In a house or apartment with dry air, a humidifier is necessary to create a favorable environment. But over time, it can get dirty and stop doing its job well. By following a number of simple rules for operating this device, you can save money and significantly extend its life. Let’s figure out how to clean the humidifier at home without the need to take it to a service center.
Why did the humidifier start to work poorly?
Most often, the humidifier suffers from scale. The reason for its occurrence is simple: poor-quality water with poor purification.
If you use pre-filtered water for the device instead of directly from the tap, you can significantly reduce the number of cleanings. This is quite a reasonable solution, as the filter retains heavy metal salts, dirt particles, and mineral impurities. It will still not be possible to completely get rid of cleaning the device, as even from crystal clear water, over time, dilutions remain, which gradually turn into a persistent plaque.
Types of moisturizers
The nature of cleaning directly depends on the type of device, so first you need to find out about the features of its model. Some models will have to be washed, others – cleaned or filters changed. There are four types of moisturizers in total:
- mechanical
The simplest type of moisturizer. Water is poured into the container, then it enters a special cartridge, after which the moisture evaporates under the influence of the air supply of the built-in fan.
- ultrasonic
They are in greater demand because they are the safest. A well-organized humidification process is achieved by supplying cold steam, which provides a better microclimate in the house.
- steam
Such a device is particularly susceptible to scale. It works in the following way: it heats water and produces steam, which leads to the rapid appearance of lime scale.
- combined
They cope very well with saturating the air with moisture and cleaning the air from dirt and dust. These two functions are performed at the same time, which greatly complicates the cleaning and care of the device. The device gets dirty not only from water, but also from dust flows.
Cleaning instructions
Cleaning mechanical, steam and combined type humidifiers includes several stages:
- Dirt removal. It is carried out with a cloth soaked in a solution of household soap.
- Tank cleaning. The container is cleaned from all sides. Especially difficult places are cleaned with an old toothbrush dipped in soap solution.
- Cleaning the nozzle from limescale and plaque. Vinegar is diluted with water equally, the cloth is moistened in the finished solution and the nozzle is wiped.
- Rinsing. Takes place under a stream of water until complete cleaning.
Cleaning the ultrasonic humidifier is characterized by a number of the following sequential actions:
- The humidifier is disconnected from the network, all components are removed strictly according to the attached instructions.
- The remaining water is poured off, after which the container is well washed of dirt. If necessary, repeat cleaning several times.
- It is better to clean the nozzle of the humidifier with a moistened microfiber cloth.
- The main scale coming from the base is removed with a soft cloth napkin.
- The membrane of the device is cleaned with a small brush that comes with the device.
A few tips for descaling
- If a special cleaner is chosen, then you must strictly follow the instructions on the label.
- You can replace store-bought products with homemade solutions, for example, with citric acid. Two bags are diluted in a liter of water and poured into a humidifier. After a few hours of work, the result is checked. If plaque remains, cleaning is repeated once more. If everything is clean, then everything is thoroughly washed with water and the device is started to operate.
- You can use vinegar instead of citric acid. It is taken at 25 ml per half liter of water. They work exactly the same as in the case of citric acid.
- Abrasives are not used. Even if the plaque has hardened, it is better to repeat the cleaning with citric acid or vinegar, and it is even better not to start the situation and do everything regularly.
- Detergents for cleaning electric kettles give a good result.
How to deal with mold
Products containing chlorine, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide will help remove mold.
- The solution is prepared: 1 tsp is taken for 4 liters of water. chlorine bleach. The resulting product is poured into the container of the device, and after an hour everything is poured out. The humidifier is washed with running water.
- If vinegar is chosen for cleaning, then take approximately 250 ml and dilute it in 4 liters of water. The solution is poured into a container for one hour.
Hard-to-reach places are cleaned with a rag with a solution of vinegar. Mold fungi are removed with the same solution. All the same manipulations are carried out if hydrogen peroxide was chosen as a cleaning agent.
Mold can be avoided if you periodically clean the device with a solution of citric acid.
Sometimes it turns out that the slipperiness is not removed even after several cleanings, and hard iron washcloths cannot be cleaned. There is only one harmless remedy. Water, two tablespoons of washed rice or buckwheat are poured into the tank. Cereal must be washed so that its particles and debris do not contaminate the tank. The container is strongly shaken and everything is washed away.
Rules of care
- For operation, always choose only clean water of good quality.
- Weekly mini-cleaning is required. To do this, dishwashing liquid is diluted in warm water and the container is cleaned with a small brush. The tank is washed several times with running water.
- If the model needs consumables – cartridges or filters, then they must be changed immediately after the end of the service life.
- If you pour distilled or demineralized water, you can reduce the cleaning time by about half.
- If a trip is planned, and the humidifier will not be used for at least a few days, the water must be drained. This is done so that there is no acidification due to bacteria.
- If the water is still acidic, there will be an unpleasant smell. In this case, Domestos or another chlorine-containing substance with a good aroma is dripped there. Ordinary bleach will smell too sharp, so it is better not to use it.
- It should be remembered that the means for cleaning humidifiers must be individual. After use, rags, brushes, washcloths should be washed in a chlorine-containing solution, thoroughly dried and cleaned. Left in a moist state, they will serve as an excellent source for the reproduction of bacteria.
- In the warm season, humidifiers need more frequent cleaning than in the cold. This is due to the fact that there is too much dust in the summer, and devices get clogged much more often. In the fall, there is a great risk of mold growth, so in this season it is necessary to carry out preventive cleaning with a citric acid solution.
It is not difficult to clean the humidifier, it is enough to know some rules. By following all the recommendations for cleaning and operation, you can easily extend the life of the device for several years.