Over time these deposits form a hard outer surface on the internal metallic surfaces. This calcium deposit not only makes your humidifier appear dirty but also hampers its efficiency.

How do you descale a humidifier?

Removal of brown flakes in a humidifier restores it back to its original form and improves its efficiency. You will need vinegar, a soft cloth, an old toothbrush, a dull knife or spoon, dish soap, and a bowl.

Once you have the items, follow these steps to remove calcium deposits from your humidifier.

• First, unplug your humidifier from the electrical supply.
• Start by cleaning the outer and exterior parts of the humidifier
• Using a toothbrush, gently scrub the calcium deposits (The white powdery surface)
• Try using water with a soft cloth after removing the deposits.
• For stubborn deposits, soak a soft cloth in vinegar and apply it to the surface of the limescale. Leave the cloth on the surface for a few minutes.
• Remove the vinegar soft cloth and use another clean cloth to wipe out the surface.
• Rinse the surfaces using clean water.

However easy the process might seem to be, there are instances when you will be forced to disassemble the humidifier. This is true when there are some calcium deposits on the heating element.

Disassembling your humidifier may be complex or easy depending on the manufacturer’s design. It is advised to always consult your user guide when doing this. Other humidifiers may lack that disassembly option; consult your manufacturer in this case.

Read Also: How to descale a Zojirushi water boiler

How to clean the heating element

The process for cleaning the heating element is almost similar to the one earlier stated. However, you can use a blunt knife or spoon to scraper off the stubborn deposits.

Follow these steps to remove calcium deposits from the heating element:

• Scrape off the surface using a spoon or dull knife
• If the deposits do not completely fall off, pour vinegar in a bowl (where you will place your humidifier heating element). There is a disclaimer that the entire heating element should not be soaked in vinegar.
• Use a soft cloth to wipe away the removed deposits from your heating element.
• Rinse the heating element with clean water before wiping it with a clean soft cloth.
• If you had to disassemble the humidifier, reassemble and dry it with a piece of cloth before reconnecting to the power source.

If you had been wondering how to prevent your humidifier from scaling, hopefully, the above tips have come in handy. Remember to repeat the process after every few months for your humidifier to last longer. If you are in the market for a humidifier, check out our guide on choosing the best humidifier for asthmatics and allergies.

Read Also: Do water softening showers really work?

The post How to remove calcium deposits from humidifier appeared first on Home Gadgets.

In addition, to further answer the question, is it safe to leave a humidifier on all night? Keep reading.

Can I leave my humidifier on all night?

Yes, you can even if don’t have a cold. Winter air can dry out your sinuses, lowering your resistance to bacteria and the flu or cold virus.

This means that having a humidifier next to the bed is essential to wake up with a comfortable nose and throat. Even so, to determine the best humidifier for your home, consider these 2 types of humidifiers.

1. Cool mist

This humidifier does not have a heating system. It vents air that is cool or room temperature. A cool mist humidifier is ideal for kids suffering from croup.

Besides, toddlers can’t be scalded when playing or touching it.

Read Also: List of humidifiers that are best for asthmatics

2. Warm mist

The warmer air will help open up your respiratory passage. As a result, you will breathe well and you will have less mucus build-up.

You can have any of the humidifiers next to the bed as they both add moisture to your room. The only difference is that the cool mist humidifier discharges room temperature.

The warm mist humidifier, on the other hand, emits heated air. So the cool mist is perfect for hot environments while the warm mist is great for a cool environment.

According to Dr. Benjamin Smarr, leaving a humidifier on all night depends on your specific needs.  For instance, if you snore a lot, you aren’t breathing properly through your nose.

And this kind of mouth breathing causes a variety of dental problems. It leads to drying of the mouth and throat. As a result, you will develop a cough and dental issues associated with dry sad gums.

Can I leave a humidifier on all night for my baby?

Yes, a humidifier can be used all night in your baby’s nursery but under these conditions:

1. The water should be often replaced.
2. The humidifier is cleaned and sterilized regularly to prevent the accumulation of bacteria.
3. The water used should be distilled.
4. Maintain humidity between 30% to 50%. Excess humidity encourages bacteria and mold to grow, which is a health risk.

