How to Clean Winix Filter (and How Often): Pre, HEPA and Active Carbon Filter

Regular maintenance is necessary to maintain good cleaning performance of an air purifier. Cleaning the filters is very important here. However, each filter requires a different cleaning process, they cannot always be washed and it depends on the brand exactly how this should be done.

In this article I focus on cleaning Winix air purifier filters. Because a Winix air purifier has several filters, I have divided the article into a clear cleaning step-by-step plan per type of filter.

Why cleaning a Winix filter is important

First, let’s take a quick look at why it’s important to regularly clean the filters of your Winix air purifier. In my article about cleaning an air purifier filter, I already listed a number of important reasons:

• Maintains good cleaning performance
• Longer life of air purifier and other filters
• Less chance of clogging
• Air purifier will smell less quickly

Wash or replace Winix filters?

As I mentioned in the introduction, a Winix air purifier can have different types of filters. Each Winix filter needs its own approach. For example, not every filter is washable and you have to replace it regularly by buying a new one.

For example, not every filter is washable and you have to replace it regularly by buying a new one.

A Winix air purifier can consist of the following types of filters:

• Winix Pre-Filter
• Winix HEPA Filter
• Winix Active Carbon Filter

Often the above order is also the order in which they can be found in a Winix air purifier.

How to clean Winix pre-filter?

You will discover a pre-filter at the front of Winix air purifiers. This pre-filter has to endure a lot: all the air that is sucked in first passes through this filter. This filter ensures that the larger polluting particles are filtered. The filter will therefore quickly become full of dust and hair.

Step-by-step plan

1. Remove the front panel from the air purifier
2. Remove the pre-filter from the air cleaner
3. Grab a vacuum cleaner with a soft dusting brush
4. Vacuum the filter carefully
5. When the filter is very dirty, you can gently wash it with lukewarm water (do not use soap or detergent)
6. Allow the filter to dry for at least 24 hours and do not replace it until it has completely dried

It is important to use a soft brush when vacuuming. A crevice tool without hairs can cause damage to the pre-filter.

How to clean Winix activated carbon filter?

In many cases, a Winix air purifier is also equipped with an active carbon filter. In the article ‘How does an air purifier work’ I explained that this filter is suitable for removing unpleasant odors from a room.

Unfortunately, an active carbon filter is not washable. You will have to replace it with a new one. That you like this:

1. Remove the front panel from the air purifier
2. Remove the pre-filter
3. Remove the active carbon filter from the air purifier
4. Dispose of it with the appropriate waste
5. Remove the new active carbon filter from the packaging
6. Place the new filter back into the air cleaner in the same way
7. Then replace the pre-filter and put the front panel back on the air purifier

How to clean a Winix HEPA filter?

Every Winix air purifier is equipped with a True HEPA filter. A HEPA filter ensures that very small dust particles can be filtered out of the air. The higher the HEPA level, the smaller dust particles it can filter.

Like the active carbon filter, the True HEPA filter is not washable. You will also have to replace this. You do this as follows:

1. Remove the front panel from the air cleaner
2. Remove the pre-filter and the active carbon filter from the Winix air purifier
3. Remove the HEPA filter from the air purifier by pulling the tab
4. Throw the True HEPA filter in the trash
5. Remove the new HEPA filter from the packaging
6. Look carefully at the arrows on the packaging (these indicate how to put it back in the purifier)
7. Place the HEPA filter correctly in the air purifier, followed by the active carbon filter and the pre-filter
8. Place the front panel back on the air purifier

Cleaning HEPA Filter for PlasmaWave

Various Winix air purifiers use PlasmaWave technology. This technology mainly filters viruses and bacteria from the air¹Winix Plasmawave Technology, Winixeurope.eu. Unlike an ionizer air purifier, PlasmaWave technology uses electricity to produce both positively and negatively charged ions.

A Winix air purifier combines this technology with its various filters. So there is not a specific PlasmaWave filter that you can clean. It is very important to check the Winix HEPA filter regularly to see if it is still clean enough.

How often should you clean a Winix filter?

Now that we know how to clean each filter (or not), it’s also important to check how often you need to do this. In the overview below you will discover the cleaning intensity or how often you have to replace the filters.

Winix Filter	Indicator	Cleaning	Replacement
Pre-Filter	No	Every 14 days	Permanent
Active Carbon Filter	No	Not possible	Every 3 months
HEPA Filter	Yes	Not possible	Every 12 months

Most air purifiers have an indicator light: this indicates when it is time to replace a filter, for example. With Winix air purifiers, this is only the case with the HEPA filter. I therefore advise you to set a reminder in your phone, so that you receive a notification when it is almost time to replace a filter. That way you can never forget it!

References

• 1
  Winix Plasmawave Technology, Winixeurope.eu