With the coming winter months ahead my my Wife wants to buy a Humidifier for our Apt.
I say just put a pot of water on the stove on low and it will humidify the Apt. enough
I know before you say it the danger part of leaving a pot on the stove.
So leave that part out.
So what’s the straight dope.Thanks
There is more than one reason it is dangerous. For a small apt. there are literally millions of small humidifiers under $50, hundreds around $20. Like many things these days, the real $$$ is in the accessories and filters/wicks.
We aren’t rich, and we have a couple of units, one for the bedroom, and another for the main living areas. Not terribly expensive. I would avoid the “whole house” humidifiers that cost $100 and up, the filter/wick is pricier as well as most require 2 of them. Other than that, leave the bathroom exhaust fan off and the door open when you take your shower. Much safer than the boiling water on the stove, and more energy efficient.
I’m not certain what the filter/wick is. I have a humidifier and it nor the one it replaced had any type of filter/wick. There’s no accessories besides Vicks Vapor steam that you could add if you want.
It cost less than $30 and has a couple of different settings. It has auto shut off so you can run it at night if you want.
If you really want to be cheap buy some old towels that sponge up the water and hang them up so they are still dripping. I have tried this in my flat and it actually works. But my flat is about the size of Ralph Kramden’s flat (minus the never seen bedroom) 
Two words: Fog machine 