When a sachet bag stops smelling as strong as it once did, it is easy to assume it has reached the end of its life. With cedar filled sachets, that is almost never true. In most cases the wood inside is still perfectly good. It is the essential oil that has simply finished evaporating and needs to be replaced.
The simplest refresh method is to open or loosen the bag just enough to expose the cedar chips. Add a small number of drops of your chosen essential oil, aiming for even coverage without soaking the fabric. A little goes a long way, and you can always add more later if you want a stronger scent.
After adding oil, it helps to give the sachet time to rest. Placing it in a sealed plastic container or zip bag for a day allows the wood to absorb the fragrance fully instead of letting it evaporate into the room immediately. When you take it back out, the chips will release the refreshed scent slowly over the next several weeks.
You can also use this refresh cycle as a chance to change scents with the seasons. A sachet that smelled like warm spice in the winter can be revived with citrus or herbal oils in the spring. Cedar is flexible enough to support different blends without clashing with what came before.
By treating sachet bags as refillable tools rather than disposable products, you save money and waste while keeping your home smelling the way you like. A quick refresh every few months keeps drawers, closets, and storage spaces feeling intentional and cared for.