What To Put In Humidifier To Prevent Mold?

A humidifier must be your go-to remedy for dryness, skin irritation, allergy, or asthmatic symptoms caused by dry air indoors. The humidifier provides quick, relaxing comfort by adding moisture to your room’s air.

Humidifiers employ heat and water, which, unfortunately, produces the ideal habitat for mold to thrive.

You could do various things to prevent mold formation, starting with regularly cleaning the water reservoir of your humidifier. You could also add various additives to the humidifier’s ground to reduce mold growth and scale formation.

What to Put in Humidifier to Prevent Mold?

Cleaning the water tank is all it takes to keep mold from forming in your humidifier. It is indeed actually quite simple:

1. To begin, drain the water reservoir.
2. After that, rinse this with a mixture of warm water and white vinegar with antifungal properties.
3. Thereafter, remove any scale or mold with a thick cloth and a lime-based cleanser.
4. Wash the tank with really hot water once more.
5. Before reassembling your humidifier, put its reservoir away to drain.

However, merely cleaning your humidifier might not always work. In that case, go through the materials below that shall keep the mold and bacteria away from your precious humidifier!

You can also check out my article about preventing bacterial buildup in humidifiers where I list even more humidifier additives that prevent bacteria and also a mold.

Humidifier Tablets

These tablets can be purchased online or even from a local retailer. They’re made to keep mold and lime from growing within the humidifier. Simply place 1 pill in the reservoir only with the proper quantity of water.

Humidifier pills are available at most food stores and can help prevent mold as well as lime buildup in the humidifier’s storage tank. It is suggested that you take one tablet each time you fill it up with water.

Vinegar

White and apple cider vinegar, which is both antimicrobial and antibacterial, is an effective mold preventative. One cup of vinegar poured into your humidifier’s water reservoir will disinfect it properly. To combat mold formation, add one quart of white vinegar to the water in the humidifier.

This is a natural antioxidant and anti-fungal material that’s healthy for your humidifier and will not harm your lungs.

Vinegar is a powerful cleaning agent that may be used to kill mold and mold spores. It’ll keep spores from developing in the container for a long time.

Remove the rubber belt and decontaminate it with vinegar. Because the rubber belt is an obvious victim of microbial growth, it should be conducted regularly rather than periodically. Other chemicals such as humidifier pills, bleach, tea tree, and even hydrogen peroxide could also be used.

Tea Tree Oil

A few droplets of tea tree oil throughout the humidifier fluid would not only avoid mold formation but also help patients with respiratory illnesses like asthma breathe more easily.

Tea tree oil is a purified essential oil extracted from the renowned Melaleuca plant with antiviral, antimicrobial, and antibacterial effects.

Important: do not use tea tree oil if you have pets – tea tree oil is toxic to cats and dogs!

Tea tree oil serves two functions: it is a biological disinfectant and a respiratory aid that can help patients with allergies and asthma disorders. It’s antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiviral, just like hydrogen peroxide. Five or six drops in the storage tank of your humidifier will suffice.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide, another of the cheapest alternatives for controlling mold in humidifiers, eliminates germs and mold. Only a few teaspoonfuls of hydrogen peroxide in the humidifier tank are required to complete the task. Hydrogen peroxide is indeed a cheap and effective antibacterial and antifungal agent.

Each time you check the water tank, put half a teaspoon in there to prevent mold and germs from forming.

Additional Tips

To prevent mold in your humidifier, there are some other techniques that you have to follow, including not using any tap water and keeping the humidifier dry.

Say No to Tap Water!

Apart from disinfecting regularly, you should also take additional precautions to avoid mold from developing in the first instance. Do not use tap water. Tap water is mineral-rich hard water that aids and accelerates the formation of mold spores.

When you fill the humidifier container with distilled water rather than tap water, the humidifier will create fewer harmful bacteria and other germs, which can be detrimental to human health if inhaled.

Take Care of the Filters

Although the humidifier’s filters serve to keep microorganisms and minerals off the air, they might potentially harbor bacteria and mold themselves. Filters should be changed at least once every three months or even before the inception of the next season.

Even better, you may go with filterless humidifiers that don’t need to be replaced and don’t harbor mold.

Keep it Dry!

When moisture levels rise and the air becomes more permeable, you may reduce the use of a humidifier or perhaps even switch it off completely. There’s no need to be concerned because the machine wasn’t built to run all year.

Nevertheless, another key component in mold avoidance is the way your humidifier is stored. Clean all of the parts carefully and air dry thoroughly for days until there is no humidity left within the humidifier before storing it. Insert a baking soda packet in the container when it has dried before sealing the top.

It will absorb any remaining moisture and inhibit mold growth, as mold thrives in moist environments. The humidifier would be refreshed and ready for use even during the winter or chilly season.

Follow Instructions

The manufacturer includes a user manual on every humidifier. It’s indeed critical that you observe the supplied instructions for optimal device care. You should follow the guide’s instructions if it specifies not to use essential oils or other oil inside the humidifier.

For optimal outcomes and a long-lasting condenser, use the provided tools or follow the cleaning technique described in the instructions when cleaning your machine.

Bottom Line

Sure, you adore your humidifier, yet when did you give it a thorough cleaning last? Mold can quickly grow in a filthy humidifier, spreading bacteria and spores throughout your household.

Cleaning daily is the right way to avoid mold, particularly if you’re using a humidifier. Mold may be prevented in your humidifier by changing the water, washing the tank with just a gentle brush, or using distilled water.