Learn how to make a homemade linen spray with essential oils to refresh your furniture or clothing. This linen spray recipe is easy to make, and I have some tips to extend the shelf life to make it shelf stable with a natural preservative.
Homemade Linen Spray Recipe
This recipe for linen spray is a quick and easy way to freshen your home. You can use a natural linen spray recipe on furniture, curtains, or clothes for a quick refresh and to add a light natural scent to your home.
The April Simply Earth Recipe Box is laundry themed. I've been making my own homemade powdered laundry detergent for about 15 years, but it has a different liquid laundry detergent recipe among other recipes.
I haven't made a linen spray DIY in a while, so I decided to make that and share it with my readers. This recipe for linen spray is easy to make, and I have tips to combine the oils with the water and to extend the shelf life.
Simply Earth April 2022 Essential Oil Recipe Box
This month's Simply Earth box is all about laundry. Each month, you get a box with 4 full sized essential oils and supplies to make 6 easy recipes.
This month's box has:
- Tea Tree Oil
- Tangerine essential oil
- Thyme essential oil
- Clean and Fresh essential oil blend
- Soap Nuts
- Muslin bag
- 2 2-ounce spray bottles
- Cotton cloths
- Sticker labels
- Recipe cards
You'll use these supplies to make a homemade linen spray with essential oils, soap nut liquid laundry soap, reusable dryer sheets, diffuser blend, stain remover, and a roller bottle.
The price of the box is less than what you'd pay just for the oils, so the extra supplies and recipe cards are a bonus!
I really like how Simply Earth makes learning about using oils safely easy. You get four oils a month, so you can learn a little each month and not get overwhelmed.
They also have a ton of information in the subscriber Facebook group and on their blog. If you use code EVERYTHINGPRETTYFREE when you sign up, you get the monthly box, a Bonus Box with more supplies, and a $40 gift card to use on a future purchase!
How Do I Make My Own Linen Spray?
It's easy to make a DIY linen spray recipe. You'll need a spray bottle, essential oils, and a liquid. I used water, but you can also use alcohol or witch hazel if desired.
This is a recipe for how to make linen spray without alcohol, but it does have a shorter shelf life unless you use a preservative (more on that below).
For more natural cleaning recipes, I have a Natural Cleaners ebook with 12 easy recipes that you can make at home.
Keep track of your favorite recipes with my printable essential oil bundle. It has a printable journal, substitution chart, blending factor worksheets, and more.
How Do You Make Linen Spray With Alcohol?
This homemade linen spray recipe is very easy to make with water, but anything water based can grow mold or other nasties inside the bottle.
To preserve your homemade linen spray, use alcohol in place of half of the water. You can use a high percent rubbing alcohol or a high proof vodka.
Rubbing alcohol can cause skin irritation and breathing problems for some people. Therefore, I recommend using a high proof vodka.
Simply replace half of the water with a high proof alcohol in your homemade linen spray recipe.
If you do use alcohol, the essential oils will mix with the alcohol, but it will still separate. You will need to shake before using.
How Do You Make Linen Spray With Rubbing Alcohol?
To make a DIY linen spray with essential oils with rubbing alcohol, simply replace half of the water in the recipe with rubbing alcohol.
Rubbing alcohol can be a skin and lung irritant, so avoid breathing in direct fumes or getting in on your skin.