I purchased this humidifier during the winter months for my bedroom since I kept on catching a cold and getting very congested and wheezing in my sleep.
This Vicks humidifier was really helpful throughout the whole winter it lets out a nice amount of mist and you can really tell the difference its a great feeling waking up not as congested as before.
I like that it has 2 settings on the high setting you can run it for around 8-9 hours which will last you the whole night on the lower setting it will last for around 19- 20 hours on average.
I also love that it has a auto turn off so you dont have to worry about it staying on when the water runs out.
Like any humidifier or anything that you let water sit in MOLD WILL GROW so dont flip out if you see mold whats good about this is that its very easy to clean out and with proper maintenance you wont have any major issues with mold or anything else like that.
You can wipe it clean or use vinegar to kill the mold this one is very easy to clean.
My only issue is that its just a little big so its hard to find the perfect spot to put it but thats just my preference so I cant take off a star for that reason alone.
On the other hand a plus of having a bigger humidifier is that the water will last longer and will reach your whole room instead of just 1 small area.
I also like that this is not to noisy its actually a soft soothing noise that helps me fall asleep.
All in all this is a great humidifier it really works well does a perfect job easy to use easy to clean and a solid price point as well.
If you found my review helpful it’d be great if you[...]. I am happy to leave reviews to help others make decisions prior to purchase and I enjoy reading your reviews to help me with mine
I love Amazon because of the reviews. For the most part, the reviews are honest, detailed and very helpful, especially when a true defect or some other "quirk" is described. However, many of the reviews for this item are really...bizarre! I have to wonder what some of these reviewers were actually thinking. Also, are they are realistic in their expectations? It is what it is - an inexpensive humidifier. It WILL make some noise, It will NOT humidify your entire house, it WILL require cleaning and care, it will NOT last forever, etc.
1) This item is being shipped from a warehouse to your home. If it arrives broken, cracked, leaking or damaged in any way, contact Amazon- they offer one of the best return policies around. This is an issue with whoever shipped it, not a reason to leave a one-star rating.
2) This is a HUMIDIFIER and uses tap water and electricity to create a heated mist. Should you be horrified to find mold or mildew? NO. Does it require regular maintenance and cleaning? YES. There is no way around it. If you allow water to sit, mold will grow. If you use tap water, there is a good chance you will have mineral deposits. Inspect the humidifier each time you fill it.
When you re-fill the tank, give it a good rinsing out. It if smells, add a teaspoon of bleach, swish it around and dump it out.
If it has deposits around the heating element, pour vinegar into the bottom, let it sit for a few hours, take a small toothbrush to it and rinse it out.
If it has deposits on the plastic pieces, remove them from the unit and soak them in vinegar, same as above. It is not difficult to disassemble at all.
It is a fact of life, humidifiers need to be cleaned and maintained.
3) This is a very INEXPENSIVE humidifier. Is it helpful to compare it to a humidifier that costs 5x as much? NO. That is like comparing a Toyota Corolla (MSRP 25K) to a Bentley Continental (MSRP 175K).
4) This is an electrical device. Like anything that uses electricity, it has the potential to start a fire. Even though it has an automatic shut-off, I wouldn't bet my house on it. Pay a little attention to it and treat it like any other electrical device.
5) Seriously, having to carry it by it's handle with the plug on top is a big issue? Would you carry a bottle of water (or any liquid with a screw cap, for that matter) upside down? As for the leaking, screwing the cap on tightly and carrying it by it's handle would probably help.
6) Will it last for a lifetime? NO. Does any inexpensive product last beyond a few years? NO. Will the gaskets dry out if it is stored for long periods of time? It's entirely possible. Again, this is an INEXPENSIVE humidifier.
BOTTOM LINE: It is very reasonable priced, does a good job and lasts a couple of years if you take care of it. I am about to make my 4th purchase of this exact humidifier. I read the reviews to see if anything changed or if a better, similarly priced unit was introduced into the market. The answer is NO. This is the best deal for the money.
****UPDATE**** 11/19/2011 Almost one year later, last week I pulled out the humidifiers and gave 'em a nice, thorough cleaning, set 'em up and they are working perfectly. I am going on at least my 5th New England winter with the first one I bought, and it still works like new - whisper quiet, zero leaking, couldn't be happier for the price! From the looks of it, Amazon's price hasn't changed much either (although it does fluctuate day-to-day). It's still the BEST YOU"LL FIND in this price range!
LIGHT: Really soft. Doesn't keep me awake at night which is normally easy to do.
MOISTURE OUTPUT: Excellent. Windows were covered in water after running it on high overnight.
NOISE: Very minimal, really quiet bubbling. Video for sound.
