Attention Singers!

During the winter, many people become congested and get sore throats. The main reason for this is that the air is too dry and humidity levels are too low. This condition is often worse for singers who have to perform or record during the cold weather, as they continue to sing despite the fact that their throats are oftentimes as dry as a desert.

Research shows that one way to keep singers' vocals in good shape is to make sure their throats don't suffer from dry air. The main way to fix this is, of course, to use humidifiers. Humidifiers increase the moisture levels in the room and keep singers feeling refreshed and ready to use their voices.

Of course, this doesn't only affect singers; everyone else usually feels the same way once the weather becomes dry. It's just that singers are more prone to making the symptoms worse because they constantly have to use their vocal chords even when they're not feeling well.

Oh, Winter

I came down with a nasty case of the cold yesterday. This weather is really, really getting to me. It's so dry - especially at night. My skin, nose, and mouth were especially dry so I turned on my Essick Air ED11910 whole house evaporative humidifier while I slept and today, I feel SO much better, even though I'm still kind of sick.

I'm glad that I have to learn all about these appliances and how/why they work. Otherwise, I'd just wait to get better naturally. And for me, that can take anywhere from 1 week to 3 months! Hopefully, if I sleep with the humidifier on every night, even after I'm not sick anymore, I'll be fine and dandy until the summer comes!

Oh, did anyone watch the Golden Globes last night? I haven't watched Avatar yet, but I hear it's quite fascinating and that it deserved those high-honor awards it received. I didn't agree with giving Glee the Golden Globe, though, for best TV comedy. I think that 30 Rock is much, much better. What did you think of the GG winners?

Featuring: Crane Humidifiers

Recently, while looking at different humidifier styles, I came across the brand Crane. This fabulous brand features so many unique styles of humidifiers - and they all function great, too! Humidifers are great for adding additional moisture to your air during the dry, colder months, especially during winter. Dry air can be very bad for your health and your home - common side effects are chapped lips/skin and, in your house, peeling paint and cracked floors. For more information about humidifiers and how to pick the perfect type, refer to this previous post.

As stated before, Crane's humidifiers offer great designs as well as great features. They can help relieve symptoms from coughing, the cold, and the flu. Crane humidifiers make it easier to breathe for a good night's sleep by adding moisture into dry air. With this extra moisture, it can also help prevent dry skin and dry throats - this feature is perfect for people who constantly need to use their voices for speaking or singing. In fact, when humidity is too low or too high, it can be terrible for your natural voice and you might have sore throats more easily. Crane's humidifiers also offer whisper quiet operation, and many can last up to 11 hours on just one gallon of water! Because these units from Crane consume very little power, they are extremely energy efficient and will save you a lot of money every year!

Crane has recently come out with models that are great for adults and children alike. The most unique ones I've seen are in fact humidifiers shaped like Hello Kitty, Spongebob, and Thomas the Tank Engine. They also feature a penguin-shaped humidifier, a duck-shaped humidifier, a pig-shaped humidifier, and even a dragon-shaped humidifier! Crane also features many traditional style humidifiers for those who don't need the extra designs.

In addition to humidifiers, Crane also offers a couple of electric fans that are just as powerful and economical!

Get Rid of Dry Air with a Humidifier

This transition to fall includes not only cold weather, but also dry air. Dry air is the result of low humidity levels, which can be damaging to your health as well as your home! Common side effects of dry air are chapped lips, dry skin, respiratory problems, and scratchy nose and throat problems. Your home won't be any better off than you are; in fact, your home may have worse problems to deal with. Low humidity causes dry walls, cracked floors, damaged furnishings and defective electronics because the dry air sucks out the moisture from any surface that it comes in contact with! The best solution to this situation is to purchase a humidifier. Humidifiers add moisture into the air without causing excess harm to you or your home.

Your first step should be to use a hygrometer or humidistat to determine and maintain the relative humidity level in your home. The ideal level during the summer is about 30-50%, and the ideal level during the winter is about 30-40%.

Your second step is to determine whether you prefer a cool mist humidifier or a warm mist humidifier. A warm mist humidifier like the Germ Guardian H2000 is fantastic for relieving congestion. A cool mist humidifier, on the other hand, is not as strong. However, they are both energy- and money-savers. The NewAir AU-400 humidifier is an example of a cool mist humidifier that conveniently shuts off and alerts you when the water runs out.

Next, you need to determine what kind of room you need the humidifier for. If the unit covers more area than your room, humidity levels can go too high, causing condensation to appear on mirrors and windows and bacteria to grow on your furniture. You can also take some of these units with you wherever you go to relieve your congestion symptoms in hotel rooms! The NewAir AU-100 weighs only 7 pounds and can easily fit in your suitcase!

Finally, keep doors and windows closed if they are not in use. Seal as many windows as possible to keep the humidifier working efficiently. Improve the efficiency of your humidifier by keeping it out of confined spaces!

Use a humidifier today and see just how much it can improve your home and your health!