Vinegar in a humidifier

Missy Sanares-Reyes <missycxr<-at->gmail<.>com> writes

>    ... Some people in the USA recommend
>    to put vinegar in the water.  For every gallon in the reservoir
>    they recommend 170 ml or cc of vinegar.  This represents
>    5%'vinegar solution by volume.  This will kill 99%'of bacteria
>    and fungus.
>
>    My worry is that I have paintings in the room. ...

I would not recommend using vinegar in the vaporizer.  Possibly not
so good for the paintings.  It would likely contribute to corrosion
of metal objects in the room.  But most likely it is not so good for
the people in the room.  The room will constantly smell like vinegar
which doesn't sound like a particularly good idea.

I would recommend using store-bought distilled water in the
humidifier.  This will reduce the amount of dust generated by the
humidifier when used with tap water (the salts from the "hard
water").  It will also lessen the chances for mold or bacterial
growth.  Weekly, the vaporizer could be cleaned with rubbing alcohol
or dilute bleach or hydrogen peroxide.  The area around the
transducer and float valve should be cleaned and the reservoir
should be rinsed out with the cleaning solution.  You may need to
use a Q-tip to clean the edges of the transducer.  Occasionally,
check the valve between the reservoir and unit to make sure it is
not slimy.

Chris Stavroudis
Paintings Conservator


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:49
                   Distributed: Monday, May 16, 2016
                       Message Id: cdl-29-49-001
                                  ***