Mommy Diatribe: The Humidifier

Think I don’t have enough to say about a humidifier to fill a blog post? Think again.

Let’s set the stage. Your precious baby is the beginning stages of a cold or nasty virus. There is coughing, a runny nose, nasal dripping, etc. Well, you are an experienced mom and you know this drill.

Vick’s on the bottom of their little baby feet, ibuprofen when needed, prop that crib mattress, suction the nose, even pull out the old steam shower trick. Last but not least…the dreaded humidifier. I have a long-lasting love-hate relationship with the humidifier. Love because it clears their tiny little noses, helps them breath better during those long night hours, makes the room just feel more comfortable. Or so ‘they’ say. Hate because every time I pull that contraption out of the bathroom closet a little internal struggle begins…

Is this thing clean? Did I clean it well enough after the last time we used it? Is that mold I see, or just dirt? God, I need to learn how to clean these things. No, this isn’t clean. We can’t use this.

Clean the humidifier thoroughly.

I thought this thing had more pieces. Am I missing a piece? Where is the cap? Oh god. I’m missing a piece. Does this thing even work? This doesn’t work. I’m missing a piece and it doesn’t work. And…it’s still dirty. Gross. These things are disgusting. Buuuut, the doctor said it really helps. Guess I better buy a new one.

Throw away ‘dirty’ humidifier. Run to closet Target at 9PM, buy a new one. Convince yourself this is a REALLY good humidifier and you WILL make sure it stays clean. Repeat cycle.

My mom actually taught me a really great way to clean these suckers (run with a combo of water and vinegar for 30 minutes, scrub the inside with a clean wash cloth), but in the end it doesn’t really matter…at some point I’m going to convince myself that the humidifier is really dirty and is blowing moldy air into my child’s bedroom. Crazy? No. It’s mom paranoia. Momanoia?

Please tell me I’m not the only one. Please tell my husband I’m not the only one because no one hates seeing a new humidifier box in the recycling pile more than he does. Despite my love-hate relationship with the humidifier, I will continue to use them. Why? Because ‘they’ say it really works.

Mommy Diatribes