Taking your time in choosing diffuser reeds and knowing which ones are best in diffusers will ensure that your diffuser works perfectly, creating a light, beautiful and lingering fragrance for rooms in homes and in offices, hotels, spas, rest rooms and other areas. The wrong choice of reed diffuser sticks will mean that the fragrance is not diffused as well as it should be.
The diffuser is a popular, environmentally-friendly, economical and safe choice for fragrancing; this simple fragrance option does not use fire or electricity yet it leaves you with mood-elevating, subtle fragrance that lasts for several months.
This type of fragrance diffuser has a simple construction that includes diffuser oil, essential/aromatic oils, reeds and an attractive container. The reeds or sticks do the important job of carrying the aroma, and diffusing it into the room.
So what are diffuser reeds? How do they work?
The best reed diffuser sticks are made of rattan, which are not hollow, but have several channels inside the stem. It is these channels that suck the fragrance oil from the bottle that slowly permeates the room with wonderful scents.
Rattan reeds typically have 20 or more channels that wick the oil to from the container and release fragrance through an evaporation diffusion process, they have to be flipped from time to time in the container to obtain maximum benefit.
Replacement diffuser reeds
Rattan Diffuser Reeds vs. Bamboo Skewers or Sticks
The market is filled with an array of fragrance diffusing products. You may have also chanced upon diffusers with bamboo skewers/chutes/sticks. These bamboo sticks although still an entirely natural product, do not work as well as rattan reed diffuser sticks. This is simply because bamboo has nodes, which inhibit the wicking process. Reeds on the other hand, have a clear channel that enables easy and simple wicking that releases long-lasting scents. Choosing rattan ensures that you get the absolute maximum benefit from the fragrance oil. The picture above shows the channels of the rattan reeds, that will carry the oil up the stem, this is much more effective than bamboo sticks.
Changing and Replacing Reeds
Although they will eventually need to be replaced, the good news is that a top quality reed can last you from anywhere between 6 months to a year! When fragrance is no longer being released, due to over-saturation or clogging, replace them. The Internet is a fabulous source to buy replacement diffuser reeds and other supplies; you could land some great deals and bargains.
Make sure that when you take them out of the container to dispose of them that you never place them on any polished wooden surface as the oil inside them can damage the surface. Changing the reeds does not mean you can’t reuse the containers; after disposing of the old reeds, wash the container thoroughly with soap, dry it and refill with fragrance oil and finally, place the reeds. This is particularly useful, if you intend to change fragrances without having to buy a new container.
These tips will help you get the best out of your reed diffuser.
- If there is oil in the container but you still don’t get the fragrance, your reeds need to be changed. You could also add a couple of extra ones to emanate fragrance better.
- The diffusion of fragrance also largely depends on external factors like air conditioners, dehumidifiers, open doors and windows, which could impede the quality of fragrance in the room. If controlling these factors in not an option, you could place two reed diffusers in the same room in diagonal corners.
- If the fragrance diffuser is going to be placed in a smaller space, use fewer reeds, this will effectively ‘turn down the volume’ and keep the fragrance from being overpowering.
- Make sure you don’t over fill the container; if the top of the container is heavier than the base, it could topple.
- Use containers with a narrow neck, this will prevent the oil from evaporating from the neck instead of being diffused from the top.
- Check for fakes when choosing diffuser reeds; bamboo skewers look very similar to reeds. Look at the ends to tell the difference, the former is hollow while the latter has channels that are cross-sections.