Reed Diffusers Unplugged:

Reed diffusers have very simple components a decorative glass filled with fragrance or, essential oil having 7 to 12 rattan reeds protruding from the bottle opening. The rattan reeds have around 15 to 20 groves within the reed that absorb the scent in the bottle and disperse the scent in the air. Depending on the quality of the scent within the diffuser it should last about 3 weeks per ounce. "Three weeks of smell good in the air" without having to worry about putting it out when you leave the house or lighting it before the in laws come over to visit.

One pitfall about reed diffusers is they shouldn't be in a place accessible to small children. Some manufactures do add a bitterant to the diffuser fragrance to make it taste bad. In case you don't know what a bitterant is.( According to Wikipedia a bitterant is a chemical that is added to a product to make it smell or taste bad.) But still reed diffusers around small kids are not a good idea. Aside from that reed diffusers are getting cheaper now refills accompany or are sold beside the diffusers and there are a lot of good diffuser manufactures in the mid price range like Yankee Candle Company or Pearl Essence.

Spending $50.00 for a diffuser does pinch the wallet the wrong way. Voluspa diffusers

are my personal favorite to have in the home budget allowing. Some people prefer to make there own diffuser at snowdriftfarm.com here are instructions and supplies to make your own diffuser fragrance. A simple Internet search for rattan reeds will yield plenty of places where you can purchase them by the bundle at a couple of cents each.

When you do get a diffuser and set it don't forget the following.

Keep it away from small children.

Set it in a place where it won't be easy to knock over essential oils can ruin furniture.

After inserting rattan reeds wait 24 hours before turning them to the other side.

For a burst of scent turn the reeds to the other side.

Only use reeds with one type of scent mixing reeds used with one scent, then another could make a weird smell.

Reeds should be rattan reeds not bamboo.

When making your own diffuser try not to use alcohol it makes the fragrance evaporate too quickly.

After a while of using the same reeds there might not be enough scent coming out from the diffuser when that happens, throw away the old reeds and put in the new ones.

Try to avoid having direct skin contact with essential oils take the proper precautions.

Once you have a reed diffuser a scented candle will always be a second choice.

Sources:

http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/form_diffuseroils.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitterant

Voluspa diffuser

http://www.reeddiffusers.org/reed_diffuser_q&a.htm.