How Long Do Diffuser Reeds Last & Can You Reuse?

Chances are, you or someone you know has a reed diffuser and is probably asking “How long do diffuser reeds last?”

Since reed diffusers have become a common household object, bringing fresh scents and an aura of elegance to a room, it makes sense that you’d want to keep those enchanting smells for as long as possible.

In this guide, we take a look at diffusers to find out how long the reeds last and how to take care of them…

Can you reuse diffuser reeds?

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

An aerial photo of a black reed diffuser on a white background with some green leaves around it.
Photo by Mindaugas Norvilas on Unsplash

How long do reed diffuser sticks last?

Reeds should optimally be replaced every 6 months to maintain their effectiveness in diffusing scent.

To maintain hygiene, you can clean the reed bottles thoroughly with hot soapy water or run through a dishwasher cycle. This will thoroughly clean the bottle and make it suitable for reuse.

How many reeds should I put in a diffuser?

To diffuse plenty of scent, 10 to 12 reeds tend to be optimal. However, you can put as many reeds as will fit through the neck of the bottle.

If the bottleneck is a little wider, feel free to add a few more to fill out the space and boost the scent!

How to refresh scentsicles and reed diffusers

Periodically flip the reeds in a diffuser over so that the dry end is the one touching the oil.

Turning reeds around will provide more fragrance but will also speed up how quickly all the oil evaporates; so remember not to turn them too frequently to prevent running out of scent too soon!

A photo of a reed diffuser in front of a vase with leafy branches in it.
Photo by No Revisions on Unsplash

How to choose the best scent for your reed diffuser?

Some reed diffuser oils contain DPG (Dipropylene glycol – an odourless and colourless non-toxic solvent used for diluting fragrance oils) or alcohol, however, these are not necessary and your reed diffusers can be 100% natural. You can use essential oils (learn how essential oil diffusers work in our useful resource) for stimulating and relaxing scents.

High alcohol or DPG content is sometimes included in reed diffuser oils to make them cheaper to produce. This means they evaporate quickly.

Choose scents you enjoy or have the desired effect of stimulating, refreshing, calming or relaxing in each particular room.

Can I increase the amount of scent from my diffuser?

You can control the intensity of scent released from your diffuser by adapting how spread out or close together the reeds are.

Spreading reeds wider will increase airflow around the surface area of the reeds. Grouping them closely together reduces the strength of the fragrance being released.

A photo of a small reed diffuser and an amber spray bottle through a window. A cactus sits on the windowsill next to the small spray bottle.
Photo by Charlotte Harrison on Unsplash

There you have it!

Can you reuse diffuser reeds? No.

How many reeds to put in a diffuser? As many as you can fit!

How long do diffuser sticks last? Approximately 6 months.

We hope this guide gave you all the diffuser reed answers you were looking for.

If you want to buy wholesale glass diffuser bottles for your business, get in touch with our packaging team today!

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