The Venta-Airwasher, manufactured in Germany by Venta-Luftwascher GMBH, was invented by Alfred Hitzler, President and CEO, more than 30 years ago. "Unique-simple-efficient, these are the factors behind our success. They helped us, the newcomer, beat all the big established brands. We are now #1 in Europe with a 60% market share in Germany." The Venta-Airwasher has also been successful in Japan, China, Korea, US and Russia. In addition over 10,000 physicians worldwide have purchased the Airwasher for themselves and their families. The Venta-Airwasher fulfils two purposes: it humidifies dry air while simultaneously purifying it. Dry indoor air is drawn into the appliance and passes through disk stacks rotating in water. The air is literally washed, leaving pollutants and particles trapped in the water. At the same time, pure water evaporates on the exchanger surfaces, which is widely recognized as the best method of cold evaporation. Cold evaporation offers decisive advantages. The air is automatically humidified to proper levels. There is no need to worry about over humidifying or white dust which is lime and calcium particles deposited in the air. The Venta-Airwasher is the first appliance to use the principle of humidifying and purifying air for homes and offices without using filter pads. Filter pads in time will clog resulting in white dust and an unhealthy environment. Why humidify and purify? Dry air causes dry mucous membranes. Bacteria and viruses cannot be trapped therefore the risk of infection, catching a cold, flu or other respiratory diseases increases. Breathing dry air is harder on the lungs and makes it more difficult for oxygen to enter the blood. Symptoms can include fatigue, headache and respiratory discomfort. Wood furniture and musical instruments can crack when exposed to dry air.