Dry air can reduce comfort significantly and potentially cause some physical and aesthetic problems. Using a home humidifier to restore the air's essential moisture is a common strategy for battling dryness. A soiled humidifier, however, could occasionally cause more harm than good. It's important to keep your humidifier clean if you want to receive the best results from it.
Why You Should Avoid a Contaminated Humidifier
Almost always, any problems with a humidifier are the result of mold or bacteria present in the device. It's simple to comprehend how this might occur. A humidifier's function is to collect standing water, evaporate it using a network of wet wicks, and then release the moistened air.
That's great if the water being evaporated is pure, but the water reservoir is exactly the kind of moist environment that encourages the growth of mold and bacteria. As soon as your humidifier becomes soiled, the bacteria and/or mold inside it start to spread throughout the device. As mold spores are dispersed into the air, they search for fresh, warm, wet areas to settle down, frequently in the humans and animals around.
When Should I Clean My Humidifier?
Fortunately, it's not too difficult to stop your humidifier from turning into a petri dish. Just keep it clean frequently. A cleaning regimen that is repeated every three days should keep your air properly moisturized and clean if you use a humidifier every day.
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools:
- Clean toothbrush
Materials:
- Hydrogen peroxide or white distilled vinegar
- New humidifier wick (if needed)
Instructions
1. Clean the Base
Start by sanitizing the base of your machine with either white distilled vinegar or three percent hydrogen peroxide before performing a deep clean. The humidifier device should first be unplugged from the wall socket, after which the water tank and filter should be taken out.
Fill the humidifier's base with a liberal amount of hydrogen peroxide or white distilled vinegar. Clean the base of the appliance by scrubbing it with a fresh toothbrush to remove mineral and film buildup.
Pour the liquid out after letting it sit in the humidifier's base for at least 10 to 30 minutes. Add new water to the base and swish it around to rinse. Repeat the procedure if any mineral residue is still present. Allow the base to air dry after cleaning.
2. Clean the Wick
While many evaporative humidifiers contain a wick pad that soaks up water to speed up its evaporation, ultrasonic humidifiers do not have an evaporative wick. Either a flat pad or a cylindrical pad that fits around a revolving drum can serve as this wick.
Whatever kind of wick you use, always remove it from the humidifier before cleaning it and give it a good rinsing in clear water. On the wick, don't use any cleaning agents. Replace the wick with a new wick pad if it has been caked with white mineral deposits.
3. Clean the Tank
The water tank of a humidifier is a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. In the tank, combine a solution of 4 parts water to 1 part hydrogen peroxide (3%). At least 30 minutes should pass with the solution in the tank. Empty the solution, thoroughly rinse with fresh water, and then allow the tank to air dry.
Is the Humidifier Still Contaminated?
It's time to quit using tap water and switch to distilled water if your humidifier is still filthy despite your thorough and frequent cleanings. Minerals and other impurities in tap water might promote the growth of germs. These minerals, which are more common in hard water, are the ones responsible for the white dust that remains in the tank and on the evaporative wick after the water has evaporated.
By capturing only the water molecules during the evaporation process and leaving the mineral deposits behind, distilled water is created. Using distilled water should aid in keeping the appliance clean when combined with routine cleaning of the humidifier, tank, and evaporative wick.
Take a Look at a New Humidifier
Mineral deposits may accumulate over time to the point where a portable humidifier is no longer effective. It's time to get a new humidifier when this occurs. Bacteria are virtually probably present where there is a considerable buildup of mineral deposits.
Change to an antibacterial humidifier right away. These devices can clean stored water, resulting in a purer and healthier mist. Follow cleaning recommendations to keep your machine in good condition.
