If you are using a Holmes humidifier, it is likely that the manufacturer has designed the humidifier with a built in filter for your humidifier. In most cases the filter for your humidifier will be designed to provide moisture to the air, but there are some filters that will also keep out airborne particles and odors which could cause problems for the health of those who use a humidifier to fight off illness and bacteria in the home. In the worst case scenario, if a filter for your humidifier breaks, then you can end up having to replace the whole humidifier. However, there are ways of cleaning the filter of your humidifier, and these steps will help to make sure that you do not need to replace the humidifier very often.
The first step to cleaning the filter for your humidifier is to turn it on, but before doing this you should make sure that all the power switches on your house are turned off. It is quite common for bacteria and other microorganisms to grow in humidifiers and because it is moist there are many germs and organisms that can be present. If any of the water in your filter is exposed to the air, it can get back onto the hoses and cause them to become dirty and this can also lead to them needing to be changed.
After you have done all the maintenance steps necessary to start your filter on, the next step is to remove all of the water from the filter, and this is done by either shutting the motor off, or by taking the filter out entirely and setting it aside. This will allow you to get a good clean and wet cloth to wipe the dirt from the inside of the filter, which will prevent it from drying out in the heat and causing it to break down prematurely. Once you have cleaned the filter, you should rinse it off thoroughly to get rid of any remaining bacteria and dry it out. Then you should put it back on and connect it to the air flow adjustment, but before doing this you should make sure that the power is turned off because if it is on then the air flow adjustment may not be correct, and this will mean that you need to replace the filter.