It has stopped working. How do I clean it. Can the element be washed with soap?

Did you check to see if the unit is receiving power? Check on/off switch? Heating element?

I have had times where my Crane humidifier won't produce mist if I haven't turned it on for several days (4+) or more. The water that sits in the reservoir may develop a film on the ultrasonic element which inhibits the creation of the mist to come out the top of your humidifier. I would lift off the tank and empty the reservoir. Then VERY GENTLY with a piece of paper towel, wipe the ultrasonic element (looks like a disk the size of a quarter at the bottom of the reservoir) to clean off any film. Then replace the tank and let the reservoir fill up the tank and try it again.

If your humidifier runs properly for a minute and then makes a whirring noise and goes silent (like the motor stopping), then it's a motor problem. The humidifier motor may have gone out of alignment due to bumping or rough handling of the humidifier when cleaning or emptying it. If that is the case, you will have to empty the humidifier reservoir, unscrew the base, and find the screws holding down the motor and check for misalignment. Loosen them a little and put it back together and try again.

Best of luck
thebqe

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS (from the manual):

The following maintenance procedures must be routinely followed in order to ensure proper, efficient operation of your humidifier. The unit WILL NOT WORK CORRECTLY if it is not cleaned properly.

When the unit is in use, daily and weekly maintenance is recommended. Regular weekly cleaning prevents scale buildup on the heating element and base. It also prevents micro-organisms from growing on the base. This ensures that maximum efficiency will be achieved.

We cannot over-emphasize how essential proper cleaning is to the maintenance and continued use of your unit and to the the avoidance of algae or bacteria build-up.

DAILY MAINTENANCE
Allow to cool before maintenance.
1. Before cleaning, set the control to OFF (O) position and unplug the unit from the electrical outlet.
2. Remove the water tank then unlock the misting chamber by rotating the safety lock towards the front of the unit. Lift mist chamber from the unit's base.
3. Empty water and minerals from the base and place in the top rack of the dishwasher. This will remove any sediment and dirt that has accumulated in the base.
NOTE: It is imperative that the base is cleaned properly. The base is dishwasher safe (top rack ONLY) for easy cleaning.
4. Wipe the heating element clean with a soft cloth after it has had a chance to cool.
5. Replace misting chamber and engage safety lock. The Electronic Thermal Control Heating element is lined with a coating that is designed to provide the easiest cleaning and prolong the operating efficiency of the humidifier. DO NOT use any metal or hard objects to clean the Heating Element. Never use detergents, gasoline, kerosene, glass cleaner, furniture polish, paint thinner or other household solvents to clean any part of the humidifier.

WEEKLY MAINTENANCE
Remove Scale: Allow to cool before maintenance.
1. Repeat steps 1-5 in the Daily Maintenance section.
2. Clean the tray by partially filling the base with one 8 oz. cup of undiluted white vinegar. Let solution stand 20 minutes, cleaning all interior surfaces with a soft brush. Dampen a cloth with undiluted white vinegar and wipe out entire base to remove scale.
3. Rinse with clean warm water to remove scale and the white vinegar solution before beginning to disinfect the tank.
4. Wipe the heating element clean with a soft cloth after it has had a chance to cool.

Disinfect Tank:
1. Fill tank with 1/2 teaspoon of chlorine bleach and 1/2 gallon of water.
2. Let the solution stand for 20 minutes, swishing every few minutes. Wet all surfaces.
3. Empty the tank after 20 minutes, and rinse well with water until the bleach smell is gone. Dry with a clean cloth of paper towel.
4. Refill the water tank with cool water; replace the housing and water tank. Repeal ALL Operating Instructions.

The black particles are pretty common. This is a byproduct from minerals in the water and is normal.
Just clean the tank regularly (with diluted bleach). The black particles will also collect in the steamer unit (the top blue part). Wash this out with hot water (no soap or anything) after each use. If you tap it a few times on the floor of your bathtub you'll probably see some of this black stuff come out. No worries, just rinse again with hot water.
There's no harm from the black particles.

If you've been using tap water, then you likely have hard water deposits (scale) on the heating element, which will eventually cause it to stop working. Try cleaning it with an overnight vinegar soak, or whatever is suggested in the manual if you have one. Once most of the deposits are gone, it shold work again. In the future, this will not happen if you use distilled (not to be confused with filtered) water. Good luck!

I'm no expert, but a friend of mine loaned me her humidifier recently and she just put some bleach and water in the tank and cleaned the tank with that. It did leave a smell of bleach in the tank that could be smelled any time it ran, but after a few refillings, it went away, and I figure if it smells there must be a little left, which means it should clean the working parts fairly well too. (while you're running it the first few times) And the medicine tray in the SWM5250 is dishwasher safe, so I would just run that through the dishwasher, but bleach should be fine for that too.

You might need to clean around the heating element...
we have very hard water and calcium builds up on and around the heating element and all the surrounding parts. I take it apart and pour CPR around the element and scrub with a brush .. once you get it clean it should stay running.

its best to do it by hand use a lil soap and water nothing to abrasive.

i had the same problem but i think the water tension is too high and the wick does not **** it up..just like wearing a new t-shirt and you notice that water beads up on the cloth.After wearing it and washing it,the soap in the detergent will have removed/dissolved the water tension and allowing it to clean the shirt.This removal will allow the shirt to absorb moisture easier.Same as the wick for the humidifier.Try to leave the wick in the device for an hour or so.You may add a tiny pinch of salt but not too much.Or better ,leave the wick in the bathroom when you shower as the air borne water particles will settle into the wick and trigger off the absorption effect.I hope it works for you.

the process this unit uses to evaporate water (boil water) leaves behind any minerals from the water . this builds up on the heating element and requires regular cleaning .. you can soak it in white vinegar to help remove the scale .. here is a URL that gives specific instructions on how to do that ...
http://www.clairion.com/usermanuals/DD_SD_eng.pdf
if there is enough buildup, the heating element gets too hot ... it may trip a thermal fuse .. if this happens then its likely that the machine will appear to have no power at all ... the thermal fuse is located inside the machine and is soldered or crimped in .. it requires a person with technical expertise to change that .. the heating elements go bad but not often ..if your unit lights up but simply doesnt give vapor output then it may be overheating inside due to buildup on the heater ... it might take a couple of days to get all that cleaned off the heater ... there are two sensors that detect that the machine is assembled correctly .. if its not then it will refuse to operate ... also one of the sensors could be bad ..