It is not uncommon to find homeowners using diffusers to diffuse essential oils in the air. When diffused or used as sprays, essential oils can help clean, deodorize, and even purify indoor air.
But many homes also have humidifiers. The devices work to increase humidity or moisture levels in a room. They emit a cool mist by blowing water through a wet wicking filter. But can you add scented oil to a humidifier?
It is not advisable to add essential oils to a normal humidifier. Instead, you need a special humidifier like the Everlasting Comfort humidifier and diffuser that has a dedicated tank for essential oils. Otherwise, you may end up causing damage to your humidifier.
It may not be safe to add essential oils to a normal humidifier. However, that will also depend on the type of humidifier you use. These are; cool mist, evaporative, warm mist, and ultrasonic humidifiers.
Each unit has its pros and cons and a unique way of humidifying indoor air. If you want to add perfume to a humidifier, avoid using the cool mist humidifier. But if you must get the aroma, consider using ultrasonic humidifiers.
When you put essential oils in a humidifier for a baby or home use, you reduce their quality and the feature that makes them ideal for purifying the air.
Since you will be running the humidifier nonstop, it will also release the oils continuously. That can be inconvenient, especially if you want to control the amount of time you smell the scent in your house.
What happens if you put essential oils in a humidifier?
When you add essential oils to a humidifier, expect the oils to block the nebulizer. The function of a nebulizer is to create droplets. The humidifier has a fan that pushes the droplets up the mist chamber and out through the mist lid to increase humidity in a room.
Since essential oils are too thick and concentrated, they may not pass through the nebulizer. As a result, the nebulizer will not produce the mist needed to humidify the air.
You also risk the water tank cracking. Furthermore, if you use the essential oils in a steam humidifier, the oils will burn too fast and lose their quality.
Can essential oils damage a humidifier?
Essential oils are corrosive. In other words, they can react with metal and plastic and damage your humidifier. They can also make it dirty. When that happens, the unit will not humidify the air in your home.
If it has a warranty, the manufacturer will void it. Your solution will be to replace the appliance, which can be expensive.
Understand that manufacturers design humidifiers to handle water and add water vapor to the air. That means the general design of the devices cannot manage to release essential oils.
However, the market also has many humidifiers designed to work with essential oils.
How do you diffuse essential oils in a humidifier?
If you think it is necessary to add essential oils to a humidifier, the best way of doing it is to add some drops of oil into the water tank. The machine will spread water vapor and essential oils into your home.
The disadvantage with the method is the oils will collect and coat the humidifier, corrode the plastic over time, and clog the ultrasonic nebulizers.
A better way of doing it is to buy a humidifier that features a fragrance diffuser and mister such as the Everlasting Comfort cool mist humidifier that comes with an essential oils tray. The unit will hold the essential oils and separate them from the water tank. It will then spread both liquids into the air in the form of a mist.
Another alternative method is to use a cotton ball. In this case, start by moistening the cotton ball with your preferred essential oils.
You will then have to place the small piece of cotton over the mister outlet. When the humidifier spreads water vapor into the air, the oil will release its scent and diffuse its particles.
You can also make your own essential oils diffuser. Follow the steps provided in this guide.
What essential oils can go into a humidifier?
The best essential oils to put into a humidifier are:
- Eucalyptus
- Lavender
- Lemongrass
- Marjoram Essential Oil
- Peppermint
- Rose
- Sandalwood
- Tea Tree
You can view these oils and their prices at Amazon. Make sure that the oils you choose are safe for your household.
Conclusion
It is not a good idea to add essential oils to a humidifier. The oils can corrode the plastic and metal parts of the unit and block the nebulizer.
As a result, the humidifier will not humidify the air well. If you want to diffuse scented oils using a humidifier, buy a machine that features a fragrance diffuser and mister.
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