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Love filling your home or office space with the beautiful scent of Pure Essential Oils? Us too. But here’s something you may not know — if you want to keep things running like a dream, you’re going to want to know how to clean your essential oil diffuser, too.

Without regular cleaning, diffuser owners could find themselves with a machine that, at best, houses grimy build-up and bad odours (yuck!); or, at worst, malfunctions or completely breaks down. So it’s clear, knowing how to clean a diffuser is essential!

Quick Links:

• Why Cleaning Diffusers is So Important
• How to Clean a Diffuser
• How Often to Clean Your Diffuser

Why Cleaning Diffusers is So Important

If you’re wondering ‘Do I really need to clean my diffuser?’, the answer is yes — if you want to get the most from your device and your essential oils, that is. Cleaning ultrasonic diffusers will:

Reason 1. Reduce Build up of Grime
Help wash away any residue or grime left behind by the oils you’ve previously diffused. This is important because, if left to build up on the ultrasonic plate, the lid and the hole through which the mist is dispersed, this residue can hinder your diffuser’s functionality.

Reason 2. Reduce Unpleasant Mixing of Oils
Prep your diffuser for the next oil you want to use. Traces of an energy blend left behind aren’t going to be helpful when you’re starting your night-time misting routine, and you may find the scents don’t blend too well, either.

Reason 3. Extend Your Diffuser’s Lifespan
Extend the life of your diffuser, prevent malfunctions and corrosion (some essential oils are potent!) — and even potentially ensuring you don’t accidentally void your warranty.

How to Clean a Diffuser

Keeping your diffuser in pristine condition is surprisingly simple. In fact, it only takes a few minutes and is well worth the time to get the most from your device. Before cleaning your diffuser, it’s a good idea to check the cleaning instructions that came with your device.

There are a few different ways you can clean your ultrasonic diffuser:

Method 1. Using Vinegar

1. Turn off your diffuser and fill the water reservoir around halfway with clean (distilled, if available) water. Do not fill beyond the max line. Further, ensure not to get any water into the air outlet, as this could cause your diffuser to stop working.
2. Add around 2 teaspoons of white vinegar, which will help break down any built-up oils, and turn on the diffuser. Let it run for 3 to 5 minutes — enough time for the vinegar to remove any stains and oil residue.
3. Turn off your diffuser, unplug and pour out the cleaning liquid.
4. To make sure no grime is left in tight corners, dip a cotton bud into a little vinegar and spot clean.
5. Rinse the diffuser with clean water, empty it again and use a lint-free cloth to wipe the inside and outside dry.

Method 2. Using Rubbing Alcohol

1. Turn off, unplug and empty your diffuser, and wipe out the water reservoir with a microfibre cloth or paper towel.
2. Dip a clean cotton bud into a little rubbing alcohol and gently clean the ultrasonic plate and any areas or crevices where oil has built up inside the reservoir.
3. Dip a fresh cotton bud into some water and gently clean the plate and reservoir again, or rinse with clean water.
4. Wash the lid and cover with warm soapy water and dry thoroughly.
5. Fill the reservoir to the fill line with clean water and let the diffuser run until it’s empty.

How Often to Clean Your Diffuser

Now you know how to clean a diffuser, you’re probably wondering how often you need to put this knowledge into practice. Ideally, you should be cleaning diffusers after every use — but there’s no need to go through the whole process every time you switch it on, as long as you empty your diffuser after each use and give it a wipe with a damp cloth or paper towel dipped in some vinegar to remove residue.

Follow up with a deep clean using the vinegar or rubbing alcohol method every four weeks or so, or if you notice something not working quite as it should.

Also be sure to only use top-quality, 100% Pure Essential Oils in your ultrasonic diffuser, like those in the In Essence range.