What is the difference between a dehumidifier, humidifier and air purifier?

Pregnancy Symptoms
When should I start using birth control again?
We all know the classic joke that having a baby is birth control enough. If you and your partner are back in the bedroom you might be itching to get back on birth control. From the sleepless nights to the...
read more
Home
Partner-proofing, husband-proofing, relative-proofing
Partner-proofing, husband-proofing, relative-proofing - whatever it may be. You need them to be able to find things when you need them and it also helps with putting things away where they go. So while you’re doing stuff...
read more
When it comes to keeping our homes safe and healthy for our families it’s not always easy to know where to start. We know dust and mould are no good for children (or adults) and you might have heard people talk about air purifiers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers. But what are they exactly and which one do you need? Kiindred’s healthy homes expert, Jo from NoToxRox breaks each one down for us, so we know exactly what each one does and how it can help.
Air purifier
An air purifier is really important if you live in the city, high-pollution areas or near a high-traffic road to purify the air in your house. It can also be really useful if you’ve got a new build or a renovation because there can be off-gassing from a lot of products used. What happens is the air comes into the air purifier, it gets filtered and it comes back out and you’ve got fresh air.
Humidifier
A humidifier adds moisture to the air, and that can be really important if you live in a dry climate. Have you ever been in a hotel room and you’ve woken up in the morning and you’ve felt really dry, your skin is really dry, you feel dehydrated? It’s often because the air-conditioning is just that little bit dry and there’s not enough humidity, so if you were to take a humidifier (or a diffuser which also adds moisture to the air) then you’d feel more comfortable.
Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is really important to draw moisture out of the air. What I find in a lot of the houses I go to is that there’s excess moisture in the house. We also live in a pretty humid environment here in Australia and there’s just a lot of indoor moisture – and with our homes being built so close together, it’s almost like we’re in a plastic bag.Once you get excess moisture in the house you can get condensation on surfaces and that leads to mould growth. And a mouldy home is the perfect environment for dust mites and these are really bad for children (and adults, and anyone living in the home).
My Mould Story
Our healthy homes expert takes a look around Emmy’s home to point out the hidden causes of mould. Watch as she shares her tips for ensuring the optimum home environment.
Other Articles

Reasons why being a stay-at-home mum is not as easy as it looks
“Oh, you’re so lucky to be able to stay home all day!”“I wish I could stay at home like you so I can sleep in.”“I’m so jealous that you can just play all day with the kids!” Do these sound familiar? As a stay-at-home mom of three kids (an 8 year old tween, and 2 under 2) , or a ‘homemaker’ (as some like to call it), I’ve definitely heard my fair share of these...
read more
Home
7 tips for creating a healthy home
If you’ve got dampness or mould around your home then you will no doubt be familiar with the side-effects; allergies, sneezing, the itchy & watery eyes. There are so many health factors associated with living near...
read more
Home
Xenoestrogens: What they are and how to avoid them
Xeno means foreign and estrogen is the primary female sex hormone. So xenoestrogens are man-made chemicals that act like estrogen in the body. They interfere with our natural hormonal signals by either blocking...
read more Sign up
Don't miss a thing!
Stay in the loop on all things parenthood as we share tips, hacks, products, inspo & everything in between. We promise not to clutter your inbox.