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Next Post Sure, you love your humidifier, but when was the last time you cleaned it? An uncleaned humidifier may quickly become home to mold, spreading germs and spores throughout your home. Read on to learn how to keep mold at bay in your home humidifier. A home humidifier is a device designed to put moisture into the air—providing much needed relief from dry, itchy skin and creating indoor air that feels warmer and is easier to breathe. Humidifiers are invaluable to individuals who suffer from allergies and asthma. However, if there’s mold growing inside, the humidifier may do more harm than good. The best way to prevent mold in your
humidifier is through regular, weekly cleanings. Nearly all humidifier manufacturer’s recommend thorough cleanings each week or, at a minimum, once a month. Cleaning your humidifier is quick and easy. Keep your humidifier clean by:
What to Put in the Humidifier to Prevent MoldThere are a number of additions you can make to your humidifier’s water chamber to help protect against mold and scaly buildup. Remember, by design, a humidifier is wet and warm, an ideal habitat for mold growth. Adding one of the following additives to your humidifier will help protect against mold growth between cleanings:
Protect Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality with Help from Aire Serv®To further optimize your home’s indoor air quality, turn to Aire Serv. Our local teams are dedicated to providing the indoor air quality solutions you need to breathe easy all year long. Request an appointment online or call (855) 679-0011 to learn more about indoor air quality solutions for your home. Winter isn't just humidifier season, it's slush season, too! Keep your home slush-freeLink opens in a new tab with tips from our friends at Molly Maid®Link opens in a new tab. Like Aire Serv, Molly Maid is a member of the NeighborlyLink opens in a new tab® family of home service brands. Previous Post Next PostHumidifiers help restore moisture to dry indoor air, but without proper care and maintenance they can pose a potentially serious risk to health. Wet and dirty humidifiers easily become contaminated with mold, bacteria and other allergens and respiratory irritants, according to the Mayo Clinic, and they may worsen asthma and allergies in vulnerable people. Moldy humidifiers may also cause or contribute to respiratory infections and cause flu-like symptoms, even in healthy adults. Preventing and eliminating mold from humidifiers requires daily cleaning and frequent sanitizing. Empty the water reservoir and wash it with soap and hot water every day. Remove any scale or mold using a scrub brush and soap. If the water tank is not detachable from the humidifier base, be careful not to get any water inside the motor. Rinse the tank very well with clean water, then wipe down the inside of the base with peroxide. A 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution is effective at removing mold from the water tank of your humidifier, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 3. Refill the water tank with distilled water. In some areas, tap water may be suitable for use in humidifiers. Most tap water, however, contains minerals that accumulate inside the unit. This mineral buildup provides a breeding ground for microorganisms and can be dispersed into the environment with the humidifier mist. Add about 2 cups of white vinegar to the water tank once each week. Fill the rest of the tank with water, then run the machine for at least 30 minutes. Do this outside or in a well-ventilated area. After 30 minutes, rinse the tank and refill with plain water. Allow the unit to run for several minutes to flush out any remaining vinegar. Clean heavy mold out of your humidifier by mixing equal parts water and bleach in the tank and running the unit outside for 30 minutes. Rinse very well with clean water to ensure no bleach is left inside the unit, and let the unit run for several minutes to flush the filter. If any bleach remains, it may be dispersed when you run the unit indoors, where it may be inhaled. Throw away used filters, cartridges and cassettes before storing your humidifier. The Mayo Clinic suggests buying new ones the next season. Replace your humidifier if you cannot eliminate all mold from the unit. Portable units are affordable and widely available. TipsNational Jewish Health recommends against the use of a humidifier if you are allergic to mold or dust mites. What happens if you use a moldy humidifier?Once mold grows inside of a humidifier, the fan disperses the potentially harmful microorganisms into the air where you and your family members can inhale them and possibly experience respiratory allergies or inflammation of the lungs. Killing humidifier mold spores reduces the risk of those health problems.
How do I make my humidifier mold free?To prevent the growth of mold and other contaminants, we recommend rinsing, towel-drying, and refilling your humidifier's tank with fresh water daily. Once a week the tank and the base's well need a deeper cleaning and sanitizing. Replace filters and wicks according to the maker's recommended schedule.
Can you get sick from mold in a humidifier?But even in healthy people, dirty humidifiers have the potential to trigger flu-like symptoms or even lung infections when the contaminated mist or steam is released into the air.
Does bleach kill mold in humidifier?Disinfect your humidifier
Although vinegar or citric acid will help with the visible limescale, it won't kill off the mold or invisible microbes that are always attempting to take root in your humidifier. So you'll need to periodically disinfect the whole unit using a solution of bleach or hydrogen peroxide.
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How to get mold out of a humidifier
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