Smarter: Why Are Humidifiers So Annoying?
Here's a weird fact I just learned: When people in ancient Greek and Roman times wanted to moisturize their skin, they applied some unusual things to their faces, such as bread and milk.
For this week, I'm talking about how the humidifier, one of our modern ways to ease dry, cracked skin that doesn't involve breakfast food, can be extremely annoying to clean, while also offering some simple tips to make the process easier. Other things on the agenda? The problem with Tesla's reliability, and whether you should use earwax removal kits.
THE BIG STORY
"To Clean or Not to Clean, That Is the Question"Humidifiers: Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. They can be a lifesaver in the dry winter season. They can also be dangerous to your health if they’re used improperly.
It’s also, frankly, kind of irritating to use a humidifier sometimes, as they are one of the few appliances in the house that CR recommends you rinse daily and deep clean every week to prevent the growth of mold and other contaminants. Do I try to abide by that rule? Sure. Can it be a pain in the neck sometimes? Absolutely.
If you have an ultrasonic humidifier like mine, you may have noticed that certain components, such as the water valve, float, and noise silencer, can be nuisances to clean because of their small size. The nooks and crannies that are part of the interior of many humidifiers also don’t make cleaning it much easier.
Yet seeing as humidifiers are such a common fixture in many households these days, I turned to my co-worker Tobie Stanger for suggestions on how to clean your humidifier. Tobie has written about everything from humidifiers to hearing aids in her 31 years at CR, and, yes, she cleans her two humidifiers at home using CR’s recommendations.
DOUBLING DOWN
There are many different factors to consider when purchasing a humidifier, but let’s start with a simple one: Should you get a cool- or warm-mist humidifier?
A cool-mist humidifier is more often the better choice. Here’s why:
Better energy efficiency. Cool-mist humidifiers use significantly less energy than warm-mist humidifiers, which create mists by boiling water, says Misha.
Safer for pets and children. The boiling function of warm-mist humidifiers could burn or scald kids. It might also be unsafe for curious pets, Misha notes.
It helps with your stuffy nose. Cool mist helps reduce swelling in your nasal passage, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
More shopping choices. They come in a greater variety of sizes, and the cool-mist units tested by CR typically have more features than the warm-mist humidifiers in CR’s ratings. One is a humidistat, which turns off the unit once the air reaches a certain humidity level.
On the other side of the coin, warm-mist humidifiers tend to generate less noise because they don’t need a fan, nebulizer, or vibrating diaphragm that moves moisture into the air, a common design in cold-mist humidifiers.
When it comes to the most important job of the humidifier, adding moisture in the air, cool- and warm-mist humidifiers are equally effective, says Misha. And if you’re wondering about ease of cleaning, it’s harder to generalize on whether cool- or warm-mist humidifiers are easier to clean because it largely depends on a model’s design.
If you have trouble choosing and you don’t have to worry about pets and children coming into contact with your humidifier, you can always get a dual-mist humidifier for the best of both worlds.
THE GOOD STUFF
Can you guess the surprise element CR uses to test snow blowers?
Hint: It's not snow.
QUIZ
You just bought raw meat and poultry. Where should you store them in the fridge for the purposes of food safety? (The answer is at the end of the newsletter.)
1. Top shelf
2. Middle shelf
3. Bottom shelf
4. Anyplace I can find in my crowded fridge, honestly. Don't judge me
ASK AN EXPERT
Source: Consumer Reports Source: Consumer Reports
Question:
Tesla tops our list as the most satisfying car brand, based on our extensive member surveys. But it also ranks second to last in reliability. Why is that?
Answer:
The trouble spots with Tesla models fall into these main categories, according to CR members who own Teslas, regarding problems experienced with 1- to 3-year-old Tesla models over the past 12 months.
Paint/trim:
Tesla owners reported problems such as mismatched and blotchy paint on body panels as well as scratches and dimples in the paint when the vehicle was first delivered.
Body integrity:
10.4% of Tesla owners surveyed by Consumer Reports complained about squeaks, rattles, air and water leaks, and wind noise, often because the doors couldn't completely seal.
Body hardware:
The issues included body panels not lining up correctly, which sometimes resulted in difficulty opening and closing doors and the tailgate.
Climate system:
Temperature sensors didn't operate properly and the automatic climate control didn't work.
In-car electronics:
Owners reported issues with the in-car electronics, including display screens going blank. This is especially troublesome in Tesla models since many of the primary functions of the vehicle are accessed via large touch-screen displays, says Jake Fisher, who oversees the automotive testing program at CR and has put thousands of miles on the Teslas we've owned over the years as part of the testing fleet at our 327-acre autos facility in Connecticut.
Why are these issues common in Tesla models?
Tesla focuses on leading-edge technology, says Jake, and makes changes more frequently than other car companies. Rather than having a defined vehicle generation, it often makes midyear hardware and software updates to its vehicles. This is in contrast to most manufacturers that make few changes until a full redesign every five or six years. CR's survey data routinely shows that a lot of changes can lead to more problems for any manufacturer.
Why do owners still report high satisfaction rates for Tesla?
Owner satisfaction is a measure of how well the vehicle lived up to the consumer's expectations. Tesla does deliver on its promise of supplying cutting-edge technology and a sports-car driving experience, so often those who want to be early adopters aren't surprised if they encounter some problems, says Jake.
If you have a question you want to ask an expert, reply to this email or email [email protected]. I'm all ears!
THE SHORT ANSWER
Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
Should you remove your earwax? Um, please, no.
QUIZ ANSWER
It's safer to store meat, poultry, and seafood on the bottom shelf of fridges, If you put them on the top shelves, bacteria from these foods might drip down to food that is on the lower shelves. Plus, the temperature on the bottom shelf is cooler anyway.
"The only thing I like dry is my humor."
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