Hi all! Anyone have a favorite steamer that their kiddos find helpful? Option for battery and electrical would be great, but not a must-have. Hope to hear from you soon - I’ve got a child who is having sinus/cold issues and has performances over the next 10 days. Thanks a million!
Vick’s is the most common. However, there are many to choose from on Amazon. You can also try a nebulizer. Its a cold mist instead of hot steam. I would also make sure there is a humidifier in the room and drink plenty of water each day.
~VT
You can’t beat My PurMist. It’s superior to the Vicks steamer b/c the steam particles are significantly smaller than those of the Vicks model, so they penetrate the nasal passages and throat much more deeply. It’s also not hot, so there’s no danger of steam burns as there is with Vicks. My Purmist is nebulizer technology but more portable. Also more expensive, but a really worthwhile investment for any singer, especially those with allergies or chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, etc. I jokingly say I should work for My PurMist b/c I have purchased so many of them as opening gifts for friends in shows - but no affiliation here!
I first discovered MyPurmist purely by accident doing a google search for something else for a patient. At that time I was working as the vocal coach for the Broadway play Hand to God, and the wonderful company management had just bought Vicks steamers for all 8 actors in the cast at my request. (They also bought humidifiers for each dressing room b/c they were amazingly supportive of the cast’s vocal health!) I sheepishly went to them and said, “I just discovered this thing which sounds like it will be a lot better the the Vicks - can we give it a try?” They said to go for it, b/c most of the cast was suffering terribly with allergies (this was in April 2015) combined with the unavoidable dust that inhabits most Broadway theatres. I ran to Target on a Saturday morning (yes, there is ONE in Manhattan - soon to be 2!) and purchased a few & then ran to the theatre to drop them off before the matinee. Within a few minutes of beginning to use them, the actors christened this “THE NINJA STEAMER” b/c it was so effective.
Saline nasal spray is also key to help clear out the sinuses. I also recommend going to an ENT. I’m on the 3rd week of a terrible cold that I know is “just a cold” - but it’s turned from viral to bacterial and my voice has been so affected that I got my vocal folds looked at today, fearing a vocal injury from coughing. My vocal folds aren’t injured, just extremely swollen, primarily b/c my adenoids are inflamed and “raining mucus” onto my vocal folds (as my laryngologist said) - which I honestly didn’t really think about, b/c I feel like my mucus is all “coming from” my larnyx. In my case, it’s clear I’m not going to get better without antibiotics, even though I tried to ride it out - so don’t discount getting a Zpack (azithromycin) if you are seeing any yellow tinge to the mucus. And vigorous coughing is the worst thing you can do to vocal folds (even worse than screaming), so a cough suppressant (esp. a nighttime one) could be extremely helpful.
We got S a Venta humidifier for his dorm room (risked the “worn box” deal on Amazon). They’re more expensive than the brands you find at Target etc., but they’re German-made, fairly quiet and easy to keep clean. By using the recommended water additives (or making your own) there is very little mineral scale build-up and growing mold does not seem to be a problem (S NEVER cleans it - but I do when he packs it up for the summer). His throat has been “scoped” at school and he was told his vocal cords are under-hydrated (he often sleeps with his mouth open) - he feels the humidifier has made a big difference in his vocal quality.
I second MyPurmist! Portable, easy to use- my daughter was super ill during one audition weekend and sat in the lobby waiting for her time and steamed with it up to the minute she walked in!
Ok is there just one model of the My Purmist? I’m seeing the one that is $150 & hand held?
That’s the one. Expensive but worth every penny.
Yup! That’s it. I have seen it anywhere from $109-$149. Shop around. Truly worth the money.
So for those of you that have the purmist , have you had problems with its operation or it stopping working altogether? The reviews for it are not good really. Many talk about trouble with operation after initially it being fine
@VoiceTeacher @stagedoormama @CoachC @mom4bwayboy - You all are fantastic! Thanks for the advice. We are investing in the above recommendations, as well as making an appointment with an ENT at MUSC who specializes in vocalists. (He might need surgery to remove tonsils and adenoids - yikes!) Hoping my son (still a HS junior) can get some real relief before heading to college! Thanks again. CC for MT in the clutch - what a resource. 
@theaterwork -Never had any problems! I think sometimes people don’t follow the directions- you MUST use distilled water. If you use regular water the impurities in it can clog it and stop it from working (just like in clothing steamers.) We have had ours for over a year and never had any problems. We have left mostly full jugs of distilled water around the country in hotels…but luckily it’s cheap! :))