s/o humidifiers

How in the heck do you keep your humidifier clean? We have a cool mist one in our room, because we cosleep with DS2, and it seems to need to be cleaned out every other day. It grows gross gunk....bacteria? Fungus? I don't know what it is, but is there a way to prohibit the growth? Or, am I going to have to gag while cleaning it out all the dang time? And how do you clean the actual moving parts? The basin I can just put through the dishwasher, but other than wipe the other parts with a rag, what can I do?