Knowing your home devices and their uses

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us extra cautious when it comes to cleanliness of our living spaces. It saw us disinfecting practically everything—from the shoes we wore outside to table tops, doorknobs, our most frequently used gadgets, even the grocery items that we bring inside our homes. We are fighting an invisible yet vicious enemy so it is not surprising if we have become obsessed with keeping everything hopefully virus-free, from the surfaces we touch to the air we breathe.

With the need to ensure sanitation and enhance well-being, we’ve turned our attention to products that offer that can give us some peace of mind when it comes to dodging viruses and germs.

While we have viewed these devices before as mere whims, we’re now treating them as added defenses to arm ourselves against illnesses. But how sure are you that what you’re bringing home with you is the right machine?

Humidifiers

Air conditioners make our living spaces a more comfortable place to stay in, given how hot it is in our country, especially in the highly urbanized areas. Airconditioners, however, remove moisture in the air which in turn cause breathing difficulties, sore throat, dry skin and chapped lips.

Humidifiers increase the humidity or moisture in the room to counter the dryness caused by airconditioning. Some benefits of humidifiers include preventing dry cough, reducing snoring or difficulty in breathing while sleeping and keeping the skin from getting dry, flaky and itchy.

The plants that we keep indoors also benefit from the moisture from humidifiers. It also helps wood floors and furniture to last longer and prevents wallpaper from cracking.

Dehumidifiers

From a machine that adds moisture to the air, we go to one that removes moisture from it. Dehumidifiers suck in air, take the moisture out of it, then release the air back into our living spaces. This explains why your dehumidifier accumulates water.

Dehumidifiers may come in handy during the rainy or cold season. It is especially useful, too, in dark spaces such as closets and cabinets so you won’t have that icky, musty smell on your clothes, while your shoes and bags would be spared from molds.

Air purifiers

Air purifiers or air cleaners remove contaminants from the air with the help of HEPA filters. HEPA stands for “high-efficiency particulate arresting” and this filter can trap particles as small as .01 micron in diameter, or a tiny fraction of the width of a human hair. It is said that air purifiers can clean your room’s air of pet dander, dust and pollen and provide you with a better indoor air quality.

When it was found out that the new coronavirus can be spread via airborne transmission, many wasted no time in getting air purifiers for their homes. Note that when getting an air purifier for your home, consider the square footage of the room where you will be placing your air purifier.

Diffuser

Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts and essential oils to improve both physical and emotional health. Diffusers are used in aromatherapy as these are specifically designed to take drops of essential oils, mix these drops with the water in the diffuser’s tank and scatter the essence into the air.

Aside from making your home smell like a spa, essential oils boast of benefits to one’s body.

Lavender, sandalwood and chamomile can help soothe and calm your frayed nerves, peppermint and lemon can aid digestion and boost your mood, and tea tree can be used to fight infections and boost immunity.

UV sterilizers

They come in stylish-looking bags, portable boxes, even wands. Personal UV sterilizers have become a must-have for those who want to take the extra step in making sure that their surroundings are virus- and germ-free. Ultraviolet-C light is known to purify water and air and kill microbes, possibly even including the new coronavirus. Science Daily reported, however, that the World Health Organization warns against using ultraviolet disinfection lamps on one’s skin as exposure to UV-C light, even for a brief moment, can cause burns and eye damage.

Sources: Mdanderson.org; Healthline.com; Explainthatstuff.com; Medicalnewstoday.com, Byrdie.com, Sciencedaily.com

Photos from Pexels, Allergyandair.com, Urbanessentials.com.ph

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Article and Photo originally posted by Inquirer last November 7, 2020 3:10am and written by Din M. Villafuerte.

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