We’ve got a new roommate called George

Who is George and where exactly has he moved into? Air washer George was made by Stadler Form and is two devices in one – he’s both a humidifier and an air purifier. When I think back about what I used to imagine a humidifier to look like, images spring to mind of those water containers that you used to hang on radiators. After that came the first electric humidifiers which looked like portable fan heaters. Both generations were more or less effective at increasing the amount of moisture in the air but although they met modern-day demands, you wouldn’t have described them as being particularly sexy-looking.

Back to George, George is different, there’s no doubting that he’s from the 21st century: he certainly looks the part with his no-frills design reminiscent of Apple or Tesla. As soon as I laid eyes on him, I was hooked – he completely changed my way of thinking and made me realise that a humidifier can be beautiful too.

One thing’s for sure: design standards have reached the world of air washers and in George, they have formed a wonderful symbiosis of functionality and form.

Design is important to me and is part of my everyday life. I studied fashion and am now head of creative development at a leading Swiss fashion house. Because of what I do, it’s natural that I should have an eye for interior design, as you can see from my home.

George definitely deserves to be given house room, he fits in well with all the white. George didn't come alone, he brought his sister Selina little with him, a small hygrometer with a digital display – she’s pretty too, so she can stay as well.

I’m one of the 3 million allergy sufferers in Switzerland but I’ve never been tested to find out exactly what it is that I’m allergic to. I’m allergic to almost everything that is airborne – alder, beech, hazel, birch, pine and various types of grass pollen...or the unavoidable house dust that you get at home. I get a maximum of one month a year’s respite from my allergies.

So the challenge for George is to show me a subjective improvement in my wellbeing over the next four weeks – clean air and no runny nose or swollen eyes.

So let's get started: I put George and Selina little in my bedroom, I then set them up – which turns out to be incredibly easy to do – and I fill up the water tank. I place Selina little on the coffee table and am very keen to find out what the actual humidity is in the room. In the manual for Selina little, it says that the recommended relative humidity is between 40 and 60%. Less than that is not good and above that could mean that the air inside your home feels clammy. If someone were to ask me what the relative humidity in my home was, my straight answer would be a subjective 42% (I’ve honestly never thought that the air was too dry or too humid). I’m keen to see Selina little's first measurement reading. When I look at the digital display, I am amazed to see that it reads 26% relative air humidity.

It’s the middle of February – still winter – and so it’s bound to be a bit drier, but 25% relative air humidity is very dry. I get thirsty and suddenly I understand and respect all our grannies with their strange water containers in front of their radiators.

Let’s go, George! George’s technology means that when he’s switched on, he sucks in the dry air in the room which is passed over rotating discs so that it absorbs moisture. In addition, dirt particles are washed out of the air as they stick to the wet discs which rotate in water.

In the beginning, I run George every night and the relative air humidity remains at a constant level of 40%. Stadler Form recommends to increasing the relative air humidity to a level between 45–50% to achieve an even better result in terms of combating allergy symptoms.

No sooner said than done, George and Selina little now keep the relative humidity at 50% and George now runs in auto mode every day and no longer only at night. The reason for this is that if George is turned on again some time after being turned off, the air will need to be humidified and purified from scratch again.

When run around the clock, George runs at a low power level because he only has to maintain the optimal humidity level and doesn't have to start from scratch again. Therefore, a too high air humidity cannot occur. First of all, George works on the principle of evaporation, which means that he uses the natural process of evaporation. Over-humidification is not possible. Second, the hygrostat can be set to 50%. When George reaches this humidity level, he turns off automatically.

Even the sound that George makes when washing the air is very pleasant and gives me a good feeling of falling asleep

In the second week, I start experimenting with aromas – lavender to be precise. The feeling that the air is being monitored and adjusted, along with the scent of lavender, means that I sleep even more soundly.

George and Selina little from Stadler Form have quite clearly mastered the challenge and as for my afore-mentioned allergies: of course, I still have those allergies but am I able to sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed as a result of the air treatment?

Let's put it this way, I now fall asleep much quicker, sleep better and don't wake up in the morning with a scratchy feeling on the roof of my mouth and a really dry nose. So in answer to the question that was asked:

Yes, I am and I really value that.

We warmly want to thank Elenasteness for this honest and enjoyable report of her experience with air washer George! If you are as excited as we are, let us know in the comments below.