Learn how to clean a diffuser to get the best out of your electronic essential oil home fragrance device

Knowing how to clean a diffuser certainly has its benefits. For one, it means that you can chop and change different scents as you go into different seasons. But, cleaning a diffuser goes well beyond mood-matching smells... It's all about maintenance too.

Keeping your diffuser clean will extend the lifetime of your electronic appliance so you can continue to create atmosphere in your home with the best home fragrances. While wax candles made with burn out, and reed diffusers rely on wooden sticks, electric diffusers can last significantly longer... If you learn how to look after them properly.

To start, you probably want to know the basics of diffuser cleaning 101. As well as a step-by-step guide to cleaning the diffuser itself, you'll need to know how often you have clean its contents, and the consequences of not cleaning it. Now we don't mean to scare you, by neglecting your scented vessel, it can become a home for germs and all sorts to harbor in. 

With that unappetizing thought in your mind, we've got some of the best in the home fragrance biz to explain all about these devices.

Whether you've just bought one of the best essential oil diffusers for your bedroom or living space, or your aromatherapy accessory needs a good clean-up, you'll probably want to get into a good routine of decanting any dirty water / oils and replacing it regularly... but not so much that you're wasting expensive product.

'Perform these procedures every five to six uses or every two to three days as a rule.' says Mark Winstanley, chief creative officer, The White Company.

Be sure to unplug the AC adapter from the electrical outlet and turn off the diffuser before performing any procedures. Never plug in/unplug the AC adapter with wet hands.

After removing the AC adapter cord from the cable guide, remove the AC adapter plug from the DC jack.

To do this, gently turn the outer cover anticlockwise (as seen from the top), and then remove the cover. When removing/replacing the outer cover, always set the diffuser on a stable horizontal surface.

Do not tilt the diffuser unit at an angle. It's normal for water droplets will adhere to the inside of the outer cover. 

Top tip: remove the cover in a location not susceptible to water damage. You may want to place a towel or something absorbent to catch water droplets. Do not allow water to enter the air outlet.

Always tilt the diffuser unit in the direction of the water draining mark as indicated to pour out water remaining in the water tank. Never tilt the diffuser toward the air outlet when pouring out water. If water enters through the air outlet, it may cause a malfunction.

Ultrasonic whaa? Essentially, you're cleaning the core of your electronic essential oil diffuser, where nasty stuff can build up if you're lazy or forget to clean it.

This step is a quite complex so Winstanley has broken it down for you:

If essential oil or fragrance oil comes into contact with the outer cover or inner cover, or the covers become dirty, wipe it off with a clean cloth that is soaked in diluted neutral detergent in lukewarm water and wipe with a dry cloth.

If you don't want to use washing-up liquid to clean a diffuser, cleaning with vinegar is an all-natural and affordable alternative to using liquid soap. Here, Stephanie Goldstone, home fragrance buyer, The Fragrance Shop Home shows us how:

Make sure you stop well below the max line.

This will help in removing the oils that are stuck inside the diffuser and on the glass or plastic pieces.

This will allow the water-vinegar mixture to disperse throughout the unit and clean it.

Slowly decant the vinegar-water mixture making sure that it does not come into contact with any of the electronic components.

This is to make sure that no spots are left dirty.

This will get rid of any excess vinegar inside of the diffuser and help to remove any vinegar odor. Empty again and you’re good to go. Use a dry cloth, or more cotton swabs or cotton balls to wipe the diffuser and dry it thoroughly.

Let's face it... Accidents happen. So if you happen to spill the contents of your diffuser on the floor – don't panic. However, if you live with children or pets, it's essential to act immediately. Especially if you're thinking to yourself: 'are essential oils safe?

Thankfully, you shouldn't have to buy a new diffuser if you've had a spillage, though you'll probably want to know the best way to go about cleaning a carpet if oily residue has seeped into fibers or how to clean laminate properly if you don't want to turn your floor into an indoor slip and slide (read: safety hazard).

'If a spill happens due to tipping over or tilting the diffuser unit while there is water in the water tank, water may enter the internal components of the diffuser, resulting in a malfunction.' says Winstanley.

You'll just need to follow steps one to four above and then follow Winstanley's final instruction.

He says: 'Lightly shake the diffuser unit to allow water to pour out of the bottom water outlet. Allow the diffuser to dry thoroughly. Allow 24 hours for the diffuser to dry. Never use a hair dryer or similar to attempt to dry the diffuser. Allow the diffuser to air dry.'

Some electronic diffusers aren't strictly powered with essential oils and instead use synthetic fragrances that are dispersed around the room. These scents are often cheaper to produce, and in some cases better for those who have allergies or nasal sensitivities.

Diffusers that use man-made perfumed solutions need to be treated slightly differently to ensure that you can get rid of one scent before introducing another so we spoke to Perry Simmons, director, Stone Glow Candles who explained how to go about cleaning a perfume mist diffuser.

'Using the diffuser without regular cleaning may result in water stains or mineral build-up, resulting in degraded performance.' says Winstanley.

'Failure to clean your diffuser may also result in the growth of bacteria or mold, or may result in bad odors or other conditions that may be harmful to your health. In rare cases, mold or bacteria could lead to hypersensitive reactions.'

Alternatively, if an electrical oil diffuser isn't for you, you can either buy one of the best reed diffusers or learn how to make a reed diffuser from scratch.

Christina joined the Real Homes team as a digital writer in June 2021. Prior to this she worked on Good Home magazine and events. She lived closed to Epping Forest and is spoiled for choice with lush green spaces, but loves her own English garden that adjoins her ground-floor maisonette, complete with a floral melange of roses, lavender, jasmine and an apple tree.

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