How To Clean a Countertop Water Distiller

Clean drinking water is essential for good health, and using a countertop water distiller is one of the most effective ways to purify your water at home. To ensure the highest water quality and keep your machine working efficiently, regular cleaning is key.

Whether you’ve just purchased a Megahome water distiller (or another brand), or have been using a distilled water machine for years, it’s completely normal to wonder how to clean it properly. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to clean a countertop water distiller using simple methods like vinegar, citric acid, or daily swilling.

We’ve owned a Megahome countertop water distiller since January 2018 and have picked up some great tips and hacks along the way to make the cleaning process even easier. Let’s dive in!

How To Clean a Countertop Water Distiller

Like any other appliance, our Megahome water distiller requires regular cleaning and maintenance to keep it working properly.

There are actually several different ways to clean your water distiller, including before and after each use, with vinegar, ascorbic acid, or special water distiller cleaning crystals, making the process easier.

Below are some simple steps you can follow to clean your countertop water distiller, no matter which method you choose.

Cleaning a Water Distiller Before and After Each Use

Firstly, we have found that simply swilling out our water distiller in between each use stops the build-up of hardened residue and minerals, meaning we don’t have to deep clean our water distiller as much as we used to.

This is great news as a deep clean of the distiller can take a few hours while it is left boiling and bubbling away with solution!

So, it saves us the hassle, especially as we drink distilled water every day and run our water distiller up to two times every single day. Needing to deep clean it for a long time means we can’t make any water at that time and have to plan appropriately.

So, how do we clean before each distilling session? It’s simple. Each time we need to refill the distiller with water, we first just add 1-2 inches of tap water and vigorously swish it around in a fast circular motion, and then we pour this water away.

Here’s a quick video showing how I swill out the inside of my Megahome water distiller after each use using just a couple of inches of water and the power spray setting on my kitchen tap. This simple trick helps loosen and lift residue, meaning I rarely need to deep clean the distiller anymore, even though I use it daily! After the first swirl, you can see there are some bits of the hardened residue lifted and floating in the water.

This technique lifts some of the soft and even hardened residues and helps keep deep cleaning to a minimum. It’s really surprising just how effective this is.

You can also use this technique after the distiller has been used to make distilled water, but wait for it to cool down first, as it will be really hot!

We give our Megahome water distiller approximately 20 minutes to cool down first. If you do use this technique and swish it with a couple of inches of water after you’ve freshly distilled some water, the residue will likely be white and soft, so you may even be able to easily remove it with a cloth.

We mostly just swill our distiller before each use, rather than after, and rarely need to deep clean now. In fact, not even once per year! We never used to do this, and so now we can tell the difference.

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How To Clean a Water Distiller with Ascorbic Acid

For a deep clean, once or twice a year, to remove the limescale and hardened deposits that the above-mentioned water swilling and light cloth wiping in between uses don’t remove, we use ascorbic acid to perform a deep clean.

This comes in a white powder, or more like small crystals sometimes, and it’s actually vitamin C!

Sometimes it’s called citric acid. You can buy it in large pouches from eBay which may be cheaper than purchasing directly from your water distiller company.

When we lived in our previous house, the water in that county was hard, and our distiller got really gross, really quickly, so we deep-cleaned with ascorbic acid a few times a year. At that point, however, we weren’t cleaning in between each use, and so the buildup got really bad.

At our new address, we are now in a soft water area, and the difference shows in our distiller! Now we only need to deep clean with citric acid once per year, if that!

The video below on YouTube, from Megahome, shows how to clean water distiller with ascorbic acid powder. This is how we choose to do a deep clean of ours when needed.

How To Use Ascorbic Acid to Clean Your Water Distiller:

1. Remove the lid from the distiller; you just want to clean the chamber with the citric acid and water, and do not need to attach the lid for this.
2. Fill the chamber with water from the tap. You can use warm or hot water to speed up the cleaning process by helping it boil faster.
3. Add two large spoonfuls of citric acid powder.
4. Plug in the boiling chamber only (without the lid), switch it on, and wait for it to boil. Leave a window open or plug it in outside if you can! At our old house, we had a covered decking area with an outdoor plug socket, so I’d plug it in outside, as it creates a lot of steam as you need to boil all the water, until it’s all evaporated. Only plug it in outdoors if your setup is suitable with a socket and a covered area away from the elements.
5. In the video above, it’s left for 20 minutes, but we’d actually leave ours for at least one hour as it needs to work on all the hardened residue. We set a timer on our phones to check the distiller after one hour to see how it looked. We’d keep setting alarms every 20 minutes or so after this if it didn’t look clean enough. Once you’ve done this a few times, you’ll know roughly how long yours needs to be cleaned, depending on how dirty you let it get!
6. If there’s still some white residue, this is usually soft immediately after the boiling water has been in the tank. Being careful not to touch the distiller as it will be very hot, we sometimes wipe the white residue away while it’s still warm and soft. Or, like the video, you can go through the process again with some more citric acid powder to lift off more residue if it’s really bad.
7. Once finished, turn off the distiller and allow it to cool so you don’t burn yourself as the chamber will be hot as it’s just been boiling water. Then rinse with cool water and enjoy your sparkling clean boiling chamber!

