How to Clean Humidifier Filter: 3 Best Methods Explained

Humidifier is an absolute must especially in the winter, as it protects us from cold, dry air and what not. But, due to frequent usage it becomes dirty, and needs to be cleaned regularly. In the same way filters of humidifiers are also needed to be taken good care of. The filters can be a breeding ground of bacteria and fungus if you are not cleaning it properly and regularly. So you must know how to clean humidifier filter correctly to stay safe.

We have written this article about this topic to help you out. So you don’t need to wonder about when and how to clean the filter of your humidifier. It is not possible for every time to replace the filter. So it’s better to clean it and extend its lifetime.

How to Clean Humidifier Filter (Only the Best Ways)

You may think that the process of cleaning the filter is a messy job. But you can easily do it with some easy to have ingredients. In the below section, we are going to discuss how to clean humidifier filter in 3 different ways.

Cleaning with Water

In the first step, you need to unplug the humidifier. Being an electrical device, if you try to remove the outer cover or filter, it can be dangerous.
Then you need to vacate the water tank completely by draining out the whole old water. If you feel like then you can surely clean the water later.
In the 3rd step, You need to take out the filter that is placed inside the humidifier’s motor housing to clean it.
Now you need to rinse the filter thoroughly. You can hold the filter under the cold running water tap. If you see many molds build up and deposition of minerals, then softly clean that dust and dirt using a soft toothbrush. You just need to remember that don’t press the brush too hard.
In the last step after washing the dust, you need to wrap it with a microfibre towel to absorb the excess water. Let it keep in an open condition for at least 1 to 2 hours to air dry it. Don’t use any dryer machine. Once the filter is completely dry, set it again into the humidifier.

Cleaning with Water and White Vinegar Solution

First take a large bucket and fill it with ample amounts of water such that the filter is completely submerged in it. You can fill the water into the sink instead of a bucket. Hot water will be a better option to get rid of the dirt from the filter.
Now you need to switch off the humidifier and remove its plug before taking out the filter.
After that you need to add ½ quantity of vinegar concerning water quantity in the bucket. This solution is totally natural and solely effective against stubborn dirt and dust. It will also work as a natural disinfectant. If any bacteria or molds developed into the filter, it would kill them.
Then soak the filter into the vinegar and water mixture for 30 to 40 minutes. If the amount of dirt in the filter is much more than soaking it for 2 to 3 hours. Being a natural component, it will gradually work on the dirt of the filter. But it will not leave any harmful chemical substance in the filter.
After giving it much time, remove the filter from the mixture solution. Now clean the filter by running cold water. Don’t rub the filter with much force. After washing the filter allow it to air dry. Don’t squeeze the filter to remove the excess water, and you're done with the steps of how to clean humidifier filter.

Cleaning the Humidifier Filter using bleach

First you need to take out the filter of the humidifier. But before opening the outer cover of the humidifier, you need to switch it off and remove the plug from the socket.
In the next step take a large container or bucket and fill it with lukewarm water such that the filter is engulfed in this.
After that step as you are working with bleach and this is sensitive to a few substances, you need to keep those things away from the bleach. The quantity of water should be much higher than bleach. Now add a tablespoon of bleach into the lukewarm water.
Bleach is used to clean excessive molds and mildew. So you should use this when you see such a problem with your filter of the humidifier. While handling bleach always use gloves to protect your soft skin from the harshness of bleach.
Now you sock the dirty filter into the dilute bleach solution for 10 to 15 minutes. You need to be careful about the factor that the filter is submerged into the water completely. You don’t need to scrub the filter. Bleach is a very good substance against dirt and sterilized well.
After 10 minutes you need to remove the filter from the bucket. Now wash the filter with running warm water to rinse the bleach from the filter completely. You need to be very careful about the factor that you rinse the bleach from every part of the filter. Now keep the filter in a dry place to air dry it. After drying it, you can again place the filter into the humidifier.

Why is it Important to Clean Humidifier Filters?

The filter of the humidifier remains in a wet condition, so the chances of growing bacteria, fungus, and molds are very high. As these substances are harmful to our health, we need to clean it after a certain interval.

The releasing mists will also be contaminated due to these bacteria and fungus. The filter gets hugely damaged due to the continuous build-up of bacteria and molds around it. And then you need to replace the filter which will be an extra addition to your expense.

If you clean the filter regularly then it will expand its longevity. The filter is mainly designed to filter the water and to separate the mineral from the water. The continuous deposition of the mineral can damage the filter. That’s why you should know how to clean humidifier filter easily.

Cleaning the mineral deposit is not that tough. By holding the filter under the running water will clean it fine.

Once the mineral deposition starts, it will begin to emit those harmful substances into the air. So it’s important to clean the filter and maintain its condition to have a healthy environment.

Some Useful Products for Cleaning Purpose

Nowadays many products are available in the market to clean the filter of the humidifier well. You can also use some home remedies which are really effective against dirt and dust of the filter.

The natural ingredients:

We can wash it with plain cold water by holding it under the water tap.
White vinegar is also an effective product to clean the filter. You just need to mix some amount of white vinegar into the water and the cleaning solution will be ready to use.
You can also combine a tablespoon of bleach with water or hydrogen peroxide solution. This mixture is well known for cleaning extreme molds build up.
Ascorbic acid means lemon is also very useful in the cleaning process of the filter. The acidity of lemon is clean as well as disinfecting the filter.
You can also use synthetic filter cleaner. These products are also easily available in the market and online shopping portal.

Regular Maintenance & Usage Tips for Humidifiers

When you are using a device for your essential purpose then it becomes necessary to maintain it and clean it regularly, so that it smells good as well. Here some useful tips are given to ensure the betterment of the humidifier. You should go through these tips as well, before you implement our guide of how to clean humidifier filter.