There is a general misguided feeling that humidifiers can clean smoke from the air. This has seen households with smokers acquiring humidifier units in an effort to keep their houses free from smoke. You may not be a smoker yourself, but the smoke from the cigarette in the mouth of a person next to you will definitely affect you. Passive smoking is just as dangerous as active smoking.
If you are seated next to a smoker with a lighted cigarette dangling in their mouth, you will likely inhale a little of the smoke they are pumping out through their nostrils. Consequently, you are also likely to suffer from respiratory diseases caused by inhaling cigarette smoke. If you are living in the same house as active smokers, you have to do something about it in order to safeguard your health.
Contrary to the popular belief fueled by false ads, using humidifiers will not solve the problem. The following reasons explain why humidifiers will not help you get rid of cigarette smoke from your house.
Misleading ads
You need to get the facts right before you go shopping for a humidifier. While ads provide important information about the product, they may not be reliable. In a desperate bid to win customers and beat the stifling competition, companies may structure their ads in such a way that they exaggerate the effectiveness of their products. It is; therefore, not uncommon to come across humidifier ads that claim to have the magical ability to clear smoke from your indoor air.
Humidifiers simply add moisture to the dry air in your room. Consequently, they are not able to pull in the smoke-laden air and clean it accordingly. You may need to eject the smoker from your midst, or else, be ready to bear the consequences of passive smoking. If the problem in your house is cigarette smoke, you need to consult experts for the best way forward. Humidifiers may not be of much help to you and your household.
Nature of operation
The mode of operation of humidifiers makes their ability to clean air doubtful. Humidifiers have a reservoir of water which they turn into an invisible mist and eject into the air. They are especially important during winter when the air is dry. It is not clear how such a mechanism may also clean the air of cigarette smoke. Humidifiers do not have the capacity to suck air and get rid of smoke from it before releasing it back into the atmosphere of the room.
If you are looking to purify your indoor air, you have better go for air purifiers. To purify the air or get rid of cigarette smoke, you may need a much bigger machine; otherwise, it may take ages for it to be effective. If the air in your room is also dry, you need two machines: an air purifier and a humidifier. Take note that a lot of patience may be needed here.
Tackle the source
Humidifiers will not rid the air in your room of cigarette smoke. Consequently, you will need to address the source of the smoke. If it is a member of the family who is addicted to smoking, it will be helpful to seek help. Let them understand the dangers of smoking. Tell them about lung cancer and other deadly respiratory diseases. Find ways of helping them come out of the addiction. Meanwhile, before they quit smoking, let there be designated smoking zones around the compound. Make it clear that no one is allowed to smoke while indoors.
The most effective way of tackling cigarette smoke in the house is not to allow it in the house in the first place. Humidifiers won’t do much for you. If the smoke is seeping into your house from the next-door neighbor, you may consider holding talks with them or moving house. Let them be aware of the harm they are subjecting you to. Desperate times call for desperate measures. It may be necessary to involve the relevant authorities if the neighbor does not adjust their lifestyle. Keep your house free of smoke by all means possible.
Chemical reaction
There is no way humidifiers are going to flush out cigarette smoke from your indoor air. The moisture they release into the air may react with the chemical components in smoke to create a new chemical. You will then inhale this chemical and this may cause serious implications for your health. Furthermore, the combination of smoke and moisture may create a layer that may cover the components of the humidifier, preventing it from working properly.
The chemical reaction between moisture and smoke may result in asthmatic cases in your household. In cases where there are members of the family who are already asthmatic, smoke may aggravate the symptoms. Consequently, having a humidifier in the room is no guarantee that smoking will have no effect on the other inhabitants of the house. Clearly, humidifier units will not be able to rid smoke, or any other impurities, from the indoor air of your house.
Conclusion
It must be clear to you by now that humidifiers have no effect on cigarette smoke in your house. They work to provide moisture in the air and have no mechanism for cleaning the same air in your house. Forget about the ads claiming that humidifier units can clean the air – they are simply a marketing stunt meant to attract attention to humidifier products.
Unless it is winter, or the air is particularly dry, it would be unhealthy having a working humidifier in your house. It would be better to get rid of the smoker, or the source of smoke from your house. Find ways of making them stop smoking as it is harmful to their health – and yours as well. If the smoke is from a stubborn neighbor, seek help from the relevant authorities. Neighbors have a right to smoke whatever they want, but not at the expense of your health and that of your family members.