How to Clean a Dehumidifier Easily in 15 Minutes

Published by Ahmad Jamal on May 10, 2022 | Last updated on May 15, 2023

When you’re continuously suffering from dampness and high humidity levels, then you’ve already thought about obtaining a dehumidifier.

But since it’s working perfectly, you’re not thinking about cleaning them, however, dehumidifiers –like other pieces of machinery- require you to carry out periodic maintenance to keep them running effectively.

Therefore, it’s a necessity to know how to clean a dehumidifier.

Luckily, here’s a Cleaners Advisor guide, stating in detail how to clean a dehumidifier, disclosing what items and equipment you’ll need in the process while making sure it won’t cost you more than 15 minutes.

Table of Contents

Why You Should Trust Us

At Cleaners Advisor, we’ve been covering nearly every corner of thoughts when it comes to dehumidifiers.

We have prepared detailed lists of great dehumidifiers that work heavenly in some tasks, including a list of best Garage Dehumidifier, and a list of best Bathroom Dehumidifier Machines.

Moreover, we had another list of best closet dehumidifier options, alongside a guide on the best crawl space dehumidifier too.

For people with areas of 500-1500 square feet that need dehumidifying, there’s a list of the best 30-pint dehumidifier machines.

We even made a guide calculating the Cost to Run Dehumidifier.

When You Should Clean a Dehumidifier?

As long as your dehumidifier is working properly, it doesn’t always mean it doesn’t need to be cleaned.

There are multiple reasons that should entice you to carry out some cleaning on your dehumidifier.

First of all, it becomes less effective when it needs cleaning, so it’ll have to work more than it needs to do to provide similar results.

Additionally, some advanced dehumidifiers have a red signal informing you that the filters are filled with dirt and need immediate cleaning. It stops working whenever the red signal is on.

Moreover, the dehumidifier’s main task is keeping you and your family comfortable and healthy inside the house, letting that device overheat or overdue or fill it with dirt, will work against your ultimate goal.

In conclusion, mastering how to clean a dehumidifier properly will keep your environment purified, your air clean, and your family healthy.

Items You Need in How to Clean a Dehumidifier

Clean Dry Cloth Pieces.
Hand Vacuum.
Water Source.
Screwdriver.
Soap.
Vinegar
Baking Soda

How to Clean a Dehumidifier

Unplug the Dehumidifier

Make sure the dehumidifier is unplugged off any form of power.

This is an essential part of making sure you’re cleaning it safely, regardless of how long cleaning it should take you.

Clean the Outside Part of the Dehumidifier

You see that outer surface? It may not seem as important, but you should clean it with a soft dry piece of cloth.

Most importantly, get to the inside of the air-intake grille of the dehumidifier, as it’s the most susceptible to dust and dirt.

I advise you to use the hand vacuum here and clean it thoroughly.

Bucket’s Turn

It’s now the Bucket’s turn to be cleaned, remove it to the side, remove any visible dirt there with another piece of dry cloth.

Fill a small portion of the bucket with warm water and soap, you’ll need to put in some effort in cleaning it now.

Empty it off that water and soap, leave it to dry on the side by flipping it on its head.

Air Filter Is Calling

Moving on to the air filter, as it’s the most important part of any dehumidifier, I’ve made a detailed list of steps you can check in the next section.

How to Clean Dehumidifier Filter

If you’ve had your dehumidifier turned off, and you’ve done the aforementioned cleaning steps, then you are just left to do the filter.

You should have your user manual for the dehumidifier, search for the filter, and get to it.

Once you’ve extracted it outside the dehumidifier, make sure you’re holding the filter on a sink or a trash can since there will be so much dust and dirt.

Give it some small hits to the side, and make sure you remove a small portion of that dirt.

Hold it under the water source, and use it to get rid of the dirt into the sink.

Once you’ve got rid of all the dirt, leave it standing to dry for 8 hours, before re-installing it.

How to Clean Dehumidifier Bucket

When it comes to draining water to the outside of a dehumidifier, you have two options.

You either use a bucket for temporary reserving of the dehumidified water, until you get rid of it manually.

Or you can just install a drain hose that gets rid of the water automatically.

If you’re using the first option, then knowing How to Clean Dehumidifier Bucket isn’t hard by any means.

You’ll need to get the bucket outside the dehumidifier fill it with warm water and soap, scrub it down with some effort, dry it manually with a cloth or leave it to dry on the side.

How to Clean Dehumidifier Drain Hose

If your dehumidifier suffers from a small bucket, then you should install a draining hose to get it into automatic draining mode.

But the drain hose can get dirty or clogged, here’s How to Clean Dehumidifier Drain Hose.

Start off by removing Potential Drain Hose Clogs, if you don’t know how, check this guide on how to unclog a vacuum hose, which is made from the same substances that created the dehumidifier drain hose.

Now you should take the drain hose, and get rid of any mold inside, using vinegar, and warm water, not doing so will allow bacteria to grow inside in the long run.

Mix the warm water and white vinegar, pour them into the drain hose, and let it there for around 10 minutes, while closing both ends with any type of cover.

Afterward, get rid of the mix, rinse the remainder of the mix with water, and let it dry for quite some time, before re-installing it back again.

How to Clean a Dehumidifier FAQ

Does a dehumidifier need to be cleaned?

Yes, the dehumidifier needs to be cleaned on regular basis, some would argue it should be cleaned on monthly basis, but I’d advise doing it every other month if you use it on a near-daily basis.

Can you put vinegar in a dehumidifier?

Yes, you can. Putting vinegar mixed with water is a great disinfector to mold and other bacteria, and in this article, you have a full explanation of how to do it properly.

What is the black stuff in my dehumidifier?

It’s probably either dirt stacking up or some kind of dust all stuck inside the dehumidifier filter.

To Wrap Up

Mastering how to clean a dehumidifier is an essential part of obtaining a dehumidifier, to preserve the machine and make sure they are running as effectively as they should.

This contains a detailed step-by-step guide on separate parts of the dehumidifier, to make sure you master the whole cleaning process.

If you have any kind of inquiries, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments section below.