I'm trying to care for my houseplants during this snowstorm in the Midwest, where the air is super dry. I don't have a regular humidifier, but I do have an essential oil diffuser. I was thinking about just using water in it to increase humidity for the plants that thrive in those conditions. The concern is that my diffuser has been used with oils like lavender and peppermint in the past, and I want to know if any residue could harm my plants. Is it safe to run it just with water?
3 Answers
For sure, it’s a common trick to improve humidity without needing a full-size humidifier. Just a heads-up though, if there are any essential oil residues, that could be an issue since they might burn your plants' leaves. If your diffuser can be cleaned properly, do that and run it empty first to avoid any problems!
Yeah, it sounds like your diffuser is the type where you just fill it with water and add a few drops of oil. If that’s the case, using it with just water should be fine for your plants! Just make sure to clean it well before using it without oils. I did something similar a few days ago and my plant seems to be loving it, plus it’s way better than having the plants in the bathroom all the time!
Absolutely, you can use your diffuser just for humidity! A lot of plant lovers do this if they want something smaller than a humidifier. Just keep an eye on the oil residues, though. If you think there’s some leftover oil in there, give it a good rinse first. Running it for a few days empty might also help clear out any lingering oils that could potentially harm your plants.