Alternative To Distilled Water In Humidifier (One Might Surprise You)

  • By: madison
  • Date: December 2, 2022
  • Time to read: 5 min.

One of the most common questions is whether you can use something other than distilled water in your humidifier.

The short answer is yes! In your humidifier, you can use filtered water, rainwater, or even boiled water.

However, there are a few things to remember when choosing an alternative to distilled water.

Key Takeways

  • The most common type of humidifier is the evaporative humidifier, which uses a wick to absorb water from a reservoir and diffuse it into the air.
  • Some people believe that using distilled water in their humidifier is the best way to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold.
  • However, a few alternative options can be just as effective, if not more so.
  • One option is to use demineralized water, which has had its minerals removed through reverse osmosis or deionization.
  • Another option is to use filtered water, which has had many impurities removed through filtration.
Distilled water in a bottle
Alternative To Distilled Water In Humidifier

Here’s The Answer To An Alternative To Distilled Water In Humidifier

While distilled water humidifiers effectively increase humidity, they have some drawbacks. One drawback is that they can be expensive to operate.

Distilled water must be constantly replenished, which can add up to a significant expense over time. Additionally, distilled water can be challenging to find in some areas.

An alternative to using distilled water in your humidifier is to use filtered water. Filtered water has many of the same benefits as distilled water but is much less expensive and easier to find.

Additionally, filtered water does not need to be replenished as often as distilled water, saving you money.

Boiled Water

Boiled water being filled to bottles
Boiled Water

If you live where the air is dry and your home needs a little extra moisture, you might have a humidifier to keep you from feeling stuffy.

But what if you’re worried about the possibility of bacteria or viruses in your water? Boiling it for three to five minutes will kill any bacteria or viruses in the water.

Allow the boiling water to cool completely before using it in your humidifier.

Keep an eye on those bottles of distilled water! They may not be suitable for your health after all!

Filtered Water

Water filters do more than just remove chlorine from tap water. They can remove bacteria, viruses, and other impurities as well.

Filtered water will clean your humidifier, making it safer than tap or distilled water.

Distilled Water

There is no replacement for distilled water when it comes to using it in your humidifier.

Distilled water has been boiled and all impurities removed, making it the safest option in your humidifier.

It’s also free of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that can sometimes cause problems with your lungs or throat if you use tap or mineral water.

The main reason why doctors recommend distilled water over other types of bottled water is that they feel that distilled water is a more pure form of H2O than other options out there.

Rainwater

Rainwater is one of the best alternatives to distilled water for humidifiers. The main reason is that rainwater is clean and doesn’t contain any impurities, unlike tap water which contains chlorine and other chemicals.

Rainwater also contains minerals that are good for your health, so you don’t have to worry about your skin drying out or being damaged by these contaminants in tap water.

While rainwater does have some benefits over distilled water, make sure that you’re using clean sources of the collection as there can be contaminants in some areas of rainfall, such as pollen or dust particles, that could cause issues with your health if they get into your lungs while breathing through a humidifier at night while sleeping.

How Does Humidity Help To Improve Your Health And Well-Being?

Water and filter
How Does Humidity Help To Improve Your Health And Well-Being
  • Humidity helps to relieve dry skin and nasal passages. Dry air makes it more difficult for you to breathe, which can lead to coughing, congestion, and other respiratory problems.
  • Humidity reduces static electricity that causes your hair and clothing to stand on end when you’re in an area with low humidity.
  • Humidity keeps dust mites and other allergens under control, so you don’t have to worry about sleeping all night or suffering from itchy eyes in the morning.
  • Humidity helps reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses such as colds because it prevents dry surfaces from becoming breeding grounds for germs that cause these illnesses.

Why Is Distilled Water Generally Considered The Best Water To Use In A Humidifier?

You might be wondering why distilled water is so often recommended for humidifiers. After all, it’s not like you can drink it—it does have a very slight amount of mineral content, which could be dangerous.

But when it comes to humidifiers and other applications where the water will come into contact with your skin or body, distilled water has several distinct advantages over other kinds of water.

For starters, distilled water has been boiled and had all of its impurities removed through the distillation process (hence its name).

This makes it the safest option for humidifiers because you don’t have to worry about bacteria or other harmful substances in your machine if you use distilled water instead of tap or well water.

Are There Any Alternative Types Of Water That Can Be Used In A Humidifier?

Are you looking for an alternative to distilled water in your humidifier? If so, boiled water is one option. Boiled water is also known as “soft water” or “deionized water.” It has virtually no minerals and can generally be used without adding any additional components.

However, if you’re looking to use bottled mineral water as an alternative to distilled water in a humidifier, that will not work because it’s already been treated with minerals.

You’d have to take out all of the minerals before putting them into your home humidifier—which takes time and effort (not worth it!).

Filtered tap water will also work, but only if you buy a filter specifically designed with humidifiers (available online).

Conclusion

While distilled water is the most effective way to prevent mineral buildup in your humidifier, there are a few other options you can try if you’re having trouble finding it.

You can use filtered water, demineralized water, or even boiled water. Just be sure to change the water regularly to prevent any buildup.

Try one of these three alternatives if you’re looking for distilled water substitutes for your humidifier. Just be sure to change the water regularly to prevent any buildup.

For more information on humidifiers and how to use them effectively, check out other articles on our website or follow us on social media.

Author

Kenneth Sine
Kenneth Sine

My name is Kenneth Sine, and I’m a product engineer who has been working with humidifiers for over ten years now. In my spare time, I write for HumidifierSource.com, where I share my knowledge with others who want to learn more about the world of humidifiers.