Every home will benefit from an essential oil diffuser. It’s one of the easiest ways to change the entire vibe of a space. Everything’s a little comfier, a little cozier, a little more serene with the right blend of beautifully aromatic essential oils diffusing into the air, not to mention the aromatherapy benefits.
The best essential oil diffusers do a lot for such small devices. One small, beautiful piece about the same size as the average flower vase can create a therapeutic, relaxing environment that makes you home feel more welcoming. It sets the stage for meditation and peaceful sleep. Essential oil diffusers are as easy to clean as they are to use and enjoy because they were designed for functionality.
Why Use An Essential Oil Diffuser?
There are numerous ways to scent a home. The first is with aerosol-based sprays that contain artificial fragrances. These fragrances fade away quickly, and many people aren’t comfortable with spraying these kinds of chemicals on the furniture and bedding. This leads to alternatives like incense, candles, and essential oils.
Incense does a good job of filling a room with scent, but it doesn’t do so without any drawbacks. The first is that incense generates a lot of smoke and ashes. Over time, this smoke can damage the wall near the incense burner, and the ashes can work their way into the surface of your table.
The scent is also less pure because it’s a combination of the fragrance of the incense and the burning fire. With woody or earthy scented incenses, this addition of the smoky smell may not be a problem. With something delicate like violet, you may prefer the aroma to be left pure.
Scented candles work well in small areas, but there are many reasons why you may not elect to use them. The first is that open flames are a fire hazard. If you have small children or curious cats that like to climb up on counters, you don’t want to risk them coming into contact with an open flame or knocking over a glass jar.
The second drawback of candles is that they’re expensive. Some candles basically amount to ten dollars per wick. A three-wick candle can cost the same as dinner for an entire family. When you use it up, it’s gone. You have to buy a new one.
An essential oil diffuser is a direct rebuttal to all of those issues. It uses natural plant oils to infuse your home with a fragrance without any smoke or fire. It only requires a few drops of essential oil to work. You’ll get anywhere between 25 to 50 uses out of a single 15ml bottle of essential oil—perhaps more if you prefer to blend oils to create diffuser blends. Diffusions is less expensive, safer, and more effective over time than other alternatives. You’re getting the benefits and none of the drawbacks.
How Does An Essential Oil Diffuser Work?
Essential oil diffusers use tiny ultrasonic plate vibrations to work particles of water and essential oils into the air, creating a steady stream. You fill them up, plug them in, turn them on, and select the amount of time you’d like for them to run.
They manage themselves. The ultrasonic diffuser will automatically turn off after the allotted time, and the maximum time is set for one full tank of water and oils. They couldn’t be any easier to use.
How To Add Water And Essential Oil To An Essential Oil Diffuser
Essential oil diffusers all have different tank sizes. The water reservoirs can be as small as 100ml or as large as 500ml. The larger the space you’re looking to fill, the bigger the tank should be. This is because bigger tanks can run for longer, giving the aroma the opportunity to concentrate itself within that large space.
You can use any kind of clean water in your essential oil diffuser. Tap water or normal bottled water will work just fine. The natural mineral content of the water may even help the essential oils to spread throughout the air, filling the space better.
Distilled or filtered water are also perfectly fine. Some people worry about minerals from the water building up in the tank, so they opt for the plainest, purest water they can find. Since the diffuser uses ultrasonic vibrations rather than heat to spread the oil particles throughout the air, the chances of mineral particles being left behind are slim to none.
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. Use a higher quality of water if that’s what you prefer to do, but using water straight from the tap certainly won’t hurt your device. The water never comes into contact with any components other than the tank, so the risk for damage doesn’t technically exist.
You want to add anywhere between 3 and 5 drops of essential oil per 100ml of water in your diffuser tank. Adding three drops will produce a mild aroma, while five drops will create a stronger, more concentrated fragrance. This means a large capacity 500ml diffuser can handle anywhere between 15 and 25 drops of oil per fill.
You might find that some essential oils have a stronger aroma than others. Delicate fragrances may not be as noticeable or as potent with three drops as they will with 5. Experimenting with the amount will help you dial in the correct concentration you desire. There’s some experimentation involved.
If you aren’t sure, the internet is full of diffuser oil blend recipes you can duplicate or modify to your liking. Alternatively, you can purchase pre-blended essential oils for relaxation, meditation, improved focus, or mood-boosting. All you need to do is add a few drops. You can always add more if you’d like the fragrance to be stronger. This is a foolproof method for getting the ideal result every time.
How To Clean An Essential Oil Diffuser
Your essential oil diffuser tank should be cleaned regularly to prevent build up in the tank. Deep clean your essential oil diffuser after every five or six uses may help to prevent the cross-contamination of smells and the growth of bacteria or mildew. If you’ve been using a lot of woody, medicinal oils like eucalyptus and you’d like to switch to something sweeter like clementine; you might want to give the tank a good cleaning to make sure the fragrance translates as purely as possible.
To DIY deep clean your unit, start by turning it off and unplugging it, and wiping the outside with a dry cloth. Remove the power cord from the bottom so that you’re holding just the unit with no electrical components. Then, pour out any remaining water from any side of the unit that doesn’t have a fill line or a “do not fill” indication. Pouring water out from the wrong side or the wide with the water level line may lead to accidental leakage that can damage the internal components.
Then, use a warm, wet soft cloth with a small amount of mild dishwashing detergent to wipe out the inside of the water tank. The atomizer inside of the tank can be cleaned with the same detergent on a small cleaning brush or cotton swab. You might want to give the tank an additional fill and rinse to be sure that the remnants of the soap and the oil residue have completely washed away. Sometimes, people let their diffuser run through with white vinegar mixture to get rid of mineral buildup for an extra thorough cleaning. Then, wipe the surfaces dry of excess water with a clean paper towel or a microfiber cloth or let it air dry after you clean it.
Our most important cleaning tip is that it is vitally important that you avoid using anything other than mild dish detergent to clean your essential oil diffuser. Oil diffusers use sonic vibrations to create a stream of particles that fill the air. If those particles contain a very small amount of mild dish detergent, no one is at risk. Dish detergent is safe enough for surfaces that you eat off of. If you were to inadvertently ingest the smallest trace of dish detergent, it’s unlikely that you’d experience any side effects.
Chemicals like bleach, ammonia, sanitizing agents, and harsh surfactants can be extremely irritating to the skin and the lungs. If small amounts of these kinds of cleaners were to remain inside of the unit, they would be released into the air. You’d be breathing them in, and they might come into contact with your skin if you sit or stand close to your diffuser. This can create a dangerous situation, filling the room with toxins.
Before you use any kind of cleaning product on your diffuser, ask yourself if you would be comfortable drinking out of a cup that chemical was just put in. If you wouldn’t, it isn’t safe to use that kind of cleaning agent in your diffuser. Mild dish soap will always be the safest and most effective choice.
Conclusion
Essential oil diffusers are a must-have comfort object for any home. They fill a space with a beautiful, natural fragrance of your choice, and they do so safely. They’re beautiful to look at and easy to clean and maintain. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new combinations of aromas to create custom blends well suited to your preferred method of relaxation. Part of the fun of having an essential oil diffuser is the creativity it affords.
Sources:
http://mysmokefreehousing.org/word/IncenseFactSheet.pdf
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