Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry

  • Home
  • $100 Room Challenge
  • Contact Me
  • Essential Oils
    • Where to Buy Essential Oils | Find the Best Essential Oils for You
    • Essential Oil Recipes & Diffuser Blends
    • Essential Oil Must-Haves
    • Essential Oils: Safety
    • Understanding Common Essential Oil Terms
  • 8 Week Cleaning Challenge
  • Shop My Amazon
  • Fine Print
    • Advertising Disclosure
    • Cookie Policy & Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • Disclaimer

Homemade Essential Oil Room Spray

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. For more information, please visit our advertising disclosure.

Cleaning Tips· Essential Oils

29 Apr

Store-bought room sprays come in beautiful bottles and make our rooms smell delightful, but do you know what’s actually in that room spray? Often room sprays don’t have an ingredient list; and the ones that do contain vague ingredients like “Odor Eliminator”, “Propellants”, and “Solubilizers”. What?! Luckily, I have a homemade essential oil room spray recipe that uses three simple ingredients… and you can make it in less than a minute.

Homemade essential oil room spray using three simple ingredients: distilled water, vodka, and essential oil
 

Alright… let’s talk about bathroom odors. Not the most pleasant topic in the world, but we all know what I’m talking about, right? You can certainly try to mask the odor with aerosol sprays or plug-ins or potpourri, but (as mentioned above) those items often contain vague ingredients… or don’t disclose their ingredients at all! Instead, try making this homemade essential oil room spray made with just three simple ingredients.

What You Need to Make Homemade Room Spray with Essential Oils

Ingredients needed to make room spray: Vodka, distilled water and essential oil
 

Affiliate links may be used. Please see our advertising disclosure for more information.

Ingredients Needed To Make A Homemade Room Spray with Essential Oils

  • Vodka– Because water and oil don’t mix, vodka helps disperse the essential oil throughout the room spray. If you prefer an alcohol-free room spray, you can try Thayer’s witch hazel in place of the vodka, however, witch hazel tends to have a scent that can come through in the room spray. (See the FAQ section below for more information)
  • Distilled Water– I strongly recommend using distilled water vs. tap water as tap water contains natural impurities that can cause bacteria growth over time
  • *Essential Oil– Not sure where to buy essential oils? I put together a guide on how to choose the best essential oils for you. I do not sell essential oils so the information is not bias towards one particular brand.

Supplies Needed to Make An Essential Oil Room Spray

  • Glass Measuring Cup
  • 4 oz Glass Spray Bottle (These are the ones I used)- When using essential oils, it’s always best to use glass containers for storage because some essential oils will eat through plastic.

How to Make A Room Spray with Essential Oils

This following room spray recipe will make a 4 oz. bottle. Feel free to adjust the amounts to fit the size of your spray bottle.

Start by adding 1 oz. vodka (which is also 2 Tablespoons) to a glass liquid measuring cup.

Adding vodka to DIY room spray recipe
 

Then add 15 drops of essential oil in to the vodka and stir.

Adding essential oil to homemade room spray recipe
 

Below are some of my favorite essential oil combinations to use throughout the year.

For the winter months, I love combining Cinnamon (4-5 drops), Orange (6 drops), and Spruce (4-5 drops). This combination creates a warm, spicy scent, perfect for those cold winter days when you need a cozy vibe. Alternately, you can go with a blend created with these 3 oils.

During warmer months, try a combination of Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint (5 drops of each) or Grapefruit, Lavender, and Cedarwood (5 drops each).

Just To Note: Citrus oils tend to be mild in scent and may not come through in the room spray. Combining citrus oils with other essential oils tends to bring out their scent.

Once the vodka and essential oils are mixed, add in 3 oz. distilled water (not tap water) and stir to combine.

Adding distilled water to DIY Room Spray recipe
 

Simply pour the mixture into a glass spray bottle and you’re done.

Pouring room spray into glass spray bottle
 

How easy was that?!

Homemade room spray made with essential oils and vodka
 

When you are ready to use the room spray, give it a little shake and spritz it into the air. You’ll immediately notice the delightful scent of whichever essential oil combination you chose to use.

We think you might also love these ideas!

DIY Himalayan Salt Diffuser | DIY Air Freshener | DIY Car Freshener

 

Common Homemade Room Spray Questions

What is the Difference Between Using Vodka & Witch Hazel when Making A Homemade Room Spray?

