How to Clean Your Essential Oil Diffuser

Essential oil diffuser comes in many types and shapes. This one here is the ultrasonic diffuser which use water to diffuse essential oil rather than the nebulizer which diffuses essential oil directly.

Essential oil diffuser break down the essential oils so that the aroma can be dispersed throughout the whole room. It’s a great way to use essential oils since this brings a soothing and relaxing atmosphere that you can enjoy.

However, it’s troublesome when the diffuser starts functioning improperly or even breaks. At times, all it needs is a good clean-up, but it may also need some other tune-ups for it to get fixed if you experience some issues.

Below, I’ve outlined the most common reasons for problems, and how to easily fix your essential oil diffuser at home.

Make Sure You Clean Your Essential Oil Diffuser

It is vitally important that you clean your diffuser properly on a regular basis. While it can be a challenge at first, you’ll slowly get used to the process of cleaning the diffuser and you’ll be maintaining it yourself instead of paying someone to do it for you, or waiting for the diffuser to break down and having to expense the replacement cost. It’s an incredible hassle to bring in or send back a diffuser just for cleaning, and it becomes of an even bigger problem if the diffuser gets broken because you didn’t clean it properly.

Exact cleaning recommendations and steps will vary depending on which diffuser you use. PLEASE give your diffuser manual a quick read before you start its operation, just so that you know what you need to do to maintain it’s best functionality and most effective diffusing of aromatherapy.

To be used only as a general rule of thumb, here’s a list of steps you can follow to clean your essential oil diffuser:

8 Simple Steps To Clean Your Essential Oil Diffuser

*** ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOUR DIFFUSER IS UNPLUGGED FROM ITS POWER OUTLET BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN IT ***

1. Fill your diffuser about half way with clean water. Make sure you stop well below the max line.
2. Add up to 10 drops of pure white vinegar. This will help in removing the oils that are stuck inside the diffuser and on the glass or plastic pieces.
3. Let the diffuser run for about 3-5 minutes to allow the water-vinegar mixture to disperse throughout the unit and clean it.
4. Drain the diffuser completely.
5. Using a cotton swab dipped in vinegar, clean the tight spots and corners of the diffuser to make sure that no spots are left dirty.
6. Rinse with clean water.
7. Empty again and you’re good to go.
8. Use a dry cloth, or more cotton swabs or cotton balls to wipe the diffuser and dry it thoroughly.

After Each Use

Most manufacturer instructions will tell you to clean out your diffuser after each use, which at first may seem a bit excessive. While I owned my first diffuser unit, I didn’t do it properly each time. I’d leave water plus essential oil mixture in the diffuser, thinking “oh I’ll just run this again tomorrow”.

Please DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE. The oils used in your essential oil diffuser can be very corrosive and you really do have to clean it out after each use for best longevity and performance of the unit. Further, the smells and leftovers of one oil can severely effect the experience you have when you put another scent or oil in your diffuser.

So, after each use, please fully empty your essential oil diffuser of all water and oils, and give it at least a quick wipe with a damp cloth.

Source:  Blog of Jessica Fuller