Prefer to try distilled vinegar to clean yours? Read on and watch the video to see how to clean your water distiller with vinegar instead.

How To Use Distilled Vinegar to Clean a Water Distiller

You can choose to use distilled white vinegar to clean your water distiller. This is a great natural and non-toxic way to keep it clean and easily clean deposits in a home water distiller.

Check out this video from YouTube on how to clean a water distiller with vinegar:

1. Disconnect the distiller from the power source and allow it to cool down completely before cleaning.
2. Remove the boiling chamber and empty any remaining water from it.
3. Pour some pure white distilled vinegar into the chamber to cover any residue at the bottom of the chamber. Leave for 15 minutes.
4. Add approximately the same amount of water.
5. Leave overnight, and it will lift and clean off most of the residue.
6. Wipe with a cloth to remove any remaining residue. Be sure to wipe away any stains or mineral deposits that may have accumulated on the surface.
7. Rinse the chamber thoroughly with water and allow it to air dry.
8. If needed, you can also clean the outside of the chamber with the 50/50 white vinegar and water solution. Simply dip a cloth into the mixture and use it to wipe the outside to lift off any dirt and add shine.

Benefits of Cleaning Your Countertop Water Distiller

There are lots of benefits to cleaning your countertop water distiller regularly, including:

• Improved taste and quality of the water produced
• Prevention of bacterial and mineral buildup
• Extension of the distiller’s lifespan
• Peace of mind knowing that your drinking water is clean and pure so you can enjoy the benefits of drinking distilled water

It’s important to clean your countertop water distiller regularly to prevent the buildup of bacteria and minerals, which can affect the taste and quality of the water produced.

By following these simple steps, you can keep your distiller in top working condition and ensure that you and your family have access to pure, clean drinking water whenever you need it.

Tips For Maintaining Your Countertop Water Distiller

Learning how to clean the inside of a water distiller will ensure your appliance lasts as long as possible before it needs replacing.

Maintaining it just as you would any other kitchen or household appliance should not be forgotten.

• Clean your distiller at least once a week, or more often if you use it frequently
• Use a soft cloth or sponge and a mild cleaning solution to avoid damaging the distiller’s surfaces
• Empty and refill the reservoir with fresh water after each use
• Replace the carbon filter regularly, as recommended by the manufacturer, usually once per month if you make a batch of water on a daily basis
• Store the distiller in a cool, dry place when not in use

By following these tips, you can keep your countertop water distiller in good working condition and enjoy the benefits of pure, clean drinking water for years to come!

How Often Should You Clean Your Water Distiller?

One of the most common questions is how often to clean a water distiller, and the answer really depends on two things: how often you use it and the hardness of your tap water.

From our own experience, when we lived in a hard water area, the residue built up quickly inside our Megahome water distiller. At that time, we weren’t cleaning it in between uses, so we had to deep clean it with citric acid several times a year to keep it running properly.

Since moving to a soft water area, we’ve noticed a big difference. Now, we give the distiller a quick swill before each use, which helps remove soft residue and prevents build-up. As a result, we barely need to deep clean it — in fact, we sometimes go an entire year without doing a full clean.

If you’re wondering how often to clean your water distiller properly, we recommend observing how quickly mineral deposits build up in your machine. In hard water areas, more frequent deep cleans may be necessary. But with regular light cleaning and softer water, you may find yourself needing to deep clean far less often, if at all.

Quick Links To Buy a Megahome Water Distiller

Perhaps you were wondering how to clean a countertop water distiller to make sure it was easy before purchasing one? Hopefully, we have shown you how easy it is to clean a water distiller, and now you are ready to make your purchase.

There are lots of places to buy a water distiller to suit your needs. We love and recommend the Megahome water distiller, and it’s available directly on their website, or you can find new or preloved versions on eBay. Here are some quick links for you to view:

Unfortunately, the website we purchased ours from no longer sells them, but you can shop on eBay. We use eBay to get all the cleaning granules and the carbon filters, too.

Shop Megahome water distillers on eBay

Final thoughts

Keeping your water distiller clean is one of the most important steps to ensure you’re drinking the purest water possible. Whether you’re wondering how to clean a water distiller with vinegar or prefer cleaning a water distiller using citric acid, there are several easy methods available depending on your preference and the level of build-up inside your machine.

We’ve focused mostly on the Megahome countertop water distiller, as that’s the model we use daily, but these tips apply to most home distillers as they are all very similar! Regular distiller cleaning not only improves water taste but also helps extend the life of your appliance.

If you’re searching for a cleaner for water distiller units or wondering about how to clean a distilled water machine, it’s best to stick to non-toxic solutions like vinegar, citric acid, or specially designed water distiller cleaning crystals. These remove mineral deposits and residue without damaging your unit.

Don’t forget, descaling your water distiller and performing regular water distiller maintenance is essential, especially if you live in a hard water area. You’ll avoid unpleasant build-up and maintain better performance over time when you clean your appliance properly and regularly.

For supplies like water distiller cleaner, carbon filters, and accessories, we recommend shopping on eBay, where you can often find affordable options for the Megahome water distiller and other models.

Stay hydrated and keep your distiller in top condition!

Thanks for reading.

For more information regarding why people drink distilled water and if it’s good for you, read my blog post is distilled water safe?