You may not really clean your humidifier regularly when it’s actually a necessary thing to do. Just like the other home features, you need to maintain your humidifier on a regular basis so it can give its best performance over time.
Below, we have compiled 5 safe yet easy steps on how to clean a humidifier that you can get done in no time.
How to Clean a Humidifier
What you need:
- Distilled white vinegar
- Warm water
- Mild dish soap
- Paper towel
- Microfiber cloth
- Cotton swabs or toothbrush
Follow the steps below:
Unplug everything
Though a humidifier uses water as the main element to offer you a cleaner environment, you still need to prepare it when you are planning to clean it. Unplug the unit from the power source and disassemble everything safely. Then, empty the old water out.
Use white vinegar
White vinegar is acidic enough to dislodge and dissolve grime, grease, dirt, and harsh chemicals which are trapped in your humidifier. That being said, you can simply go to the kitchen to deep-clean it safely all by yourself.
Just simply fill the base of your humidifier with distilled white vinegar and make sure that you completely submerge the heating element. Leave it for around half an hour so the vinegar can work to clean up the mineral build-up.
Next, mix equal parts of white vinegar and water and fill the reservoir of your humidifier. Close the lid and shake the reservoir vigorously so the mixture can touch the entire interior. Leave it for around 30 minutes.
Scrub everything
If this is the first time that you clean your dirty humidifier, you need to scrub it thoroughly. White vinegar can’t really work all alone to clean up a humidifier, especially when you haven’t cleaned it in a long time.
When the 30 minutes timer in the previous step is over, drain the white vinegar from the base of your humidifier. Scrub the gunk with a toothbrush and cotton swab on the base and heating elements. Rinse the residue and dry everything with a paper towel.
For the reservoir, empty out the vinegar mixture and wipe it with a clean microfiber cloth.
(You may also like: How to Clean Coffee Stains with Easy Home Supplies)
Soak the other parts
If you have a humidifier that comes with some other parts, you also have to clean them. Just follow the steps below:
- Mix warm water, a few drops of dish soap, and white vinegar in a bowl.
- Soak the parts of your humidifier in the cleaning mixture for around 30 minutes.
- Scrub the parts gently if necessary.
- Rine the residue completely
Keep in mind to never wash the wick filter since it has a paper-like texture and antimicrobial stuff that may get damaged.
Let everything dry
Once you have cleaned, soaked, and scrubbed your beloved humidifier, you need to let everything dry completely. Never reassemble or even plug your humidifier before all the parts are thoroughly dry.