Humidifiers are our saviors as we rely on them whenever we want to bring the moisture level in the air on track. But this beneficial device messes things up if the placement is not appropriate. Well, you might want to place it on the floor, but you can’t, or rather you shouldn’t.
And this would obviously make you wonder why you can’t put a humidifier on the floor.
A humidifier releases water vapor or steam to escalate the humidity in the air. Thus, it gets hard for the mist to get mixed with the air properly when on the floor. As a result, it makes your floor wet, so you should not put it on the floor.
Then what’s an appropriate place for our humidifier? I’ll be discussing it in detail in this article.
Why It’s Unsafe to Put a Humidifier on the Floor?
We already know that putting a humidifier on the floor is not ideal. But comparatively, larger humidifiers don’t make the mess as much as the smaller ones. Do you want to know what kind of mess? Check the details out.
1. Mold Grows and Spreads
A small humidifier, when placed on the floor, cannot cover a larger space. The moisture can’t reach much higher from the floor. Thus, when the steam cannot spread and falls in one particular place, it gives birth to mold. This is one of the reasons for pink mold and residue buildup in humidifiers.
Sometimes in our house, we’ve wooden furniture or floor; if you’ve too, it’s already code-red for you! As for mold, it’s easier to grow in wooden substances when water penetrates.
Also, when a small humidifier is placed on a carpet, it’s pretty easy for the mold to grow beneath the surface. This mold can damage your household furniture and lead to several health issues, so it’s better to prevent it beforehand.
2. Increases Chance of Falling
When you have a small warm mist humidifier, the steam or vapor from it makes the floor surface slippery.
It makes the floor extremely dangerous for kids too. Kids tend to run around the house, so they might hurt themselves while running.
Plus, the tiny device can be a reason for you to be tripping over it.
3. Dissimilar Vapor Scattering
When a small humidifier is placed on the floor, it will not cover your entire room but rather condensate the floor area.
That’s why you should always place the device in a high place so it can cover a larger area.
Where to Put Your Humidifier?
Where to put it when you can’t put it on the floor? Well, you should place it on a flat and dry surface, which is in a much higher position from the floor.
Most importantly, it’s better to choose a place that is a bit higher than the floor – basically, the higher, the better. However, you can place a stand or a table in your room to make space for your humidifier.
Placing it on the floor directly or on a carpet or rug can harm you instead of being beneficial. The mists could make the floor wet and damage your fancy carpets. Also, the humidifier will be a total loss, as the mist cannot spread around.
Bedroom or Living Room Which Is an Ideal Option?
Each of them is a perfect placement option. If we talk about our bedroom, generally, we spend ⅓ of our life in our bedroom! But where to put it in the bedroom to make it function efficiently?
An ideal place would be higher and a bit further than your bed. You can keep it around 3-5 feet from your bed, allowing the humidifier to circulate the air adequately.
Experts recommended that placing it on a nightstand can be dangerous as you might push them accidentally. But during the daytime, you can easily keep it on a nightstand.
Just like we spend so much time in our bedroom, we spend equivalently or half of that in the living room. As the living room has multiple electronics, you should be careful with the placement.
You may place it on the table beside your sofa to keep it in a higher position. But if you have small kids or pets, choose a place out of their sight.
Humidifier Placement Ideas/Considerations
Improper placement can make your room feel dry rather than moist. There are several factors you should keep in your mind before placing it.
- Accessibility of Windows
When it comes to placing a humidifier beside a window, it should be kept in mind that it’s not placed in front of a window. If placed next to a window, it can formulate the growth of algae in the humidifier tank.
Plus, direct UV rays are considered harmful as they might be a reason for a humidifier to have bacteria growing, which could spread through the mist.
But if it’s placed between two windows, sufficient airflow will let the mist circulate throughout a room. This adequate placement will increase the equal distribution of humidity.
- Minimum Distance to Put a Humidifier
The reason why we can’t put a humidifier on the floor is the same reason why we cannot just put it close to the ceiling. The minimum distance will be at least 4-5 feet above the ground or 4 feet below the ceiling.
Suppose you place it close to the ceiling where the humidifier releases the moisturized air in an upward direction. In the long term, it might be a reason for ceiling paint damage and mold infestation.
- Away From Electronics
Electronic devices are always suggested to keep away from water. When placing a humidifier, it should be kept in mind that the mist doesn’t closely contact your electronic devices. Otherwise, the moisture will get inside the electronic devices and make them malfunction.
Place Near Plants
Nowadays, houseplants have been one of the most prominent mediums for home decoration. But how many of you know, they need tremendous humidity to stay hydrated?
For this, keeping them near the humidifier can be one of the ideal positions. However, a humidifier can cover a room by around 60-80% by its ability to increase room humidity.
And to ensure the most of it for plants, placing the humidifier near them will be ideal.
- Place It in the Center
Humidifiers are often placed in the corner of the room. But it’s a terrible choice for a humidifier to be placed as the steam might damage the wall.
If you want your humidifier to cover the room to get equal moisture, put it at the center.
When Can You Place Humidifiers on the Floor?
It’s not like you can’t put any humidifier on the floor. Some models are built in a way that allows them to place on the floor. If you want to put it on the floor, look for the following features before you purchase a device –
1. For a Taller Humidifier
When your humidifier is larger, it can disperse the humidity in the entire room rather than just on the ground. As a result, the chances of growing mold and slippery floors are significantly reduced.
2. Humidifier with Wheels
Some humidifiers have small wheels that separate the humidifier base and floor. That allows the floor to remain dry, ensuring airflow.
Bonus Tip
Keep the humidifier in an uplifted place at the center of the rooms. Move it around if the humidifier still needs to cover up your space with humidity. This reposition will make an equal distribution.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can a humidifier be placed on the floor?
No. You cannot just put your humidifier on the floor, as it’ll not be able to distribute the moisturized air evenly across the entire room. Also, if the device directly contacts the floor, it will make the floor wet and slippery.
- Why can’t you put a humidifier on wood?
The humidifier sometimes adds much moisture, which condenses the air. As a result, your wooden furniture or cabinets might get rot.
- Where should you not put a humidifier?
A humidifier should not be placed on the floor, on wooden furniture, or in a room’s corner, as these areas don’t allow the moisture to disperse properly.
- What surface should a humidifier sit on?
A humidifier should sit in such a place where it’s a bit elevated and dry.
Conclusion
As with small humidifiers, it gets hard to get the most from them if we put them on the floor. And the right usage can make it more beneficial, which I tried to focus on in this article.
Hopefully, you got no confusion left regarding why you can’t put a humidifier on the floor. You should be able to get the idea for proper placement in your house, be it in the living room or bedroom.