Bought this one after reading about how warm humidifying methods are better than cool, ultrasonic, etc due to not distributing bacteria and water minerals into the air. Closed my bedroom door and turned it up on high for the first night thinking the results would be minimal. Woke up in the morning and the windows were so covered with moisture that I couldn't see outside. Works really well! Going to buy a second one for the living area.
I live in New England, and with the heat on in the winter, I usually wake up with a bloody nose and a sore throat. With the humidifier, I wake up normally. It definitely serves its purpose.
I was nervous about the noise level with all the other reviews. On the high setting, it makes a bit of noise, but it's more like a white noise. There are gurgling/bubble noises every once in a while, but this doesn't bother me. I'm a VERY light sleeper and I haven't been woken by this yet.
I was also nervous about the night light. You cannot turn this off, but it's very dim. I have it facing the wall so I don't see it at all. But even so, it reminds me of a digital clock. It's just a dim green.
I'm sure there are other top notch humidifiers out there, but I was looking for inexpensive. I have no complaints.
Very very very very very very very good purchase. I have sinus issues during the winter, and this solved them immediately. During the rest of the year, I use this to make the air in my home more hospitable (i.e. less dry), which allows me to grow air-root plants. It also helps me to reduce the static shocks I get in the winter.
The rest of this review looks like a lot of work, but it really really is not. The actual cleaning takes maybe 20 minutes of your time. The rest of it is just waiting for the white vinegar to do its work. I made my instructions very specific, so that is why my review is long.
WORD OF WARNING:
As with ANY warm-air humidifier, you need to own up to the fact that it will require regular cleaning. that come with it. You NEED to read the instructions that come with this product. Think of the humidifier like your phone, and think of cleaning the humidifier like charging your phone. Alternatively, think of the humidifier like your dishes, and think of cleaning the humidifier like cleaning your dishes. Using your humidifier will allow mineral build-up from the water you use to fill the tank (even if you use filtered water, like me, which GREATLY minimizes the mineral build-up). Using your phone will drain the battery, and using your dishes will make them dirty. If you want to use your phone, you need to charge it. If you want to use your dishes, you need to clean them. Don't expect some magical fairy to clean your things for you or charge your phone.
The mineral build-up occurs because there are particles in your water, some of which are natural. Because this is a warm-air humidifier, the heating element will heat the water to create steam (i.e. evaporation). Whatever cannot evaporate will remain on the heating element. It's like taking salt water and leaving it in a pot under the sun. Eventually, all that will remain after several hours is the salt because the salt couldn't evaporate. The minerals cannot evaporate and will remain on the heating element. If you leave the mineral build-up on the heating element, the heating element cannot heat the water properly, and it also provides a very good environment for bacteria and mold to grow. You do NOT want bacteria and mold growing on your humidifier, because spores can become airborne, and you absolutely do NOT want to breathe that in.
Here are a few tips:
1) Use ONLY purified water (get a cheap Brita water pitcher) in the tank. This prevents you from having to clean it LITERALLY every time you fill the tank up. In other words, if you use unfiltered water, you will need to soak the heating element EVERY time your tank runs dry.
2) If, like me, you use filtered water and you have let the humidifier run through 3 or 4 tanks-worth of water without cleaning it, you will want white vinegar, which comes in a huge 2-gallon jug at your local grocery store.
3) When wiping off the heating element in your humidifier, use a soft cotton wash cloth or a paper towel. DO NOT USE A SCRUBBER or HARSH CLOTH ON THE HEATING ELEMENT. Rough/scrubby cloths, sponges, etc. will scratch and create grooves on the heating element, which provide more surface area for the mineral build-up to occur. (You'll see this reminder again later)
How to clean it after you've filled and used up 3 to 4 tanks of filtered water:
[note: "chamber" refers to the concave area around the heating element. "Tank" refers to the blue water tank that says "Vicks" on it.]
1) For the love of all that is good in the world, UNPLUG the humidifier before you even begin cleaning. Then, let the heating element cool down for an hour.
2) Remove the water tank and rinse it out (believe me, the tank can get dirty too, even if you use filtered water). Then remove all the removable parts (sounds stupid when I write it but once you get this humidifier in your house, you'll understand). You'll see this round, gray thing. That's the heating element.
3) Fill the area surrounding the heating element with white vinegar, making sure you cover the top of the heating element. Let it sit overnight. The instructions say 20 minutes, but I have found that it's better to let it sit overnight or even over two nights, especially if you can see any white residue on the heating element. If, after a few hours, you see the white vinegar in the chamber turning cloudy, then empty the vinegar into the sink and replenish the chamber with fresh white vinegar.
4) Drain the white vinegar into the sink and have tap water running while you do this.
4) Rinse the heating element area (and anywhere that had white vinegar) with tap water.
