In case your family suffers from spring allergies like mine do, I've got a great tip -- get a humidifier. Humidifiers can really help allergy sufferers, especially in dry climates, because dry air can irritate nasal passageways and stimulate mucus production. We have the Vicks Cool Mist Germfree Humidifier in each of our bedrooms and in the living room, and we run them all night. They really help with Alfie's sinus headaches, 3Po's eczema, Jammy's and my runny, itchy eyes and The Pea's runny nose.
A couple of months ago Vicks hosted an blogger event to feature some products to help moms get through the cold and flu season, such as their Behind the Ear thermometer, cool and warm mist humidifiers and inhalers. We're coming out of the cold and flu season now, but their tips on getting the most out of your humidifier is more relevant than ever during allergy season, so I wanted to share them with you:
* Get a humidity monitor for your room so you know how much moisture you should be adding to your air, and you'll be able to adjust your humidifier's settings accordingly.
* Replace your humidifier's filter about once every 6 weeks. This really enhances the humidifier's performance (in fact, you'll notice the water level in your humidifier going down much quicker with a new filter, since so much more water can pass through it).
* Clean out your humidifier once a month with bleach and/or alcohol to get rid of any mold or germs.
* Replace your humidifier once every 2 years.
By the way, Vicks' humidifier lineup is amazing! All the humidifiers in our home are Vicks Cool Mist Germfree Humidifiers, and we couldn't be happier with them. When Vicks heard that we use their humidifiers, they offered to send us another model to try out, so I chose their Starry Night Humidifier. You can tell that a mom designed this product, because not only is it a great humidifier, it's also a nightlight for your kids' room! It has a built-in projector that transforms your ceiling into a starry night that changes colors every few seconds. The kids LOVE the star show, although I do wish it had a dimmer, because it is kind of bright, especially in smaller rooms. I also wish there were a timer function so it could turn itself off after a set number of minutes -- but despite those shortcomings, I would highly recommend it for a young child's room, particularly a child who is just learning to sleep on his own, or moving from a crib to a toddler bed. The lights are soothing and comforting, and since mom and dad are probably in and out of his room, it's not a big deal for them to turn the projector off.
Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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