As someone who is new to the world of diffusers and essential oils, you’re on a journey that can lead you towards a healthier and happier version of yourself. You might also find yourself tempted to try to figure out ways that you can cut back on the costs associated with diffusing oils, such as attempting to supplement a recommended diffuser for something you already own.
Can I put essential oils in my Vicks humidifier? Like many before you, a lot of people have asked this question before, and the answer is no for many reasons.
In this guide, we’ll tell you why it’s not a good idea and provide you with some fantastic alternatives that you can use for essential oils that are a little more cost effective than buying diffusers.
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Can I Put Essential Oils in My Vicks Humidifier?
Some people believe that it’s not recommended to use essential oils in regular humidifiers simply because companies want you to invest in more appliances for your home. However, that’s simply not the case.
Putting essential oils in a regular misting humidifier, such as the Vicks model, is not only dangerous for you but dangerous for your humidifier as well. In fact, it causes many negative effects, including:
1. It destroys the water tank.
All Vicks humidifiers are equipped with a water tank that is designed for water only. In the event that you want to add something extra to the vapor that is produced by the unit, there are specially designed vapors that you can add into the water or a separate compartment of your humidifier.
As Vicks humidifiers weren’t designed with the idea of using natural essential oils in them, it’s best to rely on Vicks-recommended products only. The more essential oils that you add to the water tank, the more likely the plastic will wear away.
Not only that, but the oils can also severely damage the inner components of the unit, rendering it useless. Thus, it is important that you take these into consideration before adding anything to the water.
2. It voids your warranty.
Another huge issue that you’ll experience if you decide to test whether you can put essential oils in your Vicks humidifier is voiding your warranty. The warranty is essential for making sure that you are covered for the entire time that you own the device. What does this mean?
This means that once the humidifier stops working, you won’t be able to return it for a refund or even receive free repairs, depending on what your warranty offers. This puts you in a position where you’ll have to invest in a new humidifier, which can be more expensive than simply buying a recommended diffuser for your oils.
Also, as essential oils are very heavily scented, it will be impossible to remove the oil if you intend on trying to send the product back to the manufacturer.
3. It limits the effectiveness of your oils.
The vast majority of humidifiers rely on heat in order to produce the vapor that is released into the air. Heat is one of the largest enemies of essential oils when it comes to transforming them into a vapor.
The process that water goes through to transform liquid to gas via heat will limit the effectiveness of the essential oils that you have chosen to use, which is basically throwing your money away.
4. It is a shock and fire hazard.
As mentioned, adding essential oils to a regular humidifier will compromise the delicate components of the unit, which can lead to cracking of the water tank or deterioration of the metal. With a malfunctioning unit, you’re increasing the danger of exposing electricity to water, which is not only a shock hazard but a fire hazard as well.
Regular humidifiers will not have the same safety precautions as diffusers, simply because they aren’t designed to be used with essential oils.
How to Use Essential Oils without a Diffuser
If you’re someone who’s working with a tight budget, the idea of buying a diffuser might not be something that your wallet agrees with. First of all, we recommend doing a brief online search to look for affordable units, but if you’re looking for ways to use essential oils and work with things that you already have at home, we have some great ideas for you.
1. Essential Oil Baths
Although this won’t affect all of the rooms in your house like a diffuser would, essential oil baths are an incredibly popular and free way to make the most out of the oils that you already own. How is this done? Rather simply, actually.
As you won’t have to worry about destroying any of the inner components of your bathtub, adding a couple of drops of your favorite oils to a warm bath can give you the same benefits as a diffuser. The steam that rises from the water will be filled with the scent molecules, helping to alleviate stress, headaches, and decongestion.
2. Using cool mist humidifiers
In the event that you’re lucky enough to own a Vicks humidifier that is also a cool mist humidifier, you have a higher probability of being able to use essential oils with the unit. However, it’s recommended that you take a look at your warranty to see if it will still be voided if you use essential oils in the unit.
Since cool mist humidifiers likely rely on ultrasonic technology to produce vapor, there’s no need to worry about the oils heating up inside of the unit and causing a significant amount of damage.
3. Stovetop essential oil steams
With this method, you likely won’t be able to experience the vast majority of the healing benefits of essential oils. However, there’s a high probability that you’ll be able to smell the essential oil throughout your home.
By choosing a pot that you never use, filling it with a substantial amount of water, and adding several drops of essential oil, you can bring the mixture to a boil on your stovetop. The steam will be filled with beautiful scents as they drift through your home, but you’ll want to pay close attention to when the pot is low on water.
Final Thoughts
So, can I put essential oils in my Vicks humidifier? In all honesty, we advise that you don’t. This is to protect not only the device but also your entire home from fire and shock hazards as well. At the end of the day, the safest thing that you can do is invest in a couple of diffusers for around your home, especially as there are plenty of models that fall under $20 each.
After all, when it comes to you and your family’s safety, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Traditional humidifiers are not designed to be used with oils due to clogging, damage, and shock or fire hazards, which is why specialty units are always recommended.