Make Your Own Room or Linen Spray!

Tired of paying for those costly room and linen sprays? Maybe it's time to make your own! If you have any of those store-bought sprayer bottles, you're already on track to make this easy for yourself.

Let's face it, most of us don't have access to fresh herbs on the daily and that's ok. You may not even have a full apothecary of dried herbs either - also ok! Let's start with what you do have. Check your pantry for sage, rosemary, cinnamon (preferably cinnamon sticks), etc. It's not difficult to get ones hands on some dried lavender as well. But, here's something most people don't think about -- what herbal teas do you have in your cupboard? If you have a chamomile-lavender herbal tea, imagine how that would smell in a room or linen spray!! Just open the teabag and use the herbs (note: I'll be writing a blog about this but just be aware that these usually contain "natural flavors" that are preservatives and other compounds).

Now that you've figured out what you have around the house and what you want to use, let's get started!

Here's what you'll need:
A Small Jar with a Lid
Enough dried or fresh herbs to fill the jar about 3/4 full
High Proof Alcohol (Vodka, etc.)
A Sprayer Bottle
A Little Patience

Let's Start With Making the Extract:
1) Make sure your herbs are in small pieces (the smaller the pieces, the more surface area to work with the alcohol);
2) Put your herbs in the jar to about 3/4 full;
3) Pour your high proof alcohol over the herbs until you're almost to the lower rim of the jar;
4) Place the lid on and tighten;
5) Shake the entire thing then store in a cool, dry place;
6) Remember to shake your jar at least once daily and let it sit for 1 week to 1 month (the longer it sits, the more the alcohol will extract);
7) When ready, strain out the herbs and save the alcohol in a sealable jar to use.

To Make the Linen or Room Spray:
1) Grab your spray bottle and add the Extract that you made to about 1/10 of the bottle;
2) To about halfway of the bottle, add water (I prefer distilled) to fill the rest of the bottle;
3) Spray test -- if the scent is too strong, add more water. If the scent is too weak, add a bit more of the extract.

And, that's all there is to it! If you make your own from this blog post, would love to hear about your experience! Enjoy!