How To Clean A Honeywell Humidifier
Honeywell is a brand that has been creating some of the most amazing humidifiers on the market. Be it hot mist or cool mist; their humidifiers are amongst all niches.
So if you have ever wondered how to clean a Honeywell humidifier, then we have got you. We have prepared a thorough list that will encompass all the types of humidifiers by Honeywell, so you need not worry about harming your humidifier.
In this article, we have covered,
- How To Clean A Honeywell Humidifier?
- How To Disinfect Honeywell Humidifiers?
- Why and how should you clean the filters of your humidifier?
- When should you clean your humidifier?
And if you are searching for one of these niches, then scroll down!
How To Clean A Honeywell Humidifier?
One thing that puts off people from ever cleaning or procrastinating cleaning their humidifiers is the notion that it is a daunting and complicated task that requires a lot of effort. But it is not the case. In fact, you will find that it is actually a really easy task that hardly requires you to move muscles.
The actual cleaning of the Honeywell humidifier consists of two distinct steps:
- Scale removal
- Disinfection
For the first step, you need to remove scales from your Honeywell humidifier. They are the mineral build-up that is caused due to the hard water, and it is highly crucial to remove it.
It is mainly calcium and magnesium that end up inside the tank; it has a white look that resembles white mold but is entirely different. And if you want your humidifier to work correctly, then it is best to remove it.
Now for the second step, you need to disinfect your humidifier. The process involves killing the microbes that have been lingering inside your device, like bacteria, mold, or viruses.
It is also advised to use anti-bacterial tablets. They need to be inserted alongside the water. It will ensure that you never have any mold build up again until you use it since mold brings health issues, so it is an investment worth it.
How To Remove Scale For Honeywell Humidifiers?
For the very first stage of scale removal, we have prepared a step-by-step guide to remove the build-up properly. This would ensure that the water present inside the tank remains clean and, in turn, the mist coming out is pure as well; it will maintain the safety and health of your family members.
This step-by-step covers practically every portable humidifier manufactured by Honeywell.
Cleaning Materials Required
- 2 cups of vinegar
- 1 gallon of water
- A soft cloth
- Cotton Swab
Instructions for Scale Removal
Step 1: First, you need to find a feasible place that won’t let the humidifier slip and harm it. Be sure to turn the power off and unplug it from the socket.
Step 2: Detach the water tank from the base and drain all the water from it.
Step 3: Next, add inside the now empty water tank 2 cups of undiluted and distilled white vinegar. Swish the vinegar around the tank thoroughly so that it reaches all its parts. Then place it back on the base.
The good shake and soak would remove any build-up that the humidifier might have had. Putting it back onto the humidifier would also remove the build-up present in the nebulizer (it is the part that is responsible for producing fine mist).
This step would also ensure that the scales present in the bottom of the water tank would be removed.
Step 4: Let the humidifier be for around 15 to 20 minutes so that it is adequately soaked.
Step 5: After you are satisfied that the tank is soaked nicely, drain the vinegar and minerals out. Use a damp cloth to clean out the insides of the humidifier’s tank along with the base, nebulizer, and float to clear out any scales left behind.
Step 6: Rinse the humidifier with lukewarm water until the acidic smell of vinegar is gone. Then use a dry cloth to wipe it down again. Now your humidifier is clean and healthy to use!
How To Disinfect Honeywell Humidifiers?
As for the second stage of thorough cleaning of the humidifier, here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: First, you need to repeat steps 1 through 3 as mentioned above. You need to follow everything the same as it is without changing anything.
Step 2: After completing those steps, you need to prepare a solution of bleach. You are supposed to add half a teaspoon of bleach to a gallon of water. Add this solution to the water tank.
Step 3: Swish the solution inside the water tank thoroughly. It needs to reach all the parts to do its job. Place the tank back on the top of the base. This will drain the solution inside the water reservoir, which would also disinfect it as well as any other part it comes in contact with.
Step 4: Now, just drain the bleach out after it has been soaked thoroughly. Rinse it with clean water until the smell of bleach goes away, and then wipe it down with a dry cloth. Once it is done, your humidifier would be adequately disinfected, and all good to go!
How Often Should You Clean Your Honeywell Humidifier?
As easy as it is to believe that your humidifier would work just fine without any sort of maintenance as in the end it just uses water, it is not the truth. In fact, it is unwise and not recommended to let your humidifier go on working without any sort of cleaning. It would only lead to a mineral build-up of scales, which would produce unhealthy air that can cause you health issues.
