The humidifier adds moisture content to the air by producing a mist or vapor. It has become a must-have for households in arid regions.
When more and more people have it at home, they start to wonder if it can be used for other purposes. For example, put alcohol in a humidifier to inhale alcohol vapor.
No, you can’t put alcohol in a humidifier. It will not only damage the machine but also pose health risks to your health and even catch fire. Note that using rubbing alcohol to clean a humidifier is fine.
This is just a short answer. In this post, I will elaborate on why putting alcohol in a humidifier is a bad idea and how to use rubbing alcohol in a humidifier. Read on!
Can I put alcohol in a humidifier?
As I said, putting alcohol in a humidifier is a big no-no. Many of us assume it is similar to drinking alcohol, but this is a totally different story. It can damage both your appliance and yourself. There are 3 main reasons why you can’t add alcohol to a humidifier.
Alcohol can easily catch fire
Alcohol is a flammable agent. The alcohol in the humidifier can be expelled and form alcohol vapor.
When alcohol vapor comes across any fire in the room, it is likely to trigger an explosion which can lead to a disaster.
Aside from that, things can get even worse when you have a warm mist humidifier or vaporizer. These humidifiers use heating elements to boil the liquid, increasing the likelihood of a fire.
For the sake of the safety of your family and yourself, you should never run a humidifier with alcohol.
Health risks
Drinking alcohol, especially too much alcohol, is not good for our health. But many people choose to neglect it because it may not cause any deadly consequences in a short time.
Compared to drinking, inhaling alcohol could be even more dangerous for our health. Hence, we should avoid breathing in the alcohol vapor discharged by a humidifier. In fact, many states in the US have banned alcohol inhalers.
What is the difference between inhaling alcohol and drinking alcohol?
The liquid will get into your body through the mouth and stomach when you are drinking. Then it will be dissolved into small particles and get into the blood. If you consume too much, your body will know it and expel it through vomiting.
Alcohol will get into your body in another way while inhaling. It will get through the nasal passage, the airway, and the lungs and then get into the blood. It means that alcohol can get into the blood much quicker by means of alcohol vapor.
In the beginning, you may feel the concentration of alcohol vapor in the air is pretty low, but it will increase gradually. You can quickly get intoxicated or even pass out in the room in this situation. Your body can’t react to it, which results in alcohol poisoning.
You may get burning eyes, constant cough, and headaches.
Ruin your humidifier
Humidifiers are meant to work with water, so the material is not able to resistant to corrosion of strong agents. When you fill the tank with alcohol and let it sit for a long time, it will damage the surface and parts, causing malfunction.
This also applies to essential oils, and we don’t recommend you put in essential oil either.
Can I put vodka in a humidifier?
No, you can’t do it. Vodka is a type of alcohol, so it has all the disadvantages other drinks have when added to a humidifier.
The alcohol vapor is diluted when it gets into the air. Therefore, you will not feel satisfied with it, let long the fire emergency, burning eyes, and alcohol poisoning you may get.
If drinking vodka can make you happy, just stay with it and don’t drink too much. Don’t try to inhale it.
Is it safe to put rubbing alcohol in a humidifier?
Rubbing alcohol is an effective cleaning agent to kill bacteria and mold. Therefore, it is safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean and sanitize your humidifier, but you can’t run the machine with rubbing alcohol.
The alcohol vapor can’t disinfect the air and it is dangerous if you inhale it into your airway and lungs.
There is no significant difference between cleaning with white vinegar and cleaning with rubbing alcohol. After emptying the water tank, you can sock a soft cloth in alcohol for a few seconds and use it to wipe away the impurities left on the base and tank. Then rinse with water and let it air dry.
You can also pour a cup of alcohol into the tank and let it sit for half an hour. After that, empty the tank and rinse with water until the machine doesn’t smell like alcohol anymore.
Conclusion
Once again, you can’t put alcohol in a humidifier. Only use rubbing alcohol when cleaning it. Don’t try to imitate what you have seen on TV, which will put you at risk.
The alcohol vapor is not as enjoyable as you imagine. It can set fire quickly, and when you breathe it in, it will get into the blood and try to damage your body quickly. Your body may not be able to fight back before you pass out.
If you are one of those who want the device last longer, you should avoid alcohol as well. The alcohol will ruin the surface material and tiny parts, causing malfunction very soon.
Don’t always think about adding anything to a humidifier. The best for your humidifier is always the distilled water.
Drink alcohol directly and take the medication with a nebulizer. Your humidifier can’t serve these purposes as you expect. But it can bring you the comfortable environment you desire.
