Humidifyer tank cleaning.

[den942]

I thought I'd see what others think of my way. I rinse it out in real hot water. They I add some
mouthwash that is a germ killer. I shake it to get all surfaces wet and rinse it out again. I
figure it is pretty much germ free and the minute minty residue isn't bad to smell...

[bud_2005]

I was told to use white vinegar with hot water and then swish it.

[Bert_Mathews]

Use the VINEGAR first <Removes the LIME and mineral deposits > wipe clean the use the mouthwash .... ... Just note some of the mouthwash's will penetrate the plastic and not removable ?

I personally don't use distilled water and use just tap / drinking water < If its good enough to drink what could the vapors do to hurt you? > I just remove the lime / minerals every week............ .... Part of being a cheep oldfart!

IT's YOUR HEALTH -- Only YOU can make the chooses to make it better.....
BERT

[bud_2005]

I think you are supposed to use distilled water is because there is stuff in tap water that could gunk up the machine.

[cpapqueen1]

distilled water not only makes it easier to keep clean, but it also prevents pin sized holes from forming in the metal plate of the chamber, thus causing leaks. Clean with 1 part white vinegar to 10 parts water. If you spit out mouthwash because you shouldn't swallow it, why would you want to inhale it??

[Mce]

I use iodophor once a week, it's an iodine based food grade no-rinse sanitizer. But since I'm breathing the output, just to be that way, I rinse it with distlled water afterward.

[builta]

Hi,

Using distilled water will keep mineral deposits from forming on the inside of the tank. Depending on your water supply, over time these deposits and build up and cause problems with the way the parts fit together and the tanks seals. A gallon of distilled water is only about $1 USD. Just make sure that it is "distilled" and not just "filtered" or "spring" water as the later types could be as bad or worse then the tap water for causing mineral buildup.

Many others do nothing other then just "top off the tank" with distilled water nightly. Some clean them maybe monthly (or when they "see things" starting to grow) and some claim to have gone years without cleaning. But, don't try this with tap water--dump it out evry day. If you try to just "top it off" daily with tap water you will concentrate the minerals in the water and accelerate the mineral buildup.

The only thing that I do is to emply out any "left-over" distilled water in the morning and then leave it out and open all day to dry. Letting the tank dry daily will pretty much keep you out of most issues. Personally, I would rather err on the safe side and dump out a little extra water daily.

[den942]

I think you are supposed to use distilled water is because there is stuff in tap water that could gunk up the machine.

I was told to use nothing but distilled water. At 80 cents a gallon it isn't that expensive. A gallon lasts me about
two weeks. My tap water leaves a white powder film on everything if used in a room size humidifier.

[kopoloff]

If you use tapwater, then as long as you empty the tank each morning you should have no problems with residues. If you keep topping the tank up, you will increase the concentration of minerals and salts, and eventually they will deposit on the walls of the tank.

I've been using tapwater and emptying daily for 6 months and my tank is as clean and shiny as the day I first set eyes on it. I I rinse with a vinegar and water solution weekly.

K