Humidifiers are a great way to maintain ideal humidity levels in the home or office. However, they can start emitting strange smells that require maintenance or cleaning to resolve.
A humidifier can start smelling like urine, plastic, wet dog, chlorine, fish, mildew, sulfur or burning. The reasons for a humidifier producing strange odors include dirt, mold, mineral build-up, overheating, water mineral contents or plastic offgassing. Other reasons include corrosive essential oils and the type of water used.
This post will highlight the different smells a humidifier can emit, explain all the reasons for a humidifier emitting the strange smells as it works and give step-by-step solutions for each problem.
Different smells a humidifier can emit.
A humidifier can emit different smells, including:
1. Urine smell
Cause: Mineral build-up or scale.
Mineral build-up, or rather scale, is the main reason for a humidifier to smell like urine.
Mineral build-ups are whitish, or grayish hardened deposits that develop in the humidifier after a lengthy period of use. Normally, mineral deposits develop in the water tank or reservoir, but can also form in the outlet.
There are various factors that may lead to mineral deposits developing in a humidifier. But it usually starts with either the hygiene state of the humidifier, or what is used in the humidifier.
The main reason for mineral build-up in a humidifier is the type of water you use in the humidifier. Most manufacturers include the information on the exact type of water to use in the humidifier in the user manual recommendation.
Distilled or demineralized water are typically recommended by most manufacturers.
However, if you use tap water and are from a hard water region, your humidifier will be prone to mineral build-ups.
Not regularly cleaning your humidifier also increases the risk of mineral build-up, even if you are not using hard water.
Diagnostic features
- You perceive urine smells as the humidifier works.
- Your humidifiers’ water tank and reservoir appears to have whitish or grayish hardened scale.
- The humidifier emits white dust.
- The water tank appears cloudy.
Solutions
- Avoid using tap water in a humidifier – use distilled or demineralized water.
- Cleaning, disinfecting and descaling the humidifier.
How to descale a humidifier
- Switch the power off and unplug your humidifier.
- Disassemble the humidifier and drain its reservoir of water.
- Pour half a liter of distilled white vinegar.
- Using a soft brush, try cleaning the humidifiers water tank and reservoir.
- Reassemble the humidifier, close its lid if it has and swish it for two minutes. Swishing helps the white vinegar to reach all the humidifier’s spots.
- Next, depending on how much scale the humidifier has, allow it time to soak for the mineral deposits to soften.
- If the mineral deposits seem hard to peel off, leave it overnight, but if it is not deep-scaled, you can allow it to soak for two hours.
- After the soak time, use a bristle brush to scrub the reservoir and tank until all the scale is dissolved.
- Drain the vinegar solution away and rinse the humidifier repeatedly with plenty of clean water till all the vinegar smell disappears.
- Allow time for the humidifier to thoroughly dry before humidifying a room with it again.
- Finally, schedule a future disinfection and descaling routine.
Cause: Corrosive essential oils
Not all humidifiers use essential oils. However, for those that utilize essential oils, they can start emitting a pee-like smell because of the corrosive nature of the oils.
Essential oils are highly concentrated, with many containing compounds that can corrode the plastic components of a humidifier.
Schedule a cleaning routine and only buy high-quality essential oils to avoid corrosion of the humidifier and the resulting urine smell.
Solutions:
- Clean the humidifier essential oil compartment after every use.
- Use high quality essential oil.
Consider using organic or therapeutic grade oils only. Brands such as Cliganic, Majestic Pure or Pura D’or are ideal.
2. Plastic smell
Cause: Offgassing
A humidifier smelling like plastic is one of the common concerns many humidifier owners have when using their devices. This is especially true when the humidifier is still new.
While a humidifier might emit smells for different reasons, if you perceive a plastic smell, it is typically just the result of plastic offgassing.
In such a situation, you don’t need to panic because it is normal for new humidifiers to offgas before adapting and the smell disappears.
The new plastic smell normally resolves after 72 hours of operation. However, if the plastic smells persist, you may need to turn it off, unplug it and access if it has any faults.
Diagnostic features
- You recently bought your humidifier.
- You perceive plastic smells as the humidifier works.
Solutions
- Switch off the electricity and unplug the unit.
- Confirm if it is overheating or if it has burnt electricals.
- If there are no overheating or electrical issues, switch it on and examine if the plastic smells disappear after some time of use.
- If after a while your humidifier still emits plastic smells while humidifying, and you do not see any problem with the device, contact your brand’s customer care service for help.
3. Wet dog smell
Cause: Dirty components
When a humidifier is not cleaned regularly, it can start smelling like a wet dog simply because it is dirty. The smells that come out of a humidifier are highly dependent on its hygiene.
Some mildew or mold can also smell similar to a wet dog, but these are also resolved with good hygiene.
Solutions:
- Disinfect and descale your humidifier.
- Clean the humidifier after every single use.
4. Chlorine smell
Cause: Water type
The reason a humidifier smells like chlorine is because of the type of water used in it. If you use tap water, which is typically chlorine or chloramine disinfected water, you will smell a chlorine odor coming from the humidifier during use.
Diagnosis
- The humidifier emits chlorine smells.
- Tap water (or other chlorinated water) has been used in the humidifier
Solutions
- Avoid using tap or well water in a humidifier.
- Use only water specified by the manufacturer (typically distilled or demineralized water).
5. Fish smell
Cause: Burnt electricals
The most common reason for a humidifier producing a fish smell is because of burnt electricals.
