How to Wipe a Humidor With Tap Water

Humidors typically keep cigars at between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent and 72 percent humidity. Humidors require distilled water to provide the moisture in them because distilled water doesn’t have chemicals and minerals that can alter the taste of your cigars. While you can use tap water to wipe down a humidor, you are going to have to go through an extra step to distill it first.

Things You'll Need

• Home distiller
• Sponge
• Plastic bag

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Add tap water to a home distiller. This device may look similar to a coffeemaker. It heats the water until it becomes steam. The steam is condensed in condenser coils and the distilled water drips into a pot. This is tap water that has been purified and can be used for moistening a humidor.

• 2

  Wipe down the interior surface with a new sponge moistened with distilled water. For the same reason you need distilled water, you need to use a new sponge. It will be free of any soaps or other chemicals that could affect the taste of the cigar. Make sure to wipe down all of the exposed wood surfaces inside the humidor.

• 3

  Rewet the sponge with distilled water and set it on a plastic bag inside the humidor. Close the humidor and leave it overnight.

• 4

  Moisten the sponge if it is dry the next morning and let it sit another night. After two days the sponge and plastic bag can be removed. The humidor has absorbed the needed moisture to keep cigars, though you will need to calibrate the hygrometer before you can store cigars in the humidor.