How to clean a humidifier from scale, mold and mucus? The answer to this question is of interest to most people in whose homes this useful invention is located.
What kind of device is this and what is it intended for? This is a special climate device that is mainly used to normalize the air humidity in the room. Some humidifier models have room heating and cooling functions. They also purify the air from harmful components and maintain a normal level of humidity in the room.
This is an incredibly useful acquisition. Since the indoor air becomes very dry during the heating season, this greatly affects the health of household members. Therefore, some people use special humidifiers to make the air in the room as comfortable as possible.
Along with the advantages, the device also has some disadvantages associated with operation. These include the fact that over time the device accumulates a large amount of harmful components and scale. Therefore, it would be useful for owners of such a unit to familiarize themselves with recommendations on how to clean the inside of an air humidifier from scale and other types of contaminants at home. By learning how to perform this procedure, you will be able to maintain your own health and the well-being of those close to you.
Dried air, as a rule, causes various types of diseases. This is especially true for families with small children and older people. An air humidifier maintains a normal microclimate in the room and helps cope with the heat much more comfortably.
This type of equipment needs to be maintained regularly. Long-term use of the device should be accompanied by regular cleaning of the humidifier to remove scale, mold and mucus. Tap water contains heavy metal salts that settle on the inside of the device. Experts recommend cleaning plaque 2 times a month. If you don't do this, it will become very hard. Subsequently, removing such accumulations will be problematic. The accumulated scale will directly affect the performance of the device. The humidifier will not function as efficiently, and various bacteria will multiply inside the device. To avoid this situation, you need to know how to clean the inside of a humidifier.
You can find out what types of air purification devices there are in the next section.
To correctly apply one or another cleaning method, you need to understand what types of devices there are.
There are 4 types of humidifiers:
All of these devices are designed to perform the same function, but they operate on different principles. Accordingly, each type of humidifier gets dirty in its own way. Therefore, for one or another type of device, it is necessary to use an individual method of combating limescale.
Let's look at them in more detail:
The simpler the design of the humidifier, the more carefully it needs to be looked after. You can read how to clean a humidifier yourself in the next section of the article.
How to properly clean a humidifier? You can increasingly hear this question from owners of such devices. Let's look at this in more detail.
First you need to disconnect the device from the power supply, and then unplug the plug from the outlet.
After this you need:
To achieve the maximum effect of cleaning the air humidifier, you can use the following products:
Name of the product | Mode of application |
Lemon acid | 2 large spoons of the product are diluted with 1 liter of water. Then the resulting solution is thoroughly mixed. Then the composition is poured into the vessel of the device and left for 2 hours. If after this time there is still plaque in the tank, then the procedure must be repeated. You can keep the humidifier in the solution for another 6-8 hours. Then the container must be washed under running water. |
50 ml of table vinegar is diluted in 1 liter of water. Then the resulting solution is poured into the humidifier container and left for 1-2 hours. After this, the reservoir bowl is thoroughly washed under the tap. Other parts that cannot be washed with water can be treated with a cloth soaked in a vinegar solution. Then the humidifier elements must be dried or wiped dry with a cloth. |
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Baking soda | Dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 liter of water. The product must be thoroughly mixed until completely dissolved. The resulting mixture is filled into the humidifier container and left for 2 hours. At the end of the procedure, the mixture is poured out of the device and the device is washed with clean water. |
After the parts of the device have dried, you need to pour the required amount of water into the device and plug it into the power supply. To clean the membrane or filter of an air humidifier, you should not use substances with aggressive components, as they can damage the parts of the unit.
In order for the device to work like a clock, in addition to timely cleaning, it is also necessary to carry out disinfection. It should be done once every 7 days during the cold season, and in summer and spring - 2 times a week, so that mold does not collect inside.
A store-bought product that contains chlorine is suitable as a disinfectant.
The procedure is carried out in the following sequence:
Since chlorine is a very accessible and economical substance, many people prefer to use it. Do not forget that this component is very toxic. Instead of chlorine, you can use a hydrogen peroxide solution.
This disinfection is carried out as follows:
Mechanical and ultrasonic devices for disinfection measures are not plugged into a power outlet. They are filled with the selected product, which is left in the tank for 10-12 hours. After use, the solution should never be left in the humidifier: it must be poured into the sink or toilet, then the container should be rinsed thoroughly and dried. Only after this the device is ready for further operation.
Helpful tips on caring for your product will help make your life easier and keep your device in perfect condition for as long as possible.
They are as follows:
These are all the secrets of proper product care at home. They will help extend the life of the device. In turn, the device will delight your household for a long time with high-quality work, and your health will be in “safe hands.”
The technical characteristics of air humidifiers allow you to maintain the desired level of humidity in the room, providing a favorable environment.
At the same time, the humidifier must be cleaned and maintained regularly, preventing hard water deposits from accumulating on the parts. Before descaling your humidifier, read the instructions that come with each device.
