Humidifier questions

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ViciousCurse

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2019
Messages
80
Location
Minnesota, USA
So, I've been thinking about getting a humidifier for the winter. My hands get awfully dry and then they crack and they bleed and they hurt. Overall, not fun! It really makes mattes worse that my rats tend to claw me up and that I'm also allergic to my boys lol. Any lotion I use tends to sting with these wounds and more often than not, my hands then have an allergic reaction to the lotion.

Moral of the story: my hands suck :confused: They're allergic to everything.

But, I know that since I have rats, I need to get a certain type of humidifier so it won't hurt them. Recommendations on certain brands at all? Where can I get one that will work out just fine but won't cost an arm and a leg to get?

Also, where should I place the air humidifier in relation to the cage? Should I have it turned on all of the time or only a few times during the week? I don't want to cause a URI or a myco flare by using the humidifier.
 
I would strongly recommend an evaporative humidifier over an ultrasonic or hot/cold mist humidifier.

Ultrasonic, hot/cold mist humidifiers release mineralized particles into the air that can be seen as white "dust" when it settles on objects in the home. This white dust can be reduced by using reverse osmosis water or distilled water (found at stores; unless you have a distiller at home, no amount of boiling and time setting tap water will properly distill it) but using distilled water will not completely eliminate the creation of white dust due to how these ultrasonic humidifiers work.

Trust me... you do NOT want to be breathing in that stuff in, especially of you have any type of pulmonary disorder. Stick with an evaporative humidifier-- they're not as cute and compact as an ultrasonic or hot/cold mist humidifier, but they also don't carry the risk or possibility of causing irreversible lung damage.
 
Ah and CeraVe Healing Ointment (dark blue tube) can really help with dry, cracked hands and it's fragrance free. :) I use it for my hands and as a lip balm in the winter months.
 
I have asthma, so anything that can damage my lungs along with my boys is very much undesirable lol. I don't care about looks so long as it does its designated job.

I'll habe to look into that!
 
Hmmm ….. Are you only speaking of ultrasonic humidifiers?

I have a cold mist humidifier that I rarely use but purchased for the ratties many years ago. It is not ultrasonic. The replaceable wicking filter removes minerals and bacteria from the water. I have never noticed any white particles.
 
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Hmmm ….. Are you only speaking of ultrasonic humidifiers?

I have a cold mist humidifier that I rarely use but purchased for the ratties many years ago. It is not ultrasonic. The replaceable wicking filter removes minerals and bacteria from the water. I have never noticed any white particles.
I'm really looking for what the best type of humidifier that works with rats. I remember there being a thread a while ago on what type of humidifier should be used.

Also, I should add that I live in an apartment and can't access the furnace (it's in a locked room in our apartment and none of our keys can access it).
 
Hmmm ….. Are you only speaking of ultrasonic humidifiers?

I have a cold mist humidifier that I rarely use but purchased for the ratties many years ago. It is not ultrasonic. The replaceable wicking filter removes minerals and bacteria from the water. I have never noticed any white particles.

Yes, I'm only referring to ultrasonic humidifiers (Including ultrasonic cool and ultrasonic warm mist humidifiers). Standard evaporative, evaporative cool mist and evaporative warm mist humidifiers do not produce white dust and IMO are safe. :)
 
I'm really looking for what the best type of humidifier that works with rats. I remember there being a thread a while ago on what type of humidifier should be used.

Also, I should add that I live in an apartment and can't access the furnace (it's in a locked room in our apartment and none of our keys can access it).

I think an evaporative humidifier would really benefit you and your ratties. I would suggest picking up a cheap digital humidistat if one doesn't come installed on the humidifier. You want to make sure that the humidity in your apartment isn't too high because that can cause issues of its own. 48% to 55% is ideal...once you start getting into the 65-75% + range you're setting the perfect environment that encourages dust mite population growth, mold/fungal growth and a slew of other respiratory issues.

Also consider the size of the main living space when choosing a humidifier. I'd suggest something that can condition the air in a 600 sqft space rather than a tabletop or small humidifier. I would also make sure to keep it 10 inches from walls and furniture and I would not keep it right next to the rat cage either. If you choose an evaporative humidifier that can handle medium to large spaces, it will do a great job on its own to raise and maintain humidity for the entire apartment without needing to be placed next to you or the ratties. :)

I did a quick search for evaporative humidifiers for larger spaces and found this:
https://www.allergybuyersclub.com/vornado-evdc500-energy-smart-evaporative-humidifier.html

There are tons of sales going on right now so if you're thinking about picking up a humidifier, today and tomorrow might be the best time to do it. :)
 
I just bought Vicks germ free cool evaporative humidifier.
It has UV light to kill germs bacteria and viruses.
Hoping it's a good choice, but it sounded like there best.
 
Since I have a bird as well, I had gone onto a bird forum to see if it would be the same and it's kind of funny, they gave me the exact same numbers lol.
 
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