DIY Linen Spray | Made with Essential Oils

Linen spray is often viewed as a luxury item, with prices ranging from $10 to over $100 per bottle (see here and here… Yikes!). I have some good news though: you don’t have to spend $100+ on a bottle of linen spray (or even $10); instead you can make your own DIY Linen Spray at home for less than a dollar!

 

I stubbled across the idea of making DIY Linen Spray a few years ago. I had ordered some essential oils, along with a diffuser, and I was looking forward to diffusing a little lavender in our bedroom. Unfortunately, the diffuser shipment was delayed and you really can’t diffuse essential oils without a diffuser. That’s when I decided to try my hand at making a linen spray with lavender instead.

What You Need to Make DIY Linen Spray

 

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Ingredients Needed to Make Homemade Linen Spray

• Vodka– I always use vodka for room sprays and linen sprays because there is no scent to vodka. If you are looking for an alcohol-free version, I have heard Thayers Witch Hazel is a good alternative (although I have not tried it). I have tried a generic brand of witch hazel in this recipe and the scent of the witch hazel definitely comes through, making the linen spray less than pleasant.
• *Essential Oil– You can use any essential oil you choose (or a combination of essential oils). For this version, I went with lavender essential oil as I planned to spritz our pillows and bedding, and lavender is known for its calming scent.
• Distilled Water– I would highly recommend using distilled water instead of tap water in this linen spray recipe. Tap water contains impurities that can grow bacteria over time; and I don’t think anyone wants to be spraying bacteria on their bedding 🙂

*I link to essential oil brands I believe provide high quality oils and are transparent with their testing (in other words, the company publicly provides GC/MS results). I also try to link to the essential oil that will give you the “biggest bang for your buck” (often times buying a 30ml bottle of oil means greater savings per ml than purchasing a 10ml bottle). I provide more information on where to buy essential oils so you can choose a brand you feel is right for you.

Supplies Needed to Make DIY Linen Spray

• Liquid Measuring Cup
• 4 oz. Glass Spray Bottle– I highly recommend using glass spray bottles for storage as some essential oils will eat away at plastic.
• Label (Optional)

How to Make Linen Spray with Essential Oils

The following recipe is for a 4 oz. bottle of linen spray.

Start by pouring 1 ounce of vodka into a liquid measuring cup. Then add 15 drops of essential oil and give it a stir. Because water and oil don’t mix, adding the essential oil to alcohol (in this case vodka) will help to disperse the essential oil throughout the linen spray.

 

Once the vodka and essential oil are thoroughly mixed, add 3 ounces of distilled water (not tap water) and give it another stir. Pour the mixture into a glass spray bottle and you’re done!

 

Feel free to add a label to the bottle if you choose. I found this cute label on Etsy, but I’m sure there are others… or you can make your own, like I did.

 

Prior to using, I recommend giving the bottle a little shake, then simply spray on your linens.

Cost Breakdown of This DIY Linen Spray Recipe

Remember how I said there were linen sprays that cost over $100?! Let’s do a little price comparison…

This linen spray recipe uses 1 ounce of vodka, which costs $0.28 (the vodka I used cost $6.99 for 750ml, or 25 ounces). Three ounces of distilled water costs $0.03 (I bought my distilled water at Target for $1.29/gallon, which amounts to $.01/ounce). The essential oil used in this recipe amounts to $0.51 (Plant Therapy sells a 1 ounce bottle of lavender essential oil for $16.99. A 1 ounce bottle has approximately 500 drops of oil in it, which means each drop costs about $0.03).

Total Cost: $0.82!!!

Of course, the cost will vary based on the brand of vodka you buy and the essential oil(s) used.

Common Questions About Homemade Linen Spray

Can I Use Rubbing Alcohol to Make Linen Spray?

Please don’t! Rubbing alcohol has an incredibly strong scent that will overpower your linen spray; not only that, rubbing alcohol can irritate your nose and throat. Stick to vodka (or witch hazel if you prefer).

What is the Difference Between Using Vodka and Witch Hazel in DIY Linen Spray?

As mentioned above, I always go with vodka when making linen spray because it has no scent. This allows the essential oils to come through. When I tried to make this linen spray recipe with a generic brand of witch hazel, the scent of the witch hazel overpowered the essential oil and created a funky smell. I have heard that Thayers Witch Hazel doesn’t have a strong scent, so you could try that (although I have never used it, so I can’t comment on how well it works). Thayer’s also makes scented witch hazel, which may work in conjunction with the essential oils if you want to give it a try.

Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel | Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel | Thayers Lavender Witch Hazel

Which Essential Oils are Good for Linen Spray?

There are so many options when it comes to essential oil. Here are just a few ideas you could use for making linen spray. Feel free to play around with various essential oil combinations to find one you love.

Calming Essential Oils

There have been actual scientific studies that show certain essential oils can aid in better sleep. Try one (or a combination of) these essential oils on your pillow or bedding.

Lavender | Clary Sage | Chamomile | Bergamot | Cedarwood

Sources: Medical News Today & Eating Well

Fresh & Clean Essential Oils

Lemon | Orange | Lime | Tangerine | Grapefruit | Lemongrass | Peppermint*

*I would recommend avoiding peppermint essential oil on pillows as it is quite strong and can irritate your eyes, however, using it in combination with citrus oils would be great for use on towels for a clean, energizing scent to start the day.

Can I Use Perfume as Linen Spray?

I would avoid using perfume on linens. Perfume tends to be much stronger in scent than a linen spray, and therefore could cause irritation to your nose, throat, and/or eyes. Linen sprays are meant to be milder as the scent will actually stay on linens longer than something on your skin. Stick with linen spray for linens and perfume for skin.

What is the Shelf Life of Homemade Room Spray?

Because DIY Linen Spray is water based, it doesn’t last as long as oil based recipes. I have read quite a range of how long homemade linen spray will last: anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months. I would try to use it within 3 months. Obviously, if the scent is off, toss it and make a fresh batch.

If you don’t think you can use up the linen spray in that time, you can always cut the recipe in half and use a 2 ounce spray bottle instead.

Towels or bedding smell mildew-y? Try this idea to freshen linens prior to using a linen spray.

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