Last Updated on October 24, 2026 by Umar Farooq
How to store a dehumidifier: unplug it, empty and dry the tank, clean and dry the filter, coil the cord, and stand it upright somewhere dry. That is the whole job, and the three manufacturer pages I read agree on all of it except one detail: what to cover it with.
The failure I worry about is the quiet one. A machine goes into the garage in October with a little water still in the tank, and in April the whole thing smells like a damp cellar. Ten minutes of drying now saves you that.
How to store a dehumidifier: the seven steps in order
The order matters, because wet parts are the enemy and you want them dry before anything goes under a cover. Here is the sequence.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switch off and unplug | Safety before you open anything |
| 2 | Empty the tank and any drain hose | Standing water is what makes the smell |
| 3 | Wash the tank and dry it completely | The tank holds most of the water |
| 4 | Clean the filter and let it dry | A damp filter in a closed box stays damp |
| 5 | Air the whole unit | Frigidaire suggests a day or two |
| 6 | Coil the cord loosely | Honeywell: avoid bends and kinks |
| 7 | Store it upright, dry, lightly covered | Upright is in every manual I opened |
The manufacturer wording is short. GE’s winterizing instructions say to clean, dry and store the appliance in a dry location, repackage it in the original carton if possible, and store it upright. The Honeywell manual has an “End of Season Storage & Maintenance” box that says the same in more steps. Frigidaire’s care page adds the airing time and the restart advice I use further down.
Do you really have to drain it, or is a little water fine?
Drain it. Every source I opened says to empty the tank, and not one gives a “this much is fine” allowance. Honeywell says empty the tank “and let it dry”. GE says empty it and dry it thoroughly. Frigidaire says proper storage “will prevent odors”, which is its polite way of describing what a damp tank does.
None of the three says what happens if you leave water in, so this is my reasoning and not a quote: water that sits for months in a closed machine goes stale, and the smell then lives in the plastic. It is a mechanism, not a measured result.
If you use a continuous drain, Honeywell adds a step I would not skip: disconnect the hose, let it dry, and put the drain cap back in the outlet. If you run a hose all year, the drain hose guide covers fitting and routing, and it is worth a glance before you coil yours away.
Wash the tank, dry the filter, and do not repeat the whole clean
You do not need a deep clean twice. Do the ordinary one once, at the point of storage, using the step-by-step cleaning guide, then spend the saved time on drying. Two points are specific to storage:
- The filter goes back in dry. GE says to let it dry completely before reinstalling, and Honeywell says to dry it in a cool, shaded place. Heat from a radiator is not what either of them has in mind.
- Leave the tank out, or the door open, for the airing day. Air has to reach the inside. A sealed tank is a tiny humid cupboard.
Running the machine on fan only for a few hours before the final dry is a trick some retailers suggest. I did not find it in the manuals I opened, so treat it as optional, and skip it if your model has no fan-only mode.
Cord, cover and carton: what actually goes on top
Here is the one place the manuals differ. GE says repackage it in the original carton if you can. Honeywell says to cover it with a cloth or a plastic bag “to protect the surface from dust and scratches”. Frigidaire says cover it with plastic or put it back in its original carton.
So plastic is allowed, by two of three. My opinion, and only that: bone-dry first, then a loose cloth or the carton, and no tight plastic wrap. The dust protection is the same, and if any moisture is left in the machine, a sealed bag keeps it exactly where you do not want it. If you do use a bag, leave the top open.
For the cord, Honeywell recommends coiling it and storing it off the floor so it is protected from bends and kinks. Loose loops held with a soft tie do the same job.
Where it can live, and where it cannot
Upright is non-negotiable. GE says upright, and Honeywell says upright and away from direct sunlight. Honeywell also warns not to tilt the unit onto its side when moving it. If you want to know why, and what to do if it has already lain down, the on-its-side guide goes through it.
On temperature, none of the three gives a storage range. Honeywell gives an operating range of 41°F to 89°F (5°C to 32°C), which tells you what the machine is designed around. My judgement: store it indoors, off the floor on a shelf, in a spot that will not freeze or flood. A garage floor that gets wet is exactly the environment you bought the machine to fix.
And before you put it away at all, check why. If winter has made the machine ineffective rather than unnecessary, the winter guide explains why a unit in a cold room stops collecting water. Plenty of people store a machine that was simply in a room that was too cold.
What to check before you switch it back on
Restarting is where a good storage job pays off. Work through this:
- Look first. Check the cord and plug are undamaged, the filter is clean and seated, and the tank is dry and clicks in properly.
- Wait if it moved. Honeywell says to place the unit upright for at least one hour before use so the refrigerant can stabilise, and for four hours if it was tilted or upside down in transport.
- Clean the filter and flush the hose. Frigidaire’s advice before reuse is to clean the filter and flush out the drain hoses.
- Run it for a few hours and look at the tank. Water in it means the compressor is working. A machine that runs but collects nothing in a warm room is worth investigating, and the lifespan guide helps you decide whether repair is worth it.
If the tank smells when you pull it out, wash it again. That is a sign the drying step was rushed, not that the machine has failed.
A clean, bone-dry, upright machine will come back fine
The pattern is simple: nothing wet goes into the box, nothing is bent, nothing lies down. Three manufacturers say it in different words, and my only addition is a little suspicion of sealed plastic. Follow how to store a dehumidifier this way and it should start in spring the way it stopped in autumn.
FAQ
Can you store a dehumidifier with water in it?
No. GE, Honeywell and Frigidaire all tell you to empty the tank before storage, and Honeywell says to let it dry. Leftover water is the likely cause of a stale smell, so empty and dry it even for a short break.
Can you store a dehumidifier in the garage or shed?
Yes, if the space is dry and does not freeze. The manuals I opened give no storage temperature, so this is my judgement rather than a manufacturer rule. Put it on a shelf rather than a damp floor.
Should you store a dehumidifier upright or on its side?
Upright. GE and Honeywell both say to store it upright, and Honeywell says not to tilt it onto its side. If it has been tilted, Honeywell says to wait four hours upright before using it.
Should I remove the filter before storing a dehumidifier?
Take it out to clean it, let it dry fully, then refit it, as GE and Honeywell describe. Do not store the unit with a wet filter inside.
Can I wrap a dehumidifier in plastic for storage?
Honeywell and Frigidaire allow a plastic cover, and GE suggests the original carton. I prefer a cloth or carton, because a sealed bag traps any leftover damp. If you use a bag, only do so once the machine is fully dry.
How long can a dehumidifier sit unused?
None of the manuals I opened gives a time limit. A dry, clean, upright unit should store for a season, and the restart checks above cover what to look at afterwards.
