How to Use Reed Diffusers — Everything You Need to Know (2024)

FAQs

How do I use my reed diffuser? ›

They are very simple to use; reeds are inserted into a glass bottle or glass jar of scented diffuser oil, the reeds soak up the scent and emit a pleasant aroma around your home - easy! Unlike candles, reed diffusers are flame free and do not require any heat. They disperse scent into the air naturally.

If the fragrance oil comes in a separate container, the next step is to pour the oil into your vessel until it is approximately ½ to ¾ full. Don't fill it all the way to the top, or it might overflow when you add the reeds in. Skip this step if your diffuser vessel came with the oil already inside.

How many sticks should you put in a diffuser? This is completely up to you! If you'd like a stronger fragrance, add in more reeds and occasionally flip them so the saturated ends are in the air to allow for more of the oils to evaporate and disperse.

To get the most out of your reed diffuser fragrance, we would recommend placing it in a hallway or an entrance to a room. The air circulation created by daily traffic will help disperse the aroma so you will pick up the scent every time you enter and leave the room or walk through the hallway.

Most importantly, pick the right kind of oil to use as a base. Mineral oils like sweet almond oil or safflower oil tend to be the most popular because they're thin enough to travel up the diffuser reeds (or bamboo skewers!), allowing your room to quickly fill with the scent of your choice.

Untie the reeds sticks and place them in the bottle's oil and allow them to sit for one hour. By the end of the hour, you should start to notice the sticks slowly absorbing the oil.

Motion in the room and general movement in the air will help circulate the scent and throw the fragrance, so it's best to place it in a high traffic area that will help move the scent around. Avoid placing it near air conditioning units or near a door that leads outside where the fragrance will be lost.

If you find that your diffuser's scent is lacking, it could be the reeds rather than the oil. Over time, the reeds simply lose their ability to be able to diffuse scents effectively. Sometimes this can be because they have become clogged with dust and oil.

Most diffusers work best with room temperature tap water because it contains natural minerals that help the oils diffuse into the room. Additionally, it's important to not overfill your diffuser.

The More Reeds, the Stronger the Scent

Homesick reed diffusers come with five reeds, which can be added or removed, depending on how much of a scent presence you like. However, while we think five reeds should be more than sufficient for most people, you can always add more!

How many times can you reuse diffuser sticks? ›

Can you reuse diffuser reeds? Essentially no, reeds in a diffuser need to be replaced for use with a new, different scent otherwise you will not get a pure smell of the new fragrance through the reeds.

Can I use water in my reed diffuser? Yes, absolutely, but it depends which reed diffuser recipe you chose. Water and oils don't mix, but alcohol and oil are miscible, which means that they can mix and form an even solution. If you chose to use water base, you will need some form of alcohol.

Adding too many drops to your diffuser can lead to headaches and dizziness in the short term and there is also evidence to suggest that overuse can cause throat, lung and blood pressure problems in the long term.

What is the best carrier oil for reed diffusers? Author of Green Living Jen Chillingsworth recommends using sweet almond oil as the best carrier oil for reed diffusers, though you can also use fractioned coconut oil or safflower oil.

We recommend you repeat flipping the reed sticks regularly – approximately once a week or every couple of weeks. Remember: Flipping the reeds will provide a fresh fragrance burst, but doing this too often will also speed up how quickly the oil evaporates.

Diffuser reeds are filled with microscopic channels. As the reeds absorb the fragrance oil, it travels up the length of the reed. Once it reaches the top, it's released into the air and the scent along with it. The reeds act almost like tiny straws that draw the fragrance up through the bottle and into the air.

Add in a quarter cup of carrier oil, about 10-30 drops of the fragrant essential oils or fragrance oils of your choice, and use the reeds to mix. Now add a few reeds to the jar and fan them out to allow the scent to disperse freely. You're done!

For this reason you should not use more than 5-6 drops of essential oil in your aroma diffusion system according to the size of your room. The excessive amount of essential oils will result in a fragrance that is too strong and this is certainly not a suitable solution for small spaces.

Soaking the reed for more than a few minutes can cause the cane to expand too much leaving the reed flat, stoggy, and resistant. I recommend soaking reeds for between 1-2 minutes in a small cup or shot glass of water.

Placing your diffuser somewhere high up and open is always best as it can then utilise any airflow to fill the room. We advise to keep the diffuser out of direct sunlight to avoid the oils evaporating, which would not help those luxurious scents last.

Should you put reed diffuser in window? ›

Tips For Choosing The Right Spot For Your Reed Diffuser

Avoid radiators and windows as heat will make the fragrance evaporate faster. The area should be dry and not exposed to direct sunlight. Choose high-traffic areas such as bathrooms, hallways or interior doorways.

