Are Reed Diffusers Safe?

Keeping the house clean and tidy can be a lot of work but there’s nothing like walking into your home and breathing in that just-cleaned scent. If you don’t have the time or energy to devote to keep your home spotless, a little fragrance might be just what you need to keep things fresh.

Scented candles and room mist are perfect for giving your home a quick burst of fragrance, but if you’re looking for a longer lasting solution try a reed diffuser.

Reed diffusers come in a variety of sizes and can provide anywhere from a couple of weeks to a full year of scent. If you’re concerned about open flames, they’re a secure alternative to scented candles but are there any safety concerns you should be aware of before purchasing? Here’s what you need to know.

How Does a Reed Diffuser Work?

A reed diffuser is simply a vessel that contains fragrance oil and reeds. The vessel itself can be made from a variety of materials but something nonporous like glass is generally best. The size of the vessel determines how much fragrance oil it can hold and thus how long the scent will last.

The reed diffuser sticks used in a reed diffuser contain capillaries that act like tiny straws, drawing the fragrance oil up the length of the reed. When it reaches the tip, the oil lightly evaporates, dispersing the fragrance into the air.

Safety Concerns with Reed Diffusers

 

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Nothing makes a house feel like home more than a tailored fragrance, but are reed diffusers safe? If you have children or pets, you may have heard that essential oils can be dangerous – especially when diffused into the air of your home.

The good news is reed diffusers are generally safe, though some precautions are recommended. Reed diffusers don’t require the use of flame and they don’t involve spraying anything into the air.

If anyone in your family has severe respiratory concerns, be careful about using any kind of fragrance. When using a reed diffuser, choose a lighter fragrance and only use a few reeds at a time to prevent the fragrance from becoming too intense. It’s best to place the reed diffuser in a well-ventilated area as well and perhaps avoid spaces where you spend a lot of time like the living room.

To ensure the safety of your reed diffuser, choose one that uses natural essential oil-based fragrance instead of synthetic scent oil. Synthetic fragrance and chemical carrier oils can be dangerous, especially for individuals with respiratory concerns.

Not only are reed diffusers a safe alternative to fragranced candles, but they come in a wide variety of fragrances. If you enjoy fresh or fruity fragrances, try Sea & Dune or White Grapefruit. To create a warm ambiance in your home, try a gourmand or woody scent like Amber Black Vanilla or Vetiver Sage.

Tips for Using a Reed Diffuser

The benefit of a reed diffuser over a scented candle is that the fragrance lasts much longer – you can also adjust the intensity of the fragrance a little easier. As is true for any home fragrance solution, knowing how to properly use a reed diffuser is the key to success.

Here are some tips to make the best use of your reed diffusers:

• Place your reed diffuser in an area that sees a lot of traffic – reed diffusers work best in spaces that have a lot of air circulation.
• Make sure to put the reed diffuser on a tray or coaster to catch any drips that might happen when you fill the vessel or flip the reeds.
• Start with three reeds to make sure the fragrance isn’t too strong and add more one at a time, if needed, until you achieve the desired intensity.
• To refresh the fragrance, flip the reeds in your reed diffuser – just don’t do it too often or the reeds will become saturated and may not work as well.
• Always wait until the fragrance oil has been completely absorbed before refilling the vessel – adding new fragrance oil to old may impact the intensity.

Once you’ve found your favorite fragrance, a reed diffuser from LAFCO is the perfect way to enjoy it month after month. If you like to switch things up once in a while however, layering fragrance with scented candles and room mist is a great option.