Normally, when a humidifier has burnt electrical components or a circuit board, it emits a fish-like smell.
This is usually the result of faulty wiring or overheating.
Cause: Mixture of dirt deposits, mold and mildew.
A humidifier can emit a fish smell because of dirt deposits, mold, mildew and mineral deposits mixing together and accumulating. If you use hard water in a humidifier, and do not clean or maintain it frequently, your humidifier is particularly prone to smelling like fish.
Mold has a distinct smell, just like mineral build-up and dirt. When all these smells mix together, they result in a pungent fishy smell.
Solutions
- If it has a burnt electrical problem, contact customer support or a technician to help you fix the problem, or to organize a replacement.
- Only use water specified by the user manual in your humidifier Avoid using tap or well water in a humidifier.
- Use only water specified by the manufacturer (typically distilled or demineralized water).
- Always disinfect and descale your humidifier.
- Clean and dry it after every use and do not leave water stagnant in it.
6. Mildew smell
Cause: Mold
A mildew smell coming out of a humidifier is the result of mold. If a humidifier is in constant use, but not cleaned frequently it can develop a mold infestation issue. Mold grows in dark and damp areas – so, a dirty humidifier provides the ideal environment for mold.
Leaving stagnant water in a humidifier almost guarantees mold will establish and likely thrive.
Once mold sufficiently develops in a humidifier, you will smell the musty or mildew odors as it operates. This may happen immediately or after some time. There are different types of mold. Some grow faster while others may take time.
A dirty and wet humidifier is a breeding ground for mold. To avoid mold in your humidifier ensure you clean your humidifier regularly, avoid stagnant water in a humidifier when it is not in use, and rinse and dry it after each use.
Diagnosis for mold
- Strong musty smells coming out of the humidifier as it works.
- Black, orange, brown or green discoloration in the humidifiers reservoir and water tank.
- The water tank appears fuzzy, slimy or soft.
- Mold in a humidifier may cause some effects such as wheezing, itchy throat, runny nose and coughing.
Solutions
- Cleaning and removing the mold from the humidifier.
How to get rid of mold in a humidifier.
- Bleach.
- Vinegar.
With bleach:
- Remove the humidifier from the power source and turn it off.
- Drain any available water from its reservoir.
- In a container, combine 10 oz bleach and 20 oz water.
- Fill the humidifier’s reservoir with the mixture and soak it for around 20 minutes.
- After the set time has passed, scrub the humidifier’s reservoir completely with a soft bristle brush.
- Before emptying the solution, cover it and swish it several times.
- Rinse your humidifier with clean water several times until the bleach smell is gone.
- Wipe the outside of the humidifier with a damp clean towel to clean it.
- Allow time for the humidifier to dry.
With vinegar:
- Remove the humidifier from the power source and turn it off.
- Drain any available water from its reservoir.
- Pour 20 oz of white vinegar into the humidifier’s reservoir and scrub it gently with a soft bristle brush.
- Drain the solution and refill the humidifier’s reservoir with a 1:1 vinegar:water solution.
- After the soak time, scrub it gently with a soft bristle brush.
- Swish the humidifier for a minute and drain away the solution.
- Rinse the humidifier with warm, clean water repeatedly until the vinegar odor is gone.
- To clean the humidifier’s exterior, soak a clean cloth in white vinegar and wipe it down carefully.
- Set your humidifier aside to dry.
7. Sulfur smell
Cause: Water mineral contents
The mineral contents of water that you use in your humidifier has an impact on the smell it emits. If you use water with an elevated sulfur content in your humidifier, you are most likely to perceive the sulfur smells as the humidifier works.
Solutions:
- Use distilled water in a humidifier.
- Regular cleaning.
8. Burnt smell
Cause: Overheating
One of the main reasons a humidifier could emit a burning smell is because it is overheating. Unlike plastic smells, a burning smell coming out of a humidifier is a case of concern. Overheating could be as a result of lack of water in the humidifier water tank. This is especially true with humidifiers that do not have an automatic shut off feature.
The market is flooded with many brands of humidifiers, some have auto shut off features while others do not. Those without this feature need to be carefully monitored, in case of overheating and producing the burning smell. When humidifiers run dry, the motor keeps running, which could cause it to overheat, melt, or in worst case scenarios begin a fire. Warm mist humidifiers are most prevalent to overheating.
Another reason for a humidifier overheating is when it is placed close to sources of heat. Read the user recommendation manual handbook to know where to place your humidifier and how to use it because any slight mistakes could cause damage.
Diagnostic features:
- You perceive burning smells.
- There is no water in the humidifiers water tank.
Solutions
- If the issue is a low water level, turn it off, disconnect it, empty the reservoir, and let it cool before refilling it with the appropriate amount of water for the next use.
- If your humidifier does not have an auto shut off feature, monitor it while in use so that when it runs out of water, you are there to refill or disconnect it.
- Consider investing in a humidifier with an automatic shut off feature.
Why does my new humidifier smell?
A new humidifier may generate smells due to the plastic and chemical substances used in its production. The plastic smell emitted by a new humidifier is the result of plastic offgassing, which typically resolves itself after 72 hours of use.
This is rarely a problem because the odor dissipates with time.
Does a humidifier remove odor?
Humidifiers do not directly improve air quality, reduce particle or odor levels in the air. Humidifiers simply release water vapor or steam into the air to raise humidity levels in the home or office. Air purifier-humidifier combination units, such as the Afloia Miro-Pro, are able to remove odor and humidify the air.
