How to Clean Electronic Cells and Prefilters

Establish and maintain a regular cleaning schedule - every one to six months, depending on activities in your household. If you have an Airwatch Indicator it will tell you when it is time to clean the cells and prefilters.

CAUTION: Handle the cells carefully to avoid cuts from the sharp metal edges.

Prefilters - vacuum the prefilter or brush, or soak it in a tub. Do not wash the prefilter in a dishwasher or car wash.

Cells - First, check your dishwasher's owner's manual because some manufacturers do not recommend washing cells in their dishwashers.

Put the cells on the lower rack of the dishwasher, with the airflow pointing up.

Lay four glasses or mugs upside down to rest the cells on so the spikes on the dishwasher rack don't damage the collector blades. Use regular dishwashing detergent.

Allow the dishwasher to run through the complete wash and rinse cycle. But DO NOT USE THE DRY CYCLE - because this will bake on any contaminants not removed during the wash cycle and would reduce air cleaner efficiency. Let the cells cool completely before removing or wear protective gloves to avoid burns.

Tip the cells to drain out any water that may be trapped inside the cell plates. With a small clean cloth, gently wipe off the ionizer wires and contact board on the end of the cell.

You may wash the cells in a laundry tub instead of a dishwasher.

CAUTION: Wear rubber gloves to avoid prolonged detergent contact with skin.

Dissolve 3/4 cup of automatic dishwasher detergent per cell in enough hot water to cover the cells. Soak cells for 15-20 minutes. Gently Agitate them up and down a few times and remove. Empty and rinse out the tub. Rinse the cells with a hard spray of hot water. Fill the tub with clean hot water and soak for another 5 - 10 minutes. Then rinse off until the water draining from the cells no long feels slippery. With a small clean cloth, gently wipe off the ionizer wires and contact board on the end of the cell.

To wash the wire mesh pre-filter, soak gently in tub of soapy water and rinse with a light spray. Let air dry.

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