The quality of work and durability of equipment depends on competent, timely maintenance. Today there are three main types of climate control devices: mechanical (traditional), steam, ultrasonic.
Ultrasonic is considered the most popular air humidifier. These models not only do their job efficiently, creating a good indoor microclimate, but also decorate the interior with modern design. The device consists of a reservoir and a base with an installed membrane, through which the process of spraying water into tiny particles occurs, turning it into cold steam. During operation, the main elements are exposed to hard water, so over time it may be necessary to descale the humidifier.
Late maintenance leads to the following problems:
All this undoubtedly affects the reduction in the operating life of the equipment, so it is important to know how to clean the air humidifier from scale, and it is equally important to properly care for it: cleaning mineral deposits, disinfection, prevention.
An air humidifier operating according to certain principles is characterized by the occurrence of various types of contaminants:
Mineral deposits (scale) that form on the walls of the tank and on the base must be cleaned, as this leads to rapid failure of the humidifier. Operation is greatly simplified if you use filtered water, which contains fewer salts, leading to the formation of a hard salt layer.
Before you start descaling, you need to turn off the power and separate the tank from the base. Further cleaning is carried out as follows:
To effectively remove scale, use a special cleaning agent or a weak vinegar solution (50 ml per 1 liter of water). Vinegar can be replaced with 2 tablespoons of citric acid. Pour the product into the reservoir and leave for a couple of hours. If necessary, repeat the procedure, leaving the container with the solution overnight. The scale is effectively removed, after which you need to thoroughly rinse the tank under running water.
At the end, wipe the working part with a weak vinegar solution using a textile material. It is not recommended to use abrasive materials that damage the surface.
This method has several advantages:
Cleaning the air humidifier from scale inside the tank is also carried out using a vinegar solution, which is used to wipe the base. It is necessary to leave for a couple of hours (if there is little plaque) or overnight if the deposits are coarse. In addition, vinegar has antimicrobial and antifungal properties, so it is also a good disinfectant.
You can prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria by using chlorine-containing products. As a rule, these are bleaches.
An alternative to bleach is hydrogen peroxide. Dilute a glass of peroxide in water and pour it into the tank. After an hour it is necessary to rinse it thoroughly.
Prevention of scale involves timely cleaning of the air humidifier, using filtered liquid, and regular maintenance of the device. The frequency of procedures depends on the hardness of the liquid and the intensity of work.
Humidifiers are healthy climate control equipment. They soften the nasal mucosa, prevent the development of viral diseases, take care of the safety of furniture and wooden floors, and establish the necessary humidity in the room during the heating season. To maximize the benefits of this equipment, it is important to clean it regularly.
The modern market for household appliances is replete with variety. Not only the state of indoor air and physical parameters, but also the causes of pollution depend on the model of equipment.
Depending on the model of equipment, the cleaning process may vary, but the main stages of descaling are the same.
It is important not only to remove plaque inside the device, but also to destroy bacteria that cause rot. If this is not done in a timely manner, they will get into the air and then into the lungs.
The humidifier must be cleaned regularly and at the first sign of a limescale layer. It is much more difficult to wash away stubborn scale than a light deposit. If you do comprehensive cleaning of the device in a timely manner, it will last a long time, and most importantly, you will breathe clean and humidified air.
Any climate control equipment, due to the contact of moisture and air, sooner or later becomes polluted. But how to clean air humidifiers and how to use them so that you have to clean them as little as possible? Answers to all questions can be found in this article.
In order to learn how to clean a humidifier with your own hands, first of all, you need to understand how it increases the humidity of the air in the room. True, if the humidifier is dirty, you can take a completely different route and have it repaired, or call a specialist from a service center, but this procedure will cost approximately 30% of the cost of the device itself. If you decide to repair the humidifier yourself, then read.
What happens when water boils
A steam humidifier works on the principle of an electric kettle: boiling water turns into steam, which, when combined with air, increases its humidity level. But, when water is boiled, the salts in it do not evaporate along with the steam, but are deposited in the form of a dense limescale deposit on the internal surfaces of the device and especially on the heating element. Plaque sharply reduces the thermal conductivity of the heating element of the humidifier, as a result of which this device begins to work worse and eventually fails.
There are types of humidifiers where the water does not boil, but evaporates at room temperature. We recommend you read it.
Ultrasonic Humidification Equipment
The device contains a special membrane, which, vibrating at an ultrasonic frequency, breaks the surface of the water into fine water dust. The moisture particles are so small that they create “cold steam” or fog. Water dust mixes with the air, and salts in the water settle on the surface of furniture, floors, equipment, etc., creating a white coating. This is the most common “disease” of ultrasonic climate control technology. In addition, such a “patina” appears over time on the internal surfaces of the device’s parts, which can cause deterioration in its performance, even to the point of failure of the device.
