Until the end of last year I had absolutely no idea what these reed things were supposed to do. I understood that the reeds were supposed to soak up the scent from the bottle and kind of waft it around the room, but I didn’t understand why you’d want a jar full of twigs sat on your occasional table.

Fast-forward to April 2011 and you will find a ‘Jar o’ Twigs’ convert. I have jars of twigs all over the place at my gaff, and I’ll tell you why: they hold many an advantage over other, more traditional methods of room-scenting.

1) You don’t have to light them, as you do candles, which means that they pose absolutely zero health and safety risk. For someone that is a health and safety obsessive, I have a great number of candles placed in various alcoves around the house, but they are never lit. Only for dinner parties or satanic worship evenings.

2) They are constantly ‘on’ – you don’t have to flick a switch or plug them in or spritz them. They just quietly sit there fragrancing the air.

3) They last for ages. Months. My Dr Vranjen ones in the bedroom have been going since November! And there’s still about a third of a bottle of scent left in the bottom! (The sticks have gone a bit manky and yellow, but that’s a small niggle.)

4) They look…kind of weird…and nice at the same time. I’m sure in ten years time we will look back at the ‘Jar o’ Twigs’ era with fondness, as we do know with the ‘pot pourri’ era. For God’s sake – we used to keep baskets of dried wood shavings next to the telephone! Scented wooden acorns! Reed diffusers are nothing compared to pot pourri!

The only downside to reed diffusers is the ‘turning of the reeds’ ritual. This should be done every week or so, and involves grasping the reeds and turning them upside down so that the wet ends stick out into the air and the dry ends get wet. This helps to waft the scent more. Or something. What it definitely does is stain your hands with room fragrance for about a week, along with anything you touch.

The Cochine Reed Diffuser could be about as posh as reed diffusers get. It comes in its own tassled and lined box/wardrobe/coffin which makes it an ideal present for a special occasion – a wedding gift, perhaps, for someone you know, but don’t know know. You know the type of people I mean. You’ve been to their house for dinner twice because you met them in Spain at a quaint little boutique hotel, it felt as though you had all known each other forever, but when it came to choosing them a wedding/Christmas/birth-of-baby present, you had no clue who they were. Cochine is impressively luxurious and sophisticated, the scents are incredible. My favourite for spring is White Jasmine and Gardenia – it’s light and fresh but ‘heady’ enough to have a proper effect in a large room.

The reason it’s a Moneybags Monday choice? It’s posh, innit! A nice alternative to the predictable Diptyque candle, and lasts longer too.

Cochine Reed Diffuser, £49 from Zuneta.

For 5% off on all purchases at Zuneta until 30/4/11, quote zuneta5 at the checkout HERE!