Minutus

Curious to know what others think about this.
Humidifiers putting out hot or cold steam are often recommended by doctors and alt practitioners during the winter for respiratory problems. However, a microbiologist that I know said they are actually dangerous to use. The container can be mouldy inside, in which case spores are put out with the steam, which settle on the room fabrics (curtains, bedclothes etc.) and actually promote an environment that is bad for respiratory problems. Even if there isn't mould in the container, once the steam settles on the fabrics which remain damp, it still turns into a breeding ground for fungus.
I usually recommend the old bowl of boiling water and towel over the head method as this explanation seemed to make a lot of sense. What do others think?
Regards,
Vera

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Vera Resnick RCHom
Classical Homeopath
Alternative Medicine
054-4640736
www.freewebs.com/verahomeopath

From personal experience, I am with you on this, Vera. We used to have one of those “sonic” humidifiers back in the 80s and my husband got horrible asthma attacks that we traced to its use. Discarded it, of course. He got well.
And I lived with humidifiers in every bedroom in Moscow apartment for three years, all winter long. We had to wash them out every week but could not live without them so I did it. What a drag!!! They were regular ones and did not cause asthma attacks or other illnesses—IF kept clean. Maybe they don’t make the “sonic” ones anymore?
I have used a bowl and towel successfully since the 60s, though. Have to be careful that the water is not too hot or the steam will burn mucous membranes of nose! Teresa (Northern VA)
________________________________

From: minutus@yahoogroups.com [mailto:minutus@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Vera Resnick
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 2:03 PM
To: minutus@yahoogroups.com; HahnemannMinimumDose@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Minutus] humidifiers
Curious to know what others think about this.
Humidifiers putting out hot or cold steam are often recommended by doctors and alt practitioners during the winter for respiratory problems. However, a microbiologist that I know said they are actually dangerous to use. The container can be mouldy inside, in which case spores are put out with the steam, which settle on the room fabrics (curtains, bedclothes etc.) and actually promote an environment that is bad for respiratory problems. Even if there isn't mould in the container, once the steam settles on the fabrics which remain damp, it still turns into a breeding ground for fungus.
I usually recommend the old bowl of boiling water and towel over the head method as this explanation seemed to make a lot of sense. What do others think?
Regards,
Vera

--

Speaking of mold, a recent find of mine is a machine that can function
both as an air cleaner and negative ion generator, and also as an ozone
generator. The ozone destroys mold, yummy! My sister used a similar
unit to sanitize / deodorize a roomful of musty / mildewed books, and I
used mine to deodorize some really nasty shoes and some mildewed
clothes--with various other projects (esp. the basement) on the waiting
list. I'm impressed with it so far, and I LOVE being able to get that
smell out!!
Shannon

Phos Ac has apathy and depression. probably thirsty ,, Jean

Vera Resnick wrote:

Ugh! ALl of these devices come with instructions on how to clean them
daily and weekly. Of course if people prefer to ignore that and just top
off - they can expect mold, bacteria and whatever other grunge is in
there, to grow and multiply:-) And be distributed.
Also, most people are using chlorinated tap water in which
microorganisms will not grow that day. (Chlorine dissipates after a while.)
Oh gimme a break - does this microbiologist live in a heated house at
all? It begs the question - why use a humidifier if everything is going
to get damp and stay damp????
My house is so bone dry air-wise in winter - that there is no molecule
of water which will land and stay on any surface. It evaporates into the
air which is the reason one uses a humidifier in the first place.

He/she (microbiologist - also my major for BSc) has also forgotten
that the replication time of the fastest microbe is 20 minutes in
OPTIMAL conditions which these are not. SO - it will take days of damp
drapes for a bacterium or mold to become a significant colony to do any
harm. Are people really leaving the drapes all damp for two days? It's a
pain to fill a humidifier daily - who is doing it when it is not needed?

Let's get real.
Use things as intended - to put moisture in the dry winter air, not to
steam-clean the drapes in hot humid weather. Just use fresh water daily
in a clean humidifier - and the thing will do what it is supposed to do:-)

Namaste,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

I could be wrong but I had read that steam vaporizers don't create
mold. I use them in my rooms and I also put salt in the water which
helps the vaporizer work better (since I use filtered water) and then
I put a few drops of essential oil in the cup. Essential oils are
antibacterial. But I dont think mold can grow in steam vaporizers its
SO hot you can burn yourself if you put your hand over it. And salt
retards growth of organisms. OTOH if you have mold in your environment
and make it very humid it could grow in the environment (like mildew
on a shower curtain). However I bleieve cool mist humidifiers could
grow mold just like air conditioners and any other standing pools of
cool or room temp water.

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The humidifiers are used very often here in sick children's rooms at night, night after night, and families get into the habit of using humidifiers for this purpose daily, also with children who have a tendency to get sick, thinking it will prevent it. Apartments here are often not that well heated, so during the winter, with nightly humidifier use, I think some dampness could persist.
The question came up recently for me with an older patient who used a humidifier on her doc's recommendation - she was coughing and feeling unwell. Her situation had been fairly stable in up and downs and then it worsened suddenly and she was diagnosed with pneumonia. Looking back to find a trigger, the only change was the use of a humidifier.
It's possible that the microbiologist (she, with a doctorate and around 30 years in the field...) was relating more to the conditions she sees here, with inadequately heated apartments where damp persists.
Regards,
Vera

jill1313 wrote:

However I bleieve cool mist humidifiers could

Except they are NOT supposed to use standing water. They come with
instructions to wash out daily (and how to do it) and to use fresh water
daily. Nothing can grow in just 24 hrs:-)
...Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

Vera Resnick wrote:
So then if dampness persists, it begs the question of why a humidifier
is being used at all? It is contra-indicated:-)

Namaste,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

Ultrasonic humidifiers are better.
Here you can also put H2O2 if parts are non metal.
Over humidifying may also induce asthma.
Manual control is needed & turn it off when it reaches 60% RH.
Digital humidity meters are available plenty.
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jill1313 wrote: