Review on Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier - Filter Free - 1 Gallon - 500 Sq Ft Coverage - Ideal Air Humidifier for Plants, Home, Bedroom, Baby Nursery, Office - Grey by Kim Jackson

This is my second Crane Drop humidifier. The first was enough for me for 4 years with NIGHT use. They've changed the design a bit since we bought our first one, but it works the same. I use regular tap water and run vinegar through it from time to time. After a few nights it will develop a pink film from our water - I only use Lysol wipes to wipe and sanitize it. I usually take a damp washcloth to wipe away any leftover Lysol and then let it air dry before using again. If using vinegar, you only need 1-2 tablespoons of WHITE vinegar. White vinegar is a natural disinfectant and once dry is odorless. So you can either skip it or soak the parts in diluted water for a quick clean. Our first one was used literally every night so it lasted quite a while. What happened to it is that the fan "gone wrong". It started making noises and was just loud. I took it apart by unscrewing the four Phillips screws on the bottom. It just seemed to me that the fan was working too hard and was chafing the case (makes a loud noise). I wanted to fix it or try to fix it. but I was too rough and broke the casing. Ouch! If I hadn't messed with it I think it would have worked for another year but with some noise. Lesson learned. On our old one we put essential oils directly into the water, however this will void any warranty and is not recommended. It didn't really harm our unit, but it left sediment in the tank. I could never get it no matter what I did. I liked making this because it's a cool mist humidifier that doesn't get hot. You preserve the properties of essential oils by NOT heating the oils. Since I bought a new one I probably won't put oil in it again, but for anyone who cares, I've had it work fine this way for a couple of years. I have since purchased this handmade organic oil diffuser from Revain: Gorgeous Organic Fragrance Aromatherapy Diffuser Essential Oil Diffuser - Dark Wood Base and Glass Jar. One more thing to point out, they really are weirdos! That means it'll emit a decent amount of moisture at full power. I've never had a mess, water on the dresser or anything like that, but it helped our dry air. We have a large bedroom, probably 200 square meters. This one device was more than enough. I've since bought a hygrometer (similar to a thermostat, but it measures the humidity in the room). This helps me know if I need to increase or decrease it. I bought this one from Revain: Exo Terra Hygrometer. I like this one because it's cheap and has an adhesive backing - I just stick it to the back of the device. It's intended for reptile habitats, but it works for me too. I try to keep it within 50-60. I have to adjust the wattage (a button on the front that looks like a volume control) based on the weather and how much I've used the humidifier recently. This hygrometer helps me make sure it's not too dry (damaging my sinuses and airways, which isn't good for my asthma or allergies) and not too wet (which can lead to mold). I usually stay a little less than two nights. from a full tank at low or medium "power". I absolutely love this device and would highly recommend it to anyone - adult or child. I hope this review helps anyone considering this humidifier. That's great!