If you were to ask me whether to use vodka or witch hazel when making a homemade room spray, I will (hands down) tell you to use vodka. Here’s my reasoning… Vodka has no scent so the essential oils you choose to use in your room spray shine through; which is what you want. I have actually tried making room spray with witch hazel, and unfortunately, the scent of the witch hazel came through… and it wasn’t pleasant. Granted, I used a generic witch hazel. Some have reported that, because Thayer’s witch hazel is alcohol-free (they do not extract the witch hazel using alcohol, but rather “use a unique maceration method to soak [their] witch hazel clippings in water alongside… organic Aloe Vera to create [a] proprietary Witch Hazel Aloe Vera blend.” (Source)) it doesn’t affect the scent. I have not tried this, but you are free to see if it works for you.

Do I Have to Use Distilled Water in This Essential Oil Room Spray Recipe?

I strongly suggest using distilled water when making room spray! Tap water comes with a whole bunch of impurities, which will eventually start growing bacteria. Yuck! Distilled water, on the other hand, is created from the steam of boiling water which “rids water of all those impurities [and] removes more than 99.9% of the minerals dissolved in water” (Source). This means your homemade room spray will last longer.

Can I Use Rubbing Alcohol to Make A Homemade Room Spray?

Please don’t. First of all, your room spray will smell like rubbing alcohol as it has a very strong odor, but more importantly, rubbing alcohol can irritate your nose and throat when inhaled. Stick to vodka (or witch hazel) when making homemade room spray.

How Long Does A DIY Room Spray Last?

This question, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to have a clear answer. I have read anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months. Because water is used in this recipe, the shelf life definitely is shorter than other DIY recipes. I would try to use it within 3 months (if using distilled water). Obviously, if you notice the scent changing, or something smells “off”, it’s time for a new batch.

If you don’t think you can use the full 4 oz bottle in the allotted time, you can certainly half the recipe and use a 2 oz. bottle instead.

Homemade room spray made with essential oils and vodka

Homemade Room Spray Recipe with Essential Oils

This homemade room spray recipe can be made in less than one minute and requires three simple ingredients.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Ounce Vodka
  • 3 Ounces Distilled Water
  • 15 Drops Essential Oil

Supplies

  • Glass Measuring Cup
  • Glass Spray Bottle for Storage

Instructions
 

  • Combine 1 ounce vodka and 15 drops essential oil in a glass measuring cup. Stir.
  • Add 3 ounces distilled water and stir again
  • Pour the mixture into a 4 oz. glass spray bottle
  • Prior to use, give the bottle a little shake to combine ingredients and spray
 

Love it? Pin it!

This easy homemade essential oil room spray requires three simple ingredients and takes less than a minute to make
 
Pouring homemade room spray into bottle

7 Comments

« DIY Carpet Deodorizer | How to Make Carpet Smell Good Naturally
DIY Coffee Scrub Recipe »

Comments

  1. Pamela says

    August 10, 2024 at 1:19 PM

    5 stars
    I used the Thayer’s unscented witch hazel and it is odorless. I had to increase the number of drops to smell anything at all, but when the scent did emerge, it was nice and lemony. Thank you for the combination suggestions; the combo definitely brought out the lemongrass.

    Reply
  2. Melissa says

    May 31, 2024 at 4:41 PM

    What oils do you recommend for a light summer scent?

    Reply
  3. Gidget Moore-Hopper says

    May 9, 2024 at 4:40 PM

    What’s the best vodka to use? Thank you. I enjoyed reading your article.

    Reply
  4. Tara Anderson says

    February 27, 2024 at 11:33 AM

    Hi! I’ve used 190 proof everclear and I can kind of smell it still and the essential oils are still separating from the distilled water. Does that also happen with vodka?
    I love the natural room sprays! 😍

    Reply
    • Erin says

      February 27, 2024 at 4:00 PM

      I have never noticed any scent (outside of the essential oils) when using vodka. As for separation, I used dark spary bottles, so I don’t know whether there is any separation, but giving the bottle a little shake prior to spraying helps incorporate the essential oils into the spray if it’s separated.

      Reply
  5. Francesca says

    January 11, 2024 at 1:55 PM

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this. It was easy and smells wonderful! I appreciate your work creating this page.

    Reply
  6. Aromachology says

    October 4, 2023 at 2:50 AM

    5 stars
    As someone who’s always looking for ways to make my space feel more inviting and refreshing, creating my own room spray with essential oils seems like such a brilliant idea. Your step-by-step instructions are super clear, and the idea of customizing the scents is just fantastic.

    Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hi there! I'm Erin. Welcome to Lemons, Lavender & Laundry, where we believe that creating a clean home should be done as simply and naturally as possible. [Read More...]

Come Say Hi!

  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Let’s Keep In Touch

Subscribe!

Search This Site

Browse By Category

Affiliate Statement & Your Privacy

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about earnings made from the affiliate links used on our site, please see our advertising disclosure.

Your privacy is important to us. Please review our updated privacy policy here.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept
Powered by CookieYes Logo