Perfume that sputters out in a mess, or worse, doesn’t spray at all can put a damper on your morning routine. But as frustrating as it may be, there are multiple ways that you can fix a broken sprayer.
Take note of the suggestions below and get your day off to a better start.
Here are the 7 Ways to Access Your Perfume with a Broken Sprayer
Perfume that leaks out of a broken sprayer can potentially ruin your clothes, especially if you’re wearing silk.
If nothing comes out at all, then you’re still in a bind and will have to get creative in the short term. But not to worry, here are some suggestions that will get you back to smelling wonderful again.
1. Try Water First
When the sprayer on my perfume bottle is clogged, the first thing that I like to do is remove it and run it under hot pressurized water. You don’t need a special hose or anything. Just turn your faucet handle to the highest pressure that feels comfortable to you.
Both the temperature and force generated by the stream of water can push out the dried perfume oils or whatever’s clogging the nozzle.
You’ll want to let the nozzle thoroughly dry before placing it back on your bottle.
2. Soak the Sprayer
If the first suggestion doesn’t work, there’s a similar method to try.
Instead of placing the sprayer under water, you can soak it in a bowl of hot water. You might want to swish it around for a few seconds, and then let it soak for a few minutes.
After soaking, dry the sprayer with a lint-free cloth. You can even push force through the sprayer holes by blowing air through them to further unclog them.
Screw the sprayer back on and give it a try.
3. A Needle Might Work
Using a sharp, general purpose hand sewing needle, you might have more success in unclogging your sprayer.
Usually there’s sticky fragrance oils that have closed up the holes, making the sprayer unusable.
Sharps are really sharp, so carefully press the needle through each hole one by one. You might want to have some sort of a cloth on hand to wipe the residue from the needle periodically throughout the process.
More specifically, depending on your needle width and the size of your sprayer holes, this might help. Push the needle through from one side to the other. Before pulling it back out, wipe off the residue.
This method prevents you from reintroducing the sludge to the sprayer holes.
If you’re working with a thicker needle and/or smaller holes, then you may have to try digging the sticky oils out with the needle. It may take a little longer, but take your time. And don’t forget to periodically wipe the needle off.
Once finished, wipe the sprayer down and then try spraying it as usual.
4. Consider Rubbing Alcohol
With especially stubborn residue, you might need to rely on a solvent.
Isopropyl alcohol does a good job of breaking down oils. This is why it’s often used as a degreaser on surfaces.
If hot water, pressure, and use of a needle have been ineffective, it’s possible that rubbing alcohol will unclog your sprayer.
Similar to the water method, you can remove the sprayer from your perfume bottle and soak it in an alcohol bath. The amount of alcohol you’d need to pour into a bowl or pan would depend on the size of your sprayer. Just make sure it’s fully submerged in the alcohol.
Allow it to soak for at least twenty minutes. Wipe it down, preferably with a lint-free cloth, prior to placing it back on your perfume bottle.
Hopefully, it will spray normally.
As an aside, you might want to combine the needle and alcohol methods. When using a needle, it’s likely that there will still be oily gunk in the crevices of your sprayer. There are two ways to get rid of it with rubbing alcohol.
You can either pour alcohol onto a cotton ball and rub the area of the sprayer that still has residue. Or, you can soak the sprayer in alcohol after using the needle method.
5. When Short on Time
There are times when you first notice that your sprayer is broken, and you don’t have the time to carry out any of the previous suggestions.
When this is true, you can consider manual application.
- Carefully remove the sprayer from the bottle and place it on a towel or something that will protect the surface underneath it.
- If there’s a narrow mouth to your perfume bottle, then you can place your finger over the opening.
- Keeping your finger in place and tightly pressed into the opening, pick up the bottle and tilt it towards your finger until you feel it covered with perfume.
- With your finger still in place, turn the bottle right-side up. Now you can dab your pulse points with the perfume that’s on your finger and repeat the process as needed.
If the mouth of your perfume bottle is wider, you can follow the same process while using a cotton ball in place of your finger.
As long as the mouth is fully covered when you tilt the bottle, it should work out well.
6. Replace the Sprayer
A long-term solution would be to replace your sprayer altogether.
Sometimes perfume sprayers are defective and neither soaking them or removing oils with a needle will help.
There are a lot of reasonably priced replacement sprayers on the market. You can also find stylish ones that are more expensive.
First we’ll look at just the sprayers themselves. Most perfume bottles have a standardized opening. So in most cases, any of these will fit your bottle, but always read the description before making a final decision.
Portable Mini Refillable Atomizer Bottles
This is a set of four miniature bottles that you can fill directly from your existing perfume bottle without the need for any additional tool.
Possibly even more convenient than having one bottle of perfume, you can keep these smaller bottles in multiple locations. Whether it’s in your dresser drawer, handbag, or work cubby. You can always freshen up your scent with these.
This one is pink with gold hardware and comes with a spray bulb, which produces a really fine mist. There’s also a white and red option.
There are more alternatives. You can try looking for a replacement sprayer at your local Target or WalMart, or another drug or beauty store. You may also come across them in department stores.
7. Transition to a Better Atomizer
Another long-term possibility is to upgrade your atomizer.
Although perfume sprayers are atomizers, there are more efficient atomizers on the market that spray smaller particles and more evenly.
Some have a classic look, others are more frilly. With these options, you won’t have to search for a sprayer that fits your perfume bottle because the cap, sprayer, and bottle are all included.
Luxsego Perfume Bottle Atomizers with Funnels
This set of clear and black glass bottles are sturdy and have clean lines. You won’t have to worry about spilling out any of your perfume because funnels are included. Each container holds 30 mL of perfume.
This set is simple yet subtly elegant. Each one holds 100 mL (3.4 oz), is leaf-proof, and will spray in a really fine mist.
Elegant, pumpkin-shaped perfume bottle replacement that holds 50 mL (1.7 oz) of perfume and includes a funnel.
A bit more fancy, this container is smoke gray glass with a black balloon pump that sprays out a really fine mist.
It also comes with a traditional spray head if you find that you prefer that alternative. The included funnel will help prevent waste. You can pour up to 100 mL (3.4 oz) into this sturdy container.
The video below demonstrates how easy it is to soak your sprayer using one of the methods mentioned above. And it also shows you have fine a mist you can expect from the balloon spray atomizers.
Read more: How to Apply Cologne Without Spray
Conclusion
Having a broken sprayer on your perfume bottle is a legitimate annoyance but only a minor setback.
Using the suggestions above, you can either repair or replace the sprayer in a few different ways. Associated costs can be nonexistent, small or large, depending on your preferences.
Hopefully you found this information helpful. If so, please share this article with others who can benefit from it.
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