Cleaning the humidifier with vinegar.

[Snoredog]

if I was wanting to get rid of water deposits I'd use vinegar,

I tried that CLR industrial stuff in my coffee pot, it sure DON't seem to work like they show on TV especially for the shower head, tried it on the shower head, didn't work, tried it on the coffee pot didn't work tried flushing the rest down the toilet that worked.

[Spooky]

Instead of vinegar which will make your humidifier smell like a pickle factory
Use Citric acid , commonly sold as "sour salt"
cleans just as good if not better with no smell whatsover!

[birdshell]

if I was wanting to get rid of water deposits I'd use vinegar,

I tried that CLR industrial stuff in my coffee pot, it sure DON't seem to work like they show on TV especially for the shower head, tried it on the shower head, didn't work, tried it on the coffee pot didn't work tried flushing the rest down the toilet that worked.

Gee, Snoredog...it has worked for me. To work on them, water deposits must be Calcium-Lime-Rust, hence the name: CLR

Link to CLR Site

That said, I'd be leary of using CLR in something that I use for food or drink, such as a coffeepot. I know that cleaning coffeepots is one of the suggested uses, but I just don't like to take ANY chances with food or drink. Besides, vinegar is cheaper and is just as effective. IMHO.


I'm sorry that you didn't have the TV ad results. My experiences have been nearly exactly like those shown on TV. In fact, I was looking for some WD-40 to help release the grip my old washer hose had on its faucet. I couldn't find any, so I put a few drops of CLR on the area above the threads. It probably worked faster and more effectively than the WD-40.

Instead of vinegar which will make your humidifier smell like a pickle factory
Use Citric acid , commonly sold as "sour salt"
cleans just as good if not better with no smell whatsover!

Spooky, with a 1:10 vinegar:water solution, I never find that there is any smell of pickles. Of course, I do rinse everything that I've soaked just as thoroughly as I washed it with dish detergent and hot water. I also soak the equipment in plain hot water for just as long as I've soaked it in the vinegar solution.

Citric acid is also commonly sold as Tang breakfast drink, you know--the stuff the astronauts substitute for orange juice? Of course, the Tang has a bit of orange flavoring, coloring, and sugar included in the mix.

Citric acid (or 2 cups of Tang) is often recommended for use in cleaning dishwashers. Running a cycle with the citric acid inside does remove the deposits and helps the drain to keep flowing.

Spooky, what would the ratio be for the solution, and is the citric acid equivalent in the desired properties of vinegar? That is, if we ever are to find out the reason vinegar is recommended?

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Snoredog and Spooky.


Karen


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[Spooky]

The limescale that forms in it humidifier tank is mostly calcium carbonate
this substance will dissolve in almost any dilute acid
Since most people have vineagar (dilute acetic acid ) in their homes
and it is non toxic at those concentrations is is reccomended
The problem is the odor
Citric acid ( sour salt) has no odor and is also non toxic
I dont use a "scientific amount" , I would say one to two healthy tablespoons in the resmed tank I use water that has just finished boiling
leave it in for a few minutes and then flush it out and the tank is sparking clean
Sour salt is used in kitchens for adding a sour taste to various dishes many of the the"sweet and sour" type
anyway its safe and odorless