Humidifier of traditional - mechanical type
The operating principle of this type of air humidifier is to create an air flow mechanically, which, when in contact with a moistened cartridge, leads to the evaporation of moisture from its surfaces. As a rule, all the salts in the water are retained in the cartridge, which, during intensive operation of the device, becomes clogged after a certain time. As a result, there is a loss of productivity. The second problem is frequent stagnation of water in the tank, which leads to the growth of bacteria on the internal surfaces of the humidifier tank and the appearance of a putrid odor.
Combined action technique or “air washing”
Such devices include devices in which the humidification function is coupled with air purification. These climate systems are most often called “air washers”. The principle of their operation is not complicated: a certain structure made of a whole set of plastic disks rotates in a container of water. The air flow created by the fan “washes” the wet discs, due to which the air is humidified. Most of the contaminants in the air remain on the disks, and when they rotate, they are washed off with water into the device’s tank. 
“Washers” require careful care and frequent changes of water, since they have all the “diseases” that traditional humidifiers suffer from. The only thing worth remembering is that such climate control equipment is more difficult to clean and wash due to its more complex design.
Turn on the climate control equipment at full power, and when the desired humidity results are achieved, turn off the device completely.
Advice!
A humidifier is a device that is designed to maintain a certain humidity in the air in the room, and not to “suddenly change the climate” in the home. The on-off process can lead to failure of the power supply and rapid formation of scale on the internal surfaces and attachment of the device.
Let's consider cleaning several climate control devices from the Boneco company, with different humidification principles.
Cleaning the Ultrasonic Humidifier
Cleaning an air washer is practically no different from cleaning traditional humidifiers. Let's look at cleaning the Boneko Air-O-Swiss 2055D device
These simple tips will help you with weekly cleaning of your HVAC equipment. But don't forget that The device should be disinfected at least once a month. To do this, perform the same steps, but with a solution made from 1 spoon of bleach per 1 liter of clean water, after using which, thoroughly rinse the device several times with running water.
Advice!
To clean such equipment, do not use detergents, which may remain in the device and enter the body along with moisture. As a cleaning agent, you can use a “folk” solution of citric acid in clean water.
Air humidifiers help create a favorable microclimate in the home. To ensure trouble-free operation of the device, it is necessary to carefully care for it. You can descale your humidifier at home. Depending on the type of device, the washing process may vary, but the main stages of this procedure remain unchanged.
Full care of the humidifier includes regular cleaning of the tank, periodic disinfection and timely prevention. To combat device contamination You can use time-tested home remedies: citric acid, soda, vinegar.
The device can become dirty for several reasons. Tap water is very hard; it contains calcium and magnesium salts, which provoke the formation of limescale inside the humidifier, and during its operation spread through the air in the apartment. Getting rid of this plaque is very difficult. Also, this water may contain harmful microorganisms, which not only contribute to the formation of mold, but also enter the respiratory tract of the home owners during operation of the device.
Insufficient care of the device can lead to its failure. Even if you use clean filtered water, the device will gradually become dirty if you do not clean it regularly. Stagnation of moisture inside gradually creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of fungi and microbes.
Cleaning your humidifier is easy
Mineral deposits that form on the walls of the device must be cleaned regularly, otherwise their accumulation will lead to failure of the humidifier. The operation of the device will be simplified if you use purified water that contains less salts, which lead to the formation of limescale. You can clean the humidifier as follows:
Caring for the CRANE air humidifier, model DROP
A limescale remover can be prepared at home. There are several simple ways to remove scale from your humidifier:
How to clean a humidifier? Cheap, simple, safe!
This procedure is necessary to remove bacteria and harmful microparticles. There are simple but effective ways, with which you can disinfect the device:
Cleaning the polaris air humidifier from scale with acetic acid solution (70%)
Cleaning and disinfecting the device should be carried out regularly. It is recommended to wash it every three days and disinfect it once every three weeks. To prevent the formation of limescale, it is necessary to use distilled, bottled or settled water (it must be changed more often).
Water that remains in the tank for a long time not only leaves lime deposits on the walls, but also causes active growth of bacteria. It is necessary to promptly replace filters and cartridges in the device. Do not clean the membrane with a stiff brush that is not included with the device, otherwise it will be damaged.
It is not recommended to turn on the device at full power, as this will shorten its service life. After creating the optimal level of humidity in the room, you must turn off the device; it should not work continuously. High humidity creates a favorable environment for the spread of mold and bacteria.
Large amounts of contamination should not be allowed to appear. Only special chemical solutions and powders can remove thick limescale deposits. In advanced cases, a metal sponge can be used. In this case, there is a high probability of damage to the case, so you should not overuse such cleaning.
The device should only be used for its intended purpose. It is prohibited to add aromatic or essential oils, herbal decoctions, or use the device as an inhaler. This will cause the filters to become clogged and the device to fail.
If the humidifier is not used for some time, it is necessary to empty the water from it, rinse thoroughly and dry it. A faulty or outdated device should be replaced. It is recommended to buy a new humidifier after 5 years of use. An old device will do more harm than good.
