How to use your reed diffuser

Reed diffusers are a fantastic way to scent a home space. They’re less powerful than candles which actively push scents out with heat. However, they’re great for a 24/7 solution to beautiful scents. The scented carrier oil will slowly flow up the narrow opening of the reeds and evaporate into the air in a diffusion process that adds fragrance into the air. We use rattan reeds for their special channels which carry the loaded oil efficiently out into the air. 

Reed diffusers are for those folks who want a heat-free, flameless home while still enjoying the fragrances we have to offer in our candles. If you don’t want to bother with trimming wicks and blowing out your candle after every 4-hour burn, these are for you. 

What to do

To start, you’ll want to add the reed diffuser sticks to the glass bottle with the diffuser oil. You’ll want to start with 6-8 reed sticks based on room size. The more rattan reeds you add to the oil, the stronger the scent will be. The downside is that the more reeds, the quicker the oils will spread.

You may have to wait several hours for the evaporation to load the room with scent.

About once a week, the reeds may stop diffusing and the smells may fade. You can flip the reed sticks at that time to reinvigorate the process and get the scented oils flowing again. 

What not to do

• Make sure to keep the oil and reeds away from children.
• Do not ingest the fragrance oil
• When flipping the sticks, be careful not to drip. Oil drips can seep into furniture.
• Avoid placing the bottom in high traffic areas where it can be knocked over
• Use commercial diffusers with harmful diffuser oils ( Check for safe scents! )

Reed Diffuser FAQ

Why is my reed diffuser not working?

If your reed diffuser is not working, try flipping the reeds. They need to be flipped about once a week to allow the oil to continue to flow. If the reed diffuser still is not working, you may need to replace the reeds. The narrow channels between the wood fibers may have been crushed preventing proper flow.

How often should I flip my reed diffuser?

You should flip the reeds exactly as often as when it stops smelling. However, our rule of thumb is once a week.

How many reeds do I need in my diffuser?

The average number of reeds per diffuser is 6-8. However, reduce that for smaller rooms, and increase it for larger rooms. You may have to play with them to find the right spread for your needs.

How can I make my reed diffuser last longer?

You can make a reed diffuser last longer by reducing the number of reeds in the carrier oil. However, we oversize our diffusers so they should last a very long time. 

You may also try increasing the humidity in your home. Excessively dry air can speed up the evaporation process, making the diffuser oil disappear quicker.

We don’t necessarily suggest this, but it is possible to mix the oil with water to dilute the mixture. Our generously large diffusers should last though!

Can you put essential oils in a reed diffuser?

Our scents sometimes include essential oils, but we don’t suggest mixing essential oils. Our scents were created by engineers specifically for smelling awesome. If the scented diffuser oil isn’t right for you, try another essential oil combination from our shop!

What can I refill my reed diffuser with?

We wouldn’t suggest making your own scent in the same jar to prevent cross-contamination. However, if you’d like to repurpose the jar, you can use it as a bottle for storing decorative items or small flowers.

How can I make my reed diffuser less strong?

Take out reeds one at a time and wait about an hour to clear the room. If the scent is still too strong, remove another reed until the amount of scent is right for your space.

Where’s the best place to put a reed diffuser?

For ideal fragrance dispersion, we suggest placing the jar opposite of airflow. This could be an air conditioning vent that pulls in the air or a door that opens and closes. The suction should pull the scented air across the room filling the space better.

Place your diffuser out of the way as well. You don’t want anyone to bump the jar and spill the scented oils. We suggest placing the diffuser on a matt as well just to make sure any spilled oils do not land on wood or porous surfaces.

How long before reed diffusers work?

The scent should start filling the space in about an hour. The size of the room matters as well as the number of reeds placed in the diffuser. If you don’t smell it within a couple of hours, we would suggest adding more reeds or using a candle for your scenting needs.

Are your reeds bamboo or rattan?

Our reeds are rattan reeds which is ideal for diffusers. Bamboo reeds are better for skewers as a light but structurally strong wood. The density of the wood is good for strength but bad for transporting the oils.

Can I reuse my reeds?

You should not reuse reeds. Once the scent has permeated through the rattan, that reed is only good for that fragrance. New reeds also have clean passageways for better scent travel.