Dehumidifiers are a great way to help keep your home dry and comfortable. While they’re not needed in every home, they can be especially helpful when you have an area that tends to get damp or wet more than others, like a basement or attic. And keeping your dehumidifier clean is easy! Here are my tips for making sure your dehumidifier stays running smoothly:
Keeping Your Dehumidifier Clean is Easy
Keeping your dehumidifier clean is easy. The best way to keep it running efficiently and keep it from smelling bad, moldy, or leaking water is by cleaning it regularly.
Cleaning a dehumidifier can be done with simple household items that you probably already have around the house:
- vacuum cleaner or shop vac (this will help remove any debris stuck in the filter)
- A soft brush/broom (for getting into hard-to-reach areas)
Step 1: Unplug the unit.
- Unplug the unit before you start cleaning.
- Don’t use a vacuum to clean the coils. This can damage them and void your warranty, so don’t do it! If you need to remove any dust or dirt from inside your dehumidifier, then use a soft brush instead of suctioning it out with a vacuum cleaner or compressed air canister (which will scratch up your compressor). You should also avoid using water near your dehumidifier at all times; moisture causes corrosion on electronics if left unchecked for long enough periods of time and could potentially short out internal components if left unattended for too long periods of time
Step 2: Wait until the compressor has shut off.
When the dehumidifier has finished running and you are ready to remove the filter, wait until the compressor has stopped. If you remove it while the unit is still running, you risk damaging it by shorting out its electrical components. The easiest way to tell if your compressor has shut off is by listening for a click sound from this component; if there’s no click, then your fan will continue running until either its power supply runs out or its internal temperature reaches over 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit). Once this happens, your unit will stop working as intended—and that’s an expensive mistake!
Step 3: Lift the top of the dehumidifier and remove the filter.
- Lift the top of your dehumidifier and remove the filter. The filter is usually located in the back of the unit, but you can also get at it from a few other places. If your dehumidifier has an air vent cover, you may need to remove that first so that you have access to all parts of your machine. Alternatively, some filters are held in place by screws or bolts; if this is true for yours then follow these steps:
- Use a screwdriver or wrench to loosen any screws holding down whatever covers overtop of where your filter resides. Then simply pull up on what appears as two pieces until they separate from each other; once they do so lift away with an easy tug (or push) toward their respective sides until they come free altogether!
Step 4: Lay your filter on a flat surface that can get wet.
- Lay the filter on a flat surface that can get wet.
- Use a flat surface that’s easy to clean and isn’t porous or absorbent.
- If you’re planning on washing your dehumidifier, use a plate or tray for this step so that there’s less risk of water being absorbed into the unit itself and possibly causing damage over time.
- Take paper towels or cloths (both are fine), soak them in warm water and wring out excess moisture by pressing down on them with your hands until they’re completely saturated with liquid from soaking up any remaining moisture from taking care of Step 3 above .
Step 5: Fill a sink with warm water and a drop of dish soap.
Use a sink with a drain. Fill it with warm water and a drop of dish soap.
The warm water will help break down the grime on your filter, while the dish soap helps rinse away any leftover gunk from previous cleanings. Make sure you keep enough water in there so that it covers your filter well; otherwise, you risk having to empty out some of it later on when you’re trying to fit everything back into place (which can be tricky). This also gives you an opportunity to check for any leaks before filling up another container for cleaning purposes!
Step 6: Place your filter into the water for about 15 minutes to soak.
You’ll need to place your filter in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes. This will help loosen up any dirt or grime that might be stuck to the surface of the filter, and it’s also important because it allows you to wash off any lingering soap residue with hot water.
You can use either a sink or tub—just make sure that you don’t submerge your dehumidifier in too much liquid; otherwise, its electronics could be damaged by water leaking into them.
Step 7: Scrub both sides of your filter. Pay careful attention to the area around the seam, where dirt usually builds up in bunches.
Once you’ve cleaned the filter, it’s time to scrub both sides of the filter. This is important because dirt builds up in bunches around this area of your dehumidifier, which can cause performance issues and even shorten its life span.
To make sure you’re doing this right, pay careful attention to where you’re scrubbing—the seam between two pieces of plastic should be thoroughly cleaned so that nothing sticks to either side when you flip them over (this is referred to as “scrubbing” or “washing”).
Step 8: Rinse off any remaining soap from your filter under running water.
Now that you’ve cleaned your filter, it’s time to rinse it under running water. Make sure that the filter is completely dry before putting it back into the unit so that no soap residue remains on top of your coils. If there is any left over, just wipe off with a cloth or paper towel and be sure not to touch any parts where dirt might be lurking!
This step will help prevent future problems down the line as well:
- Dirty coils = dirty room
- Dirty room = musty smell
Step 9: Dry your filter with a lint-free towel before putting it back into your dehumidifier. Make sure that it’s fully dry before replacing it in the unit, otherwise you will have more problems down the line than just dirty coils!
When you’re done cleaning, it’s important to let your filter dry completely before putting it back. This can be done by using a lint-free towel and gently rubbing the filter in small circles until all of the water has been absorbed into the fabric. Don’t forget that this step applies equally well to both types of dehumidifiers! If your filter is still wet when you reinsert it, there could be condensation inside which could cause problems down the line. Make sure that when replacing your filter into its slot (or even just putting water onto it), make sure that they are clean and dry before placing them back into their respective units!
Why Do You Need to Clean Your Dehumidifier?
If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t given much thought to your dehumidifier and what it does. But the truth is that even if you use a machine that’s relatively new or clean, mold and mildew can still grow inside of it—and they can make you sick!
If anyone who has ever had allergies knows this fact, then why do we think we can ignore the health risks of mold? Well for one thing: because we don’t want to admit how unhealthy our homes are becoming. And another reason is that there are no real laws requiring landlords or homeowners to clean up their properties right away with proper ventilation systems…or even at all!
A clean dehumidifier will help keep your home healthy and comfortable
- Keep your dehumidifier clean. A clean dehumidifier will help keep your home healthy and comfortable by:
- keeping the air in your home clean, which means it’s less likely to attract dust mites or other pests
- preventing mold and mildew growth on walls, floors and other surfaces in the house
Conclusion
In short, cleaning your dehumidifier is an important part of maintaining its performance and making sure that it lasts as long as possible. Not cleaning it often can lead to mold buildup and other problems. You should clean your dehumidifier after every two weeks or so depending on how much moisture you need to remove from the air in your house or apartment. There are also some other basic maintenance tips you should follow too such as unplugging before turning off so this doesn’t happen again!
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