Benefits of having a humidifier in your baby’s nursery during the night:

1. Babies are susceptible to infections that are common in cold weather. Running a humidifier may prevent such illnesses as they have been proven to kill these viruses.
2. Also, dry air causes nasal congestion and drying of the sinuses, making breathing uncomfortable for babies. This moisture released by a humidifier creates comfortable breathing conditions by thinning the mucus to decongest the airways allowing the baby to breathe and sleep better.
3. Dry skin conditions such as eczema are common in babies, and a humidifier can help the baby’s skin to retain moisture hence relieving your baby of itchiness and discomfort caused by dry skin.

Can humidifiers catch fire?

Though the risk is low, humidifiers that do NOT shut off automatically when the water runs out can be a potential fire hazard.

If you do notice that this function is faulty, you should acquire a new one.

Read Also: Which type of humidifier is best for dry eyes?

Do humidifiers kill airborne viruses?

Yes, this recent study published by the Environmental Health journal found that maintaining indoor optimal humidity can significantly reduce the flu virus and other viruses.

It works to eliminate them both on surfaces and in the air.

Should I close the door when using a humidifier?

You should close the door if the humidifier is proportional to the room size. Opening the door will allow the much-needed moisture to escape from the room.

Even with the door closed, there is still proper ventilation with air spaces under the door and on the window.

Humidifiers with a sensor keep the room at the desired humidity, as the sensor helps regulate the relative humidity of the room; therefore, closing the door doesn’t change how it works.

It just allows the humidifier to work in a smaller area, which is within its capacity.

There is no advantage to humidifying the whole room. It is primarily important that the air you breathe, which is near your eyes and nose, is not too dry especially if you have respiratory problems.

Does a humidifier make a room cooler or hotter?

Technically, the cool mist humidifier will cool your room and make you feel slightly chilly since the water vapor released is at room temperature.

In contrast, the warm mist humidifier will make your room warmer as it releases hot vapor into the air. You may have to switch between both humidifiers depending on the need or get a hybrid model that has both functions.

Using a humidifier at night is safe and has significant health benefits for both adults and babies when all precautions are observed.

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The low humidity harms your respiratory system as well as the skin besides worsening existing respiratory conditions. Furthermore, air with low moisture also destroys furniture. For these reasons, it would be a great idea to invest in a good humidifier such as the Honeywell MistMate Humidifier.

This particular humidifier is available in various models. In this review, we are going to look at two models and get to know how each work, the available features, and which would be best for your home or office.

These two are the Honeywell MistMate Cool Mist Humidifier models HUL520 and HUL535.

Honeywell MistMate HUL520 review

Going by the full name of Honeywell MistMate Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, this product features an elegant design that carries half a gallon of water. On the low setting, it has the capacity to run for up to 18 hours per filling.

The HUL520 is ultrasonic and employs the use of a piezoelectric transducer. This technology works by creating oscillations, which generate fine mist. It then forces the fine mist out over the top through a fan at the bottom of the humidifier. As a result, the air in your room receives extra moisture.

According to most users, the Honeywell MistMate ultrasonic humidifier is virtually silent meaning you can enjoy your sleep as it runs. Also, the Honeywell MistMate has a tiny form factor (less than ten inches tall and wide) rendering it easy to carry around different rooms around your home.

The bottom of this product has four rubber stoppers to hold it in place. Under the tank, there is a power knob accentuated by a green LED. By twisting the knob to the right, you get to turn the humidifier on and adjust the amount of mist.

Read Also: Why your humidifier smells

Turning it all the way to the left turns it off indicated by an audible click. It also has the auto-shutdown feature, which is essential for energy saving.

The HUL520 is available in four different colors, black, red, blue, and white.

Pros

• Affordable
• Ultra-quiet
• Auto shutdown when empty
• Variable mist output settings
• Filter-free

Cons

• Requires regular maintenance
• Serves only small rooms

Check price and customer reviews here

Honeywell MistMate HUL535

Like the HUL520 model, the Honeywell MistMate HUL535 is also an ultrasonic cool mist humidifier. However, the latter is a bit larger and can serve mid-sized rooms.

