Use this easy linen and room spray to get rid of odors on sheets, clothes, furniture, and more. Enjoy a fresh, clean room with your favorite scents!
You know that happy feeling you get when you get a whiff of something that smells really good?
Like when you walk into a home with Chocolate Chip Cookies in the oven, freshly baked bread, 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! I created the perfect linen and room spray (with natural essential oils). I’ve freshened pillows, sheets, and the entire room in my favorite scent with just a few simple ingredients, and now you can learn how to make room spray too!
Skip the chemical-smelling air fresheners with artificial fragrances and make your own natural room and linen spray instead.
SUPPLIES FOR DIY ROOMS SPRAYS
Room and linen sprays only require a few simple ingredients.
- 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’ve also found some at Whole Foods)
- 2 Tablespoons vodka or witch hazel
- Distilled water
Lavender and rosemary is my favorite scent combination for room spray. I get my essential oils from Plant Therapy on Amazon. You can find their best-selling kit here.
HOW TO MAKE ROOM SPRAY WITH ESSENTIAL OILS
Step 1. Measure vodka or witch hazel into a glass spray bottle. Using a small measuring cup is easiest, but a small funnel works well if you already have one.
Step 2. Add 6 drops of essential oil. Start with 6 drops, and you can always add more if desired.
Step 3. 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 spray bottle top on.
Step 4. 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.
Step 5. Spray a light mist on linens or other fabrics as desired, or use as a general freshener spray.
ROOM FRESHENER SPRAY TIPS
Really, you can choose whatever essential oil you want. It just depends on your favorite fragrances or what you’re trying to achieve. You’ll want 6-10 drops total of all the oils you choose.
- Energizing Scents – 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 Scents – 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 Scents – 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.
To be honest, choosing the scent you want or the mood you want to create is the hardest decision. Making the actual freshener spray is super easy!
Odors can also linger in your carpet. Make a batch of DIY Carpet Deodorizer to use the next time you vacuum!
LINEN SPRAYS FAQS
What do linen sprays do?
Linen spray is used to combat those pesky odors on your sheets, pillows, towels, furniture, clothes, car, or room. Room sprays make the whole room smell fresher. This DIY linen spray works as both!
Why do you make a room spray with vodka or witch hazel?
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 it with water, but you’ll get better results with vodka or witch hazel. In either case, be sure to shake well before using.
How do you choose the essential oils for linen spray?
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 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!
Will linen and room spray stain fabric?
If at all possible, use light colored oils if you’re spraying directly on fabric so you don’t stain them. The oils get fairly well diluted in the spray bottle, and I have not had any issues with staining.
How long does essential oil linen spray last?
This essential oil room spray recipe stays fresh when stored in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. The room spray should last for at least 6-9 months when stored properly.
MORE NATURAL LIVING DIY TUTORIALS FOR THE HOME
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Hi — my question deals with Fragrance oils —would you do as you do for soaps — if I add one ounce of essential oils, I add two ounces of fragrance oil. I like the idea of the vodka … should help the oil dispersion…Thank you
How long would a bottle of linen spray last? In terms of will it go bad?
Hi Whittney, It will last over a year if you keep it in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
Hello
thank you for all your great ideas.
I made the Linen spray but not sure why the sent doesn’t last. i spray an hour before bed but there is no smell on pillow or sheets when i arrive? Does the essential oil manufacturer make a difference-cheap brands?
Hi Bonnie! The brand of essential oils you use DOES matter, as some will dilute the oil with chemicals and other ingredients so that while you *think* you’re getting 100% EO, you’re actually getting as little as 5% EO (that’s the government required minimal to be labeled “pure” EO).
What essential oils do you recommend? Lori
The Young Living brand is great! https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/purchase-essential-oils/ here is a link to our blog post about essential oils.
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?
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. 🙂
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.
What is the difference between which hazel and vodka when used in a spray like this?
Thanks!!
Neither – they can be used interchangeably.
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!
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!
Hello
How many drops and witch hazel would you recommend for a 16 oz bottle….
Thank you
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.
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?
Thanks for your suggestions and explaining why to use alcohol I didn’t know that! My favorite oils for linen spray is lavender and orange.
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.