5) Use a soft dish cloth or Bounty paper towels (not the kind that you get in public bathrooms) to wipe the sides and top of the heating element.** Rinse with water. Then use a chopstick or a spoon to gently slide the towel or dish cloth down the sides of the chamber so you can wipe and dry the hard-to-reach parts of the humidifier. Rinse with water again.
**DO NOT USE A SCRUBBER or HARSH CLOTH ON THE HEATING ELEMENT. Rough/scrubby cloths, sponges, etc. will scratch and create grooves on the heating element, which provide more surface area for the mineral build-up to occur.
6) Thoroughly dry the humidifier
Use again.
Feature Product
- VICKS WARM MIST HUMIDIFIER: This warm mist humidifier, for bedrooms, baby nurseries, kids bedrooms, or anyplace where you want congestion relief, can be used with Vicks VapoSteam for medicated vapors. Filter-free, full 1 gallon tank can run for 24 hours
- VICKS HUMIDIFIERS FOR KIDS, ADULTS: Humidifier diffuses 95% bacteria free mist into the air. Many women and men find that a humidifier for the bedroom becomes an essential part of a good night's sleep when the air is dry, in allergy season, or when sick
- COUGH & CONGESTION RELIEF: When you or your kid has a cold, it can be difficult to sleep through the night. Humidifiers and vaporizers provide temporary relief from coughing and congestion, so your rest won't be as disturbed by coughing fits
Description
Vicks Pure Warm Mist Humidifier for Relief of Cold & Flu Symptoms. This humidifier boils water to a pure steam vapor up to 96% bacteria free. This mixes with dry air in the cooling chamber to release warm, moist air into the room. Perfect for medium to large rooms. Fill the Water Tank with clean, cool, tap water and replace the Tank Cap by firmly turning clockwise. Turn the tank upright and check Tank Cap for leaks. If any water drips from Tank Cap, remove it and re-tighten.
Pleased with the humidifier for it's price point. It gets the job done and is quiet for the bedroom. Two things that may make me seek a different one out if/when this one gives out:
1) It damaged our dresser. We had it sitting directly on top of our dresser, and the heating element or something on the bottom destroyed the varnish. We found it after just the second use. We now have it sitting on top of a ceramic hot plate. Thankfully it was a hand-me-down dresser so I'm not too torn up about it. Just a warning to others though, may want to use some sort of hot plate?
2) For the master bedroom we use it on the higher of the two settings, and a full jug of water doesn't even make it through the entire night. I wish it could hold enough water to last the entire night on high.
Aside from those things it's a perfectly good humidifier.
This item arrived well packaged and is as advertised. The item is sturdy and works well. I appreciate that it has an automatic shut off feature and I don't have to worry about it once I turn it on. Another nice feature is being able to choose from a low and high feature. I usually use the high setting because I turn it on when I go to bed and want as much humidity as I can get. By the time I wake up 6-7 hours later it has already emptied the container and shut itself off. The design is pretty nice in comparison to other humidifiers that I have seen. My only gripe is that the bottom of the water container does leak. And just to clarify, it leaks into a small container that appears meant to contain the fluid, and it has NOT leaked outside of the unit onto furniture or the floor. My only concern is that the leak could potentially become worse and actually go onto furniture and the floor. I have had this item for 6 months now and while this has never happened, it is a concern. Other than that I think it's a pretty good product. I just make sure not to leave water in the container if I'm going to be away for more than a few days due to my concern about the leak.
We live in Arizona where it NEVER rains. I’ve had humidifiers in the past where the filters get moldy and then nobody sells replacement filters. This is an awesome humidifier that we have been running nonstop since we bought it about a month and a half ago. We also have extremely hard water, and I’ll tell you... after about a week of running nonstop the heating element is covered with mineral buildup. Guess what! It cleans up super easy... maybe use a metal spoon to scrape off any harder stuff. I would buy this humidifier again and again and have already told several people about it and it’s a really great price! I hope it lasts a long time.
Great humidifier! We have two. During the winter our house gets dry. We keep one in each bedroom. On low mode it won't go through a container of water. However, if you put it on high mode and forget luckily it has a shut off function.
Pros:
Automatic shut off
2 modes high and low
warms up room
Cons:
Warms up room
Calcium builds up on the heating element. I soak in vinegar at the end of the year.
First, I bought the highly rated Honeywell cool air humidifier. It was intolerably loud. Then I bought the highly rated STU cool/warm mist ultrasonic humidifier. The STU,without a fan, the warm mist fell to floor making a carpet damp, and damaging (slightly after a few days) a hard wood floor. Both ran around $75.
Then I got the Vicks. Yes. slight noise. But the warm mist goes straight up, not damaging the floor or making the carpet moist. Plus I got higher humidity faster than the other two.
All for only $35. Save your money. Buy this one.
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