You know that happy feeling you get when you get of whiff of something that smells really good?
Like when you walk into a home with cookies in the oven, or the scent on your pillow when you’ve just washed all the sheets?
Wouldn’t it be cool if we could bottle it up and sniff it anytime we wanted? Turns out, we can!
First off, a bit of a story.
A member in my family is going through medical treatment that is quite stressful. There isn’t much the rest of us can do, but I still wanted to do something. Something that would make her feel better, calm her nerves or at least take her mind off the icky for a little bit.
Since essential oils are working for us in so many ways, I chose to create a pamper kit that used essential oils for my family member. I decided to center all of the items around lavender since it promotes relaxation. I could have added frankincense and/or marjoram too (since they both compliment lavender VERY nicely), but those are still in the moving truck!
Really, you can choose whatever essential oil you want, it just depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
Energizing the Body: rosemary, peppermint, lemon, orange, grapefruit, tea tree
A spray with these oils would be great to help wake you up in the morning, to mentally prepare you for a workout or if you need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Uplifting Mood & Spirit: bergamot, orange, grapefruit, ylang ylang
These oils can be used if you’re feeling down and out, are dealing with Winter blues or any other similar emotional state.
Calming Nerves: lavender, chamomile, marjoram, geranium, frankincense
This is the spray I designed with lavender, but all of these oils would be great. You could also use these to help relax before bed at night.
The first component of the pamper kit is a DIY Homemade Linen Spray. This would allow her to create a calm, peaceful atmosphere wherever she went. She could spray it on her pillow at bedtime, on her clothes during the day or on a blanket when she cuddled up with a book on the sofa.
To be honest, choosing the scent you want or the mood you want to create is the hardest decision. Making the actual room and linen spray is super easy!
Tip: If you really want to enhance the smell of a room, make a batch of DIY carpet deodorizer the next time you vacuum!
DIY Linen Spray with Essential Oils
DIY Linen Spray with Essential Oils: Supplies
- 6-10 drops essential oil(s) of your choice**
- 2 oz glass spray bottle or 4 oz glass spray bottle (those link to Amazon, but I also found some at Whole Foods)
- 2 Tbsp vodka or witch hazel
Note: I know there are a lot of essential oil companies out there and I’ve certainly tried my fair share of brands. But after testing and researching and more testing, only one is worth spending money on (in my opinion). For a couple years now I’ve been committed to Young Living oils, and you can read more about their oils and my decision HERE.
DIY Linen Spray with Essential Oils: Method
Carefully measure vodka or witch hazel into the glass spray bottle. Using a small measuring cup is easiest, but a small funnel works well if you already have one.
Add 6 drops of essential oil.
Add water to the bottle, not quite filling to the top. You want to leave enough room so that the liquid doesn’t overflow when you fit the top on.
Replace the top and shake well. Spray a bit on your hand or shirt or rag and smell. If you want the scent stronger, add up to 4 more drops of essential oil.
Shake well and spray on linens or other fabrics as desired.
Additional Recipe Notes
Oil and water don’t mix, and neither do oil and grain alcohol. However the alcohol helps the scent to linger longer. You could mix with water, but you’ll get better results with vodka or witch hazel. In either case, be sure to shake well before using.
You can mix/match essential oils of your choice, but it would be wise to smell each oil individually before adding to the spray bottle. Adding scents together is kinda like adding black and white paint. It only takes a few drops of black to turn white to grey. But it takes A LOT of white to turn black to grey, and you might never get there!
Start small with strongly scented oils, and remember that you can always add another drop if a scent isn’t strong enough.
If at all possible, use light colored oils if you’re spraying directly on fabric so you don’t stain them.
Essential oils, and anything made with essential oils, should be stored in a cool place and out of direct sunlight.
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Hello Tiffany. I have been using essential oils for many purposes since I was a teenager. But I never thought to use them to create linen fragrance. That is quite innovative to me. I would like to recommend a really pleasant, uplifting flagrance. It’s very simple, yet effective. Eucalyptus and Grapefruit.
Thank you for another wonderful DIY suggestion Tiffany. This will be fun to explore. I am finally getting into using essential oils after researching for some time and this will be the first thing I make! Just got my glass spray bottles in today! No more paying ridiculous amounts of money for lavender linen spray for me!
I used a lavender essential oil mixed with lemon grass essential oil. I mixed about 6 drops each with a quart spray bottle topped of with water and sprayed a bathroom towel. It caused a orange colored stain on the towel. Any advice for where to spray and why the stain?
Good afternoon!
If I do a mixture of essential oils do I put 6-10 drops of each oil or 6-10 drops mixed together?
Example 5 essential oils 2 drops of each
Thank you Paula
Hi Paula! You want 6-10 drops total.
Hello
How many drops and witch hazel would you recommend for a 16 oz bottle….
Thank you
Is the water imperative? I heard it welcomes bacteria since it takes longer to dry than alcohol. Can I omit and replace the whole thing with vodka? Thanks a bunch
Yes you can!
Hi,
I always keep my linen after washing in a box under the bed and I feel that after a while (till I wanna use them again) they do not smell any longer fresh and link the conditioners I used while washing…
So, I was looking for a way to keep them smell fresh and I came across your page.
Do you suggest I spray this mixed (your suggestion) inside the box? I mean after washing and drying them, when I want to place them in the box, I spray this mix too? Or it is better to spray while they are wet, immediately after washing? When is the best time for sparing?
Thanks,
May
I’d spray after they’re dry May. You can then re-spray as needed when they come back out. If you have dryer balls, you can add essential oils to the balls and that will help too. You can even add oils to the washing machine. Each step adds a little bit of scent, but when you do them all, you get a very pleasant scent at the end!
What is the difference between which hazel and vodka when used in a spray like this?
Thanks!!
Neither – they can be used interchangeably.
Are glass bottles better than plastic and why?
In general yes, because essential oils can be broken down through excessive heat and light. Plus some oils are strong enough to break down lesser quality plastics.
Would you combine lavender and tea tree oil for a linen water. Thinking in the tea tree oil being a disinfectant and lavender for the wonderful smell
Actually, I’d use rosemary instead. It has similar properties to tea tree and would smell a whole lot better. 🙂
Hello Tiffany. I have been using my homemade peppermint oil on my bed linens for approximately 2 years. I live among many trees and seemed to be getting bitten at night in my bed with tiny insects. If I spray my linens or my feet and ankles before bed, I avoid being bitten. My question to you as an authority is…. How many drops of peppermint oil can I SAFELY add to 24 ozs of water. Since I’ve been spraying my linens almost every day, a smaller bottle does not work for me. Of course I always do the spray and smell test to try to find the right balance. I hope I am not causing myself any harm by spraying so often. Please give me your honest input. Thank you!
Hi Catherine! As long as you’re diluting properly, you’re fine. My bottle of peppermint says to dilute 1 drop to 4 drops of carrier. 4 drops is probably something like 1/4 tsp of oil… but since peppermint is hot, let’s round up to 1 tsp. There’s 3 tsp in 1 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp in 1 ounce = 144 tsp in 24 ounces (check my math!). So I’d feel comfortable suggesting 144 drops of peppermint for that large of a bottle. How does that sound to you?