How Often Should You Clean Your Humidifier (That’s a Lot)
During the dry winter months, a humidifier is a godsend, filling the air with moisture and doing its part to prevent dry skin and sinuses. Since you’re likely constantly adding fresh water to it, you may not think you need to clean it as often. But you do it – and more often than you think. Cleaning your humidifier not only helps it work better, but also prevents microorganisms and minerals from spreading into the air along with the humidifying mist.
Practice proper humidifier maintenance
Before we get into how to clean your humidifier, you should know that there are better and healthier ways to use it. The Mayo Clinic recommends using distilled or demineralized water instead of tap water because tap water may contain minerals that promote bacterial growth. (Minerals can also cause what looks like white dust to accumulate on furniture near the humidifier.) It’s best not to inhale these minerals or allow them to build up in the humidifier itself, and switching to distilled water will take care of that. problem.
When the humidifier is not in use, do not allow water to enter the humidifier. If you run it overnight, throw away anything that hasn’t evaporated in the morning; you don’t want to breathe in aerosolized standing water. Empty the water tank, dry the inside with a cloth, and refill it only when you are ready to use it.
How (and how often) to clean a humidifier
Here’s the scary truth: The Mayo Clinic also recommends cleaning your humidifier every three days to keep it from releasing bacteria and fungi into the air. Are you on a three-day schedule? Anyone? Apparently we should all be like that. The EPA recommends cleaning by unplugging the machine and scrubbing it with a brush to remove any scale, deposits or film you may see on the sides or inside the tank.
For the next step, consult your manual to determine the products the manufacturer recommends using to clean your machine. Most likely it will be one of these:
Some humidifiers can be cleaned with bleach, but not all, so be sure to follow the instructions for your specific model. Whatever you use, you won’t run these cleaners through the machine, but rather leave them in the water reservoir for 10 to 20 minutes before throwing them out and cleaning again. Rinse it several times, then dry it with a cloth. Now you can breathe freely (and wetly) again.