Aromatherapy Around the House - Basic Room and Fabric Spray

Just sharing another one of my homemade aromatherapy favorites! I'll admit that I have always been a fan of Febreze fabric and air spray, and boy don't they have some scents out these days. I remember when there was exactly one!  I love the way it smells, but seems this chemical sensitivity I appear to have developed the last few years, disagrees with it here lately, so I use it more sparingly these days.

On the other hand, y'all know my love of essential oils, so aromatherapy room sprays are something that I have been using a long time anyway. This is a good, all purpose basic spray that I like to use on my carpet, curtains, bedspreads, blankets and pillows, and fabric chairs, as well as to just spritz and freshen the air.  It's is a light formula, intended to basically freshen, so it doesn't leave a strong lingering fragrance. You can certainly make it much stronger - anywhere between 10 to 20 drops of essential oils for every 4 ounces is the basic formula for room sprays - and a full eyedropper will hold about 20 drops.

You can use any number of combination of oils that you like, and in fact, any of the carpet blends of oils that I have posted before are also nice blends for a room and fabric spray, including the Flea Away blend - great for pet beds and carpet.

The alcohol acts as a dispersant and you can either use plain rubbing alcohol, or substitute witch-hazel, vodka, or even grain alcohol (yes, as in Everclear moonshine), if you can get your hands on it, or use simple white vinegar if you prefer. The water is just a simple base dilution - tap or filtered water will work if you don't happen to keep distilled around.

Of the oils I've used here, lavender, lemon and eucalyptus are all deodorizing; lavender is also anti-fungal and acts as a relaxant, while lemon, rosemary and eucalyptus are all anti-bacterial in nature.  All are antiseptic - which, apparently is a good thing right now, since I've seen quite a few searches landing on my Hot Toddy recipe here lately already.

If you're looking for an alternative spray to freshen a room, use on carpet, upholstery or curtains, give this a try, but as always, use with caution, testing first in an inconspicuous area when dealing with fabrics.

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Basic Homemade Room and Fabric Spray
Courtesy of My New 30

Large (about 32 oz.) clean spray bottle
1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol
Distilled, filtered or tap water to fill bottle
10 drops of lavender essential oil
10 drops of lemon essential oil
10 drops of rosemary essential oil
10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil

Label the bottle, then add the alcohol to the bottle and enough water to nearly fill the bottle, about an inch or so from the top. Add the essential oils, cap and gently shake. Use as a room or fabric spray for curtains, carpets and upholstery, shaking gently before each use. Do not use around an open flame.

Note: The alcohol will initially leave a medicinal smell of course, but dissipates quickly. You can substitute witch-hazel, vodka, grain alcohol, or vinegar, if you prefer.

Here's another favorite:

Another Fabric Spray

2 cups of hot water
1/8 cup of liquid fabric softener
2 tablespoons of baking soda
10 drops of lavender essential oil
10 drops of tea tree essential oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a container and whisk until blended. Use a funnel to transfer to a spray bottle. Gently shake before using each time.

Disclaimer. Use at your own discretion and test in an inconspicuous spot for fabric run before using. The advice shared in this site has not been evaluated by the FDA. The products and methods recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease, nor is it intended to replace proper medical help or common sense.

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