Hence for health purposes and the proper functioning of the humidifier, it is advisable to clean it thoroughly.
As for the amount of time that the humidifier needs to be cleaned, it depends on the amount of usage and the capacity of the water tank. If you own a Honeywell humidifier of the capacity of 5 gallons or less, you need to clean the water tank daily and sanitize the entire thing once a week.
And if it has a capacity of 5 gallons or more, you are required to clean and sanitize it once every two weeks to maintain it. Cleaning using white vinegar to remove the mineral build-up of scales. And for disinfecting the humidifier, it is advised to use a solution made with a teaspoon of bleach and a gallon of water.
When it is off-season, you need to clean and disinfect it thoroughly while also drying it nicely before storing it away. It is advised never to store a humidifier with a used filter or any other dirty accessories.
Why Is It Important To Clean Honeywell Humidifiers?
If you are here, then you must be familiar with the purpose that the humidifier serves. It is incredibly beneficial for people living in arid and dry places that have equally dry air. It seeks to instill moisture into the air, to get wet air that is better and easier to breathe. To keep the humidifier in its top condition and give great performance, it is imperative to maintain and clean it regularly.
The humidifier needs to be drained of its water, dried, and cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis. It ensures that bacteria, mold, or any other microorganisms won’t have a chance to grow and flourish. A humidifier that hosts these microorganisms is prone to get damaged and destroyed fast, reducing its life.
And that’s not the only consequence that a dirty humidifier has. Since necessarily its job is to spread moisture in the air, the microorganisms would mix with this moisture and enter your body. This causes you all types of health issues.
The scales that have grown in the base of the water tank as a result of hard water, These scales give a surface to fungi and bacteria that again can cause you new diseases or stimulate your already bad allergies and even your asthma.
So it essentially means that the humidifier that you bought for helping you get rid of various sorts of issues can actually cause them. A dirty humidifier is nothing but home to all kinds of diseases. So it is better to prevent them than to take any chances.
Can You Clean Honeywell Humidifier Filters?
Absolutely! Filters are built as such that they can be cleaned for a period of time before eventually being replaced. A dirty filter won’t be as effective in cleaning the dirt as with a clean filter, which in turn means that the humid air coming out of it would be dirty as well.
Although, in comparison to the whole humidifier cleaning, filters aren’t supposed to be cleaned that often. You can just clean it once every 1 to 3 months depending on the amount of time the humidifier is in use. If it isn’t cleaned regularly you would start seeing the growth of mold on the filter itself.
How To Clean Your Humidifier Filter?
The process of cleaning out a filter is fairly easy and you just need to follow the steps below and you would be good to go!
Step 1: First unplug and drain the humidifier. Then carefully take out the filter from the humidifier. Be sure to do it properly as there are chances that if not handled properly it can be damaged.
Step 2: Then fill out a bucket with warm water, not hot water, and submerge the filter inside it. Don’t fill the bucket to the brink in case that it flows out.
Step 3: Then in the same bucket of water pour distilled white vinegar. The vinegar and the warm water should be in the proportion of 1:2 respectively. Mix the solution in the water nicely.
Step 4: Let the filter soak inside the solution for around 30 to 45 minutes. Make sure that the entire body of the filter is fully submerged inside the water.
Step 5: Once you are satisfied that the filter is fully soaked, take it out of the solution, and run tap water through it to properly rinse it off the solution. Try removing as much of the dirt that has been loosened due to the soak. If the dirt is still sticking to the filter then you can use a soft-bristled brush or your fingertip to clear it out. Be extremely careful to do this process gently as even the slightest heavy pressure can break the filter.
Once all the dirt residual has been cleared out, give the filter a gentle shake and set it aside to dry. Before doing so ensure that all the acidic smell of vinegar has been cleared out and you can no longer smell it. If yes, then let it dry, if not then run water through it until you are sure.
Step 6: Once the filter has dried out thoroughly, insert it back in its place.
Final Thoughts
Now that you are familiar with the process you must have finally understood why we called cleaning Honeywell humidifier an easy thing to do. And when the matter comes to giving your investment a long life and not compromising the health of your family then it becomes even more crucial. And if you do carry out your regular cleaning you will find that the benefits it reaps are definitely worth your effort.