Reed diffusers are a great way to constantly have beautiful scents filling up our rooms and personal spaces without having to worry about leaving candles lit, especially if you have young children or are always on the go.
Plus, they are super easy to use, just open it up, pop in the reed sticks, and you will get to enjoy your favourite fragrances within minutes! Fragrances that will last and last without you having to do much at all to maintain them.
Here, we listed down 6 best practices to maximise the enjoyment of your reed diffuser fragrance. Follow them, and you’re all set for a happy life with your reed diffusers…
Place the sticks into the Vessel.
A reed diffuser is a fragrant liquid made up of a carefully calculated combination of essential oils and alcohol contained in a glass vessel. The reeds, usually made of rattan, are inserted into the vessel, and the scent is then diffused through the pores in the sticks. The more reed sticks you put in, the stronger the fragrance will be and likewise, the less reed sticks you put, the lighter the fragrance will be. We recommend you use all the sticks that are provided to you in the packet when you buy it, however, the following number are seen as being optimal for these spaces (dependent on the size of the room):
- Bathrooms: 4-5 reed sticks
- Bedrooms: 6-8 reed sticks
- Living rooms, Hallways, Kitchens, Conservatory: 10-12 reed sticks
There are no hard and fast rules about the number of reed sticks to put in. It is all according to your preference on how strong you like the scent to be.
Flipping the reeds
Once you’ve put the reed sticks in the diffuser vessel, flip them after 1-2 minutes so that the saturated ends in the oil are now in the air, and the dry ends are now in the liquid. This is to ensure all the reeds are completely covered in the oil for a better scent distribution. You won’t need to flip the reed sticks again for a week or two or until the fragrance becomes faint. Keep flipping them until you can’t smell anything anymore. Once the smell is gone DO NOT throw away the oil, all you need to do is replace the existing reeds with new ones and the scent will come back again as strong as ever!
Be careful when flipping the reeds
Never flip the reed sticks over things like your carpet or precious counter tops as the reeds may drip and leave stains that can be hard to get out. Instead you should flip the sticks over a wastepaper basket or over the sink to prevent the oils from splattering and staining.
Use a healthy reed diffuser
The typical reed diffuser tends to be solvent based, especially the cheaper ones so make sure yours is filled with beautiful essential oils. However, many of the solvents used have an adverse affect on our healthy and have already been banned from paints (this is why you find water-based paints in DIY stores now), carpets and most other furnishings in our home. Reed diffusers, air fresheners and many cleaning products have so far been exempted from this rule in the UK.
For the health of your family and yourself, we advise to only use reed diffusers which are classed as non-VOC (without volatile organic compounds) and they are easy to spot: they use extra long reeds.
Whenever, you see a reed diffuser with extra long reeds (over 25cm/10inch) you know you will be safe.
Place the diffuser on a coaster
You should always place your reed diffusers on either a glass surface or on a coaster to prevent the fragrance oil from staining your counter or worktops. There may be times that the liquid might spill out from its vessel and could react with your table top or work surface to cause stains or corrosion. Essential oils are known to stain wooden surfaces, so please take note of that when deciding where to place them.
Use a reed diffuser refill
Reed diffuser refills not only help the environment by reducing wastage, you also get to save money when you buy the refills instead of a new bottle of reed diffuser again! Just make sure to first clean the container thoroughly with soap and water, and let it dry completely before putting in the refill oils.
It would also be a good idea to change the reeds over to new ones if you are changing the scent so you get the full effect of the new scent. The old sticks might be clogged with dust or are over-saturated with the fragrance oil over time and they might not diffuse out the perfume properly.
Pro Tip
Quickly and easily make your own, personalise your reed diffuser by buying a reed diffuser refill and extra long reeds. Then pick your favourite vase that’s not too tall, fill it up with the refill oil and insert the reeds. Voilá, you now have your own unique reed diffuser that perfectly blends into the style of your home.
Just make sure your favourite vase is glazed on the inside or made from glass, the reeds stick out far enough at the top to diffuse your oils well and the vase has a small opening at the top.
Try the reeds in the vase before your fill it with up with diffuser oil and place in your room to see whether you like the look, then if you’re happy with it, fill it up and there you go!
What’s your pro tip when it comes to reed diffusers?
Written By
Becky