We advise putting it in the centre of your living room, bedroom, or other relaxing areas. The diffuser should be positioned at least two feet above the ground on a nightstand or side table, preferably on a tray. This will guarantee that the air is adequately moisturised.

Can You Reuse the Diffuser Reeds? As you refill your reed diffuser, one question you might be wondering is, “Can I reuse diffuser reeds?” Unfortunately, no. Once the reeds become saturated with a specific scent, you wouldn't want to use them in another oil.

VOCs within the diffused oils can affect indoor air quality causing a similar pollutant effect as air fresheners, scented candles, and incense. Poor indoor air quality can worsen existing respiratory symptoms from allergies, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses.

Some diffusers require or work best with different types of water. The instructions included in many of today's essential oil diffusers recommend that you use tap water in your diffuser because it includes natural minerals that help the water diffuse into a vapor better than distilled water.

Be sure to keep exterior buttons and air vents dry when emptying and filling the diffuser, as well as during the cleaning process. Avoid leaving water sitting in your diffuser for long periods of time. This can cause bacteria to grow, damaging your diffuser.

For all of our Ultrasonic Diffusers, we recommend using tap or bottled water because the natural minerals in the water allow the oil to cling to the particles and disperse further into the air.

You will generally want to add anywhere between three and fifteen drops for a 100-milliliter diffuser depending on strength, but don't be afraid to experiment until you come up with the perfect amount.

While you can always diffuse one oil at a time, combining oils is a fun way to make your own bespoke, custom blend—and the potential combos are pretty much limitless. "You can create an aroma that's as dynamic and unique as a luxury candle, in a really natural way," Panton says.

They need to be saturated for evaporation to work effectively. I turn my reeds over every week - sometimes even more often. This will result in the diffuser being used up more quickly than if you were to turn the sticks every fortnight or month, but will result in better scent diffusion.

How long should you keep diffuser on? ›

Some very basic oils like Lemon and Peppermint may be able to be diffused for longer amounts of time at low levels of output, but the general recommendations are to limit diffusing sessions to 30-60 minutes, depending on the oil. More intense oils such as Eucalyptus may need to be limited to 20-30 minutes per session.

1 — All you have to do is fill your diffuser vase with 3.5 ounces of liquid carrier oil like coconut oil (or even baby oil!). 2 — Next, you'll add 3 to 5 drops of your favorite essential oil blend to the vase. 3 — Now you'll insert 5 to 7 of the rattan reeds into the vase, and you're all set!

When mixing essential oils and carrier oils, it is important to keep the ratio of carrier oil to the essential oil in mind. A good rule of thumb is to always make sure the essential oil is at 0.5% to 2% of the mixture you're making so that there is much more carrier oil than there is essential oil.

The less carrier oil you use in ratio to essential oils, the more likely you are to become sensitized. The more carrier oil you use in ratio to essential oils, the less likely you are to become sensitized. Generally, we recommend sticking to a 1-2% dilution.

Also, it's important to note that reeds cannot be reused. Essentially, reeds fill up with the scent and the oil and roughly around that six-month mark, they become so saturated that they no longer work.

We recommend you repeat flipping the reed sticks regularly – approximately once a week or every couple of weeks. Remember: Flipping the reeds will provide a fresh fragrance burst, but doing this too often will also speed up how quickly the oil evaporates.

Pour 1/4 cup room temperature water into diffuser container. Add 30 drops preferred essential oils. Place as many reeds as you like (up to 15) into your diffuser. More will give you a stronger scent.

Dr. Block advises against diffusing lavender and tea tree oils because of the potential complications, particularly in children and teens. Pregnant women and people who have hormone-related medical conditions such as diabetes should talk to their doctors before using essential oils topically or with a diffuser.

Use the right kind of water

Most diffusers work best with room temperature tap water because it contains natural minerals that help the oils diffuse into the room. Additionally, it's important to not overfill your diffuser.

While you can always diffuse one oil at a time, combining oils is a fun way to make your own bespoke, custom blend—and the potential combos are pretty much limitless. "You can create an aroma that's as dynamic and unique as a luxury candle, in a really natural way," Panton says.

Can you sleep with a reed diffuser? ›

As long as you're using a high quality diffuser and high quality,all natural essential or aroma oils, there's likely no risk to diffusing your oils overnight.

Yes, you can use distilled water in your diffuser. Many diffusers specifically state that they can only be used with distilled, purified or filtered water, but using distilled water is also safe for a diffuser that can use tap water unless otherwise specified.