How to Clean a Crane Humidifier

Co-authored by Victor Belavus

Last Updated: July 7, 2020 References

Cleaning your Crane humidifier is easy. All you need is water, several tablespoons of white vinegar, and a soft cloth. After separating the water tank from the base, you will clean each part separately with a mixture of water and vinegar. Finally, you will let the humidifier air dry or use a soft cloth to wipe the base dry.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Disassembling the Humidifier for Cleaning

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To clean your Crane humidifier, you will need water and four tablespoons of white vinegar. You will also need a soft, clean cloth if you choose to dry the humidifier base by hand instead of letting it air dry.^{[1]
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It is important that you do not attempt to clean your Crane humidifier while it is plugged in. Doing so could result in injury to you or damage to the machine. Before cleaning the humidifier make sure you turn it off and unplug it from the power source.

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You will need to remove the water tank from the base of the humidifier. You will be cleaning each part separately. Separate these parts of the humidifier as you prepare to clean it.^{[2]
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If your humidifier has accessories, like diffusers, you will need to remove these parts. They will need to be cleaned separately from the humidifier tank and base.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cleaning the Humidifier Tank and Accesories

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Remove the water tank from the humidifier base and unscrew the cap. Add water until the tank is filled to or just below the maximum fill line.^{[3]
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Measure out two tablespoons of white vinegar. Gently add the vinegar to the humidifier tank. For larger humidifiers, like the Crane SmartDrop, you can add up to three tablespoons of white vinegar.^{[4]
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Victor Belavus
Air Conditioning Specialist

Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.}
After you add the vinegar and water to the tank, replace the cap and screw it on tightly. Then hold the tank with two hands and shake vigorously. You will want to shake the tank for at least 30 seconds.^{[5]
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After you have vigorously shaken the vinegar solution in the tank, unscrew the cap. Pour the vinegar solution down the drain of a nearby sink or bathtub. Rinse the tank with water until the vinegar smell dissipates. Allow it to dry until next use.
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Clean the accessories. If your humidifier has accessories like a diffuser, you will need to soak them in a solution of two tablespoons of white vinegar and one gallon of water for about 10 minutes. Then rinse and air dry the accessories.
- Scrub away any build-up on these accessories with a dampened soft cloth or cotton swab.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Cleaning the Humidifier Base

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After you have removed the humidifier tank from its base, fill the base with water. You will need to fill the base up to the maximum fill line.^{[6]
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Once you have filled the humidifier base with water, you will need to add white vinegar to the base. Measure out two tablespoons of white vinegar and add them to the water in the base. Allow the vinegar and water to sit in the humidifier base for 30 minutes.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Victor Belavus
Air Conditioning Specialist

Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.}
Pour the water and vinegar out of the base and down a nearby sink or bathtub drain. Be sure you empty all of the vinegar solution from the base.
Sometimes sludge can build up in the humidifier base. If this is the case, dip a soft cloth or cotton swab in the vinegar solution and use it to scrub out any hard-to-reach areas.
Rinse the base with cool water until the vinegar smell dissipates. Allow the base to air dry before you use it again. Alternatively, you can wipe the base dry with a clean, soft cloth.

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How do you clean a humidifier filter?

Victor Belavus
Air Conditioning Specialist
Victor Belavus is an Air Conditioning Specialist and the Owner of 212 HVAC, an air condition repair and installation company based in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to HVAC and air conditioning units, Victor also specializes in furnace repair and air duct cleaning. He has over 10 years of experience working with HVAC systems.

Victor Belavus

Air Conditioning Specialist

Expert Answer

Use a mixture of distilled white vinegar and water, or a mixture of citric acid and water to clean the components of your humidifier. The main idea is to let humidifier filter and tank soak in this mixture for 15-60 minutes and then rinse it out with clean water.

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