The HUL535 has an almost-silent motor and employs ultrasonic technology to emit fine visible mist into the air. This product comes in a convenient small design meaning you can easily fit it into small spaces.

Also, you would not have to worry about replacing any filters with this model. The mist output setting is variable allowing you to adjust it to your most comfortable setting.

Additional features include the auto-shutdown setting, which initiates whenever the Honeywell MistMate humidifier runs out of water. The humidifier has a one-gallon capacity that allows it to keep running for up to 24 hours per filling.

This run time varies with existing humidity levels, room size, and the speed setting on the Honeywell MistMate humidifier. The product also features a large opening on top, which makes cleaning and refilling easy.

It also has an easy-carry handle that enhances its portability if you need to move it from one room to another.

The HUL535 model comes in black and white colors. The prices may vary a bit though by small margins.

Pros

• Affordable
• Ultra-quiet
• Filter-free
• Auto-shutdown feature
• Variable mist output settings

Cons

• Does not work well for large rooms
• Requires regular maintenance and cleaning

Check price and customer reviews here

How to clean your Honeywell MistMate humidifier

When cleaning any humidifier, there are two processes involved: scale removal and disinfecting. You must perform these processes separately and, in the kitchen, bathroom, or water-resistant surface, and should be near a faucet.

Do not wash any parts in a dishwasher. Follow this procedure for scale removal:

• Shut down and unplug the humidifier
• Detach the water tank from the base and empty water from these components
• Set any accessory aside to prevent damage
• Pour two cups of undiluted white vinegar in the tank and swirl and then place the tank back on the base. The vinegar loosens up any scale (mineral buildup) in the tank and the water reservoir
• Let it soak for about 20 minutes
• After soaking, pour the solution out from the tank and reservoir and then wipe with a soft cloth, which will remove the loosened mineral deposits
• Rinse the tank and the reservoir until the smell of vinegar disappears and take care not to let any water into the vent opening at the base of the humidifier or the power knob

For the disinfecting process, follow the same steps but use a half teaspoon of bleach in half a gallon of water in place of the vinegar.

Conclusion

You can use any of the two Honeywell – MistMate humidifiers since they both work well. However, the HUL535 model would do much better in bigger rooms than the HUL520. If you need a humidifier for a small room, the latter would be good given its slightly cheaper price.

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Are you wondering why your humidifier smells so bad? Here’s a guide on how to remedy bad odors from your humidifier.

Why is your humidifier smelly?

Some reasons that may cause your humidifier to smell include:

1. Growth of mold

If you don’t change the water in the humidifier regularly, it promotes the growth of mold and fungus. That will be the reason why your humidifier smells moldy. It is risky to breathe in this water vapor as it may cause various respiratory issues.

2. Growth of bacteria

This may be caused if you use dirty water in your humidifier and if you don’t clean it properly. The worst part is that it will spread the bacteria all over your home hence becoming a real health hazard.

3. Mineral deposits

If you use hard water in the humidifier, then it answers the question why does my humidifier smell like urine. These minerals may accumulate due to improper cleaning; hence the humidifier smells like chlorine. If the accumulation is substantial some of the minerals will find their way into the water vapor leading to various breathing problems.

How to avoid and remove bad odor from your humidifier

The following are ways to prevent odors from your humidifier as how to clean the humidifier:

• Use distilled water: This ensures that the water is bacteria and minerals free so you don’t have to worry about buildup over time.
• Change the water frequently: If your humidifier smells like a wet dog, then you are not changing the water often. If not in use for a long time it is best to leave the tank empty otherwise change the water every three days.
• Clean the humidifier: Do you need to clean the humidifier? Yes, you do. Add half a cup of hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar into the tank and add water. Leave it for at least four hours, pour it out then scrub the inside using a toothbrush to get rid of any residue.

Hygiene is paramount if you use a humidifier in your home. Your intention may be to increase the humidity but end up worsening your problem by getting respiratory issues especially if you leave a dirty humidifier on all night. Do not forget to change the filters as recommended as they may be the answer to why does my humidifier smell.

READ: Frigidaire UO error code troubleshooting

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