How to Clean a Humidifier Without Breathing Yesterday’s Grime

So, you don’t want to be breathing yesterday’s grime. You want to clean your humidifier because it’s better for your sinuses, and it’s better for your skin health.

The water vapor that the humidifier is emitting is actually also causing there to be mineral deposits inside the humidifier, and that can lead to tank and base slime buildup. You don’t want that. So, let’s talk about the two main reasons why you should clean your humidifier:

1. Prevent odors from starting to come out of it, which sucks, and avoid having buildups of slime in the tank.
2. Maintain steady mist production while minimizing the chance of microbial particles becoming airborne.

Your lungs can breathe the air better when there aren’t microbes floating around. The water that the humidifier is using is just sitting there, right? It’s not being moved around, so the minerals in the water actually attach to the plastic and metal surfaces until it develops into a solid crust.

That creates three major problems because it blocks the wicks from operating properly, it covers the ultrasonic plates that are used as sensors, and it reduces air circulation. A dirty unit will start to smell because of that, and that’s bad for kids or people that are sleeping in the room, right?

Plus, you’re going to extend the life of your humidifier if you maintain it on a regular basis. There’s also less mess around the room. The white dust that forms from the hard water mist will appear on shelves and other places around the house when the mist dries. You want to make sure to clean the humidifier before it starts to literally spew residue all over your bedroom or wherever you have it.

The Setup

The steps to clean the humidifier should start with a good setup.

• Let it cool down first.
• Remove all the caps, valves, wicks, filters, and small pieces.
• Pour out the leftover water.
• Wash the tank with warm water before you mix a solution, then discard it.

The inside walls, the fill cap threads, and the outer shell need gentle cleaning. Remember to remove all the water that has accumulated before you clean the base area.

Break Down Mineral Scale

Break down mineral scale, like the deposits, with a gentle acid. You could use white vinegar, for example.

Fill the tank with vinegar till it reaches the middle point, and then add warm water to the top. Put the cap on, shake it around, and let it rest for like 20 minutes. Then you can drain it and rinse it until it doesn’t smell like vinegar anymore.

For the base of it, you can take a small bit of vinegar and literally pour it on the scale spots. Let it sit on there, and then use a brush or something to clean the spaces that surround the vents and the mist channel.

For the metal disc, you have to use a soft cloth to wipe it. That way, it doesn’t damage the ultrasonic detectors, or whatever the humidifier is using to determine, it’s like a sensor. You need that device to not be scratched, so don’t use a scrub pad on it.

Disinfecting Your Humidifier

You can actually also disinfect the humidifier, which is interesting. You can use household bleach, although that doesn’t really need to be done all the time. In fact, hardly ever if you keep properly caring for your humidifier. If the instructions say don’t use bleach, then you can use 3% hydrogen peroxide to rinse it instead.

Again, for the small metal plate, the ultrasonic sensor, just swab it gently. Don’t put too much pressure on it or scratch it.

Managing Your Home’s Humidity

You want to just make sure that your humidity stays between 30% and 50% for indoor conditions. You can get a small hygrometer which will measure your humidity and usually temperature also. They’re really cheap, you can just buy one and use it to see what the humidity of your house is. Try to keep it between 30% and 50%.

Replace the filter regularly. For the metal rings, caps, gaskets, and valves, try to scrub those with a dry, old toothbrush.

Then just dry everything. Make sure everything is super dry before you put it together, or it can cause mold to occur. Then you just reassemble the unit, test it out, and check for any signs of leakage.

The Maintenance Schedule

To keep it simple, here is how often you should be doing this:

• Daily: Empty the tank, rinse it, and refill it with fresh water.
• Weekly: Do the descaling as part of the maintenance to get all the mineral deposits out.
• Every Season (3 to 6 months): Replace the wicks and put the unit away. Make sure it’s super dry before you put it away if you’re storing it for a long time.

That’s about it, and that’s how you clean a humidifier.