Dyson has launched its first humidifier, which uses ultraviolet light to kill waterborne bacteria before the air is dispersed.

The firm led by British industrial designer James Dyson says its first humidifier is more hygienic than any others on the market, killing 99.9 per cent of the bacteria in water before it enters the room. It claims to be the first humidifier to use ultraviolet light to cleanse water in this way.

"The problem with current humidifiers are that they harbour nasty bacteria which when the machine is turned on, is then blown around the room," said Dyson in a statement. "Experts say it’s actually more dangerous to breathe in this bacteria than drink it!"

The Dyson humidifier is designed to alleviate symptoms of dry skin conditions and cold viruses brought on by dry winter weather conditions. It has also been developed to preserve home decoration, preventing cracked paintwork and peeling wallpaper.

Water from the three-litre water-tank in the base of the humidifier is fed into a smaller trough where it is exposed to ultraviolet light for three minutes, killing bacteria using what Dyson calls Ultraviolet Cleanse technology.

Once treated, the device uses electricity to vibrate the purified water at ultrasonic frequency – up to 1.7 million times a second – breaking it into tiny particles. The particles are then drawn into the curved head of the humidifier and projected into the air.

The humidifier then uses Air Multiplier technology – the same type of system used in the brand's fan and heater collections – to disperse the mist evenly around a 16-square-metre area.

The loop-shaped amplifier has two outlets - one for mist at the front, and one at the rear for air - meaning the machine can also operate as a fan.

The machine can run for up to 18 hours off one tank of water, and has a built-in sleep timer which cuts the power when not in use. A quiet operating system prevents noise disturbance when used at night time.

A temperature and humidity gauge automatically adjusts the level of humidification, but it can also be manually adjusted between ten airflow settings using a magnetised remote control, which attaches to the side of the machine.

Dyson launched the humidifier in Tokyo today, ahead of the UK launch in March 2015.