommy or Daddy standing up and patting and rocking and hushing. My husband even put her in a baby sling and walked her outside around a pound a few miles before dawn.

Her Dr today said it is croup. Goodness it is scary. What I would give to take her place, the virus that is causing this is not as bad in my system or my oldest daughters system and my middle children and husband are not effected yet at all. Lets hope this passes quickly! Heck lets hope this is our one cold weather illness. The last time anyone had a cold that made us worry was the two smallest children last January and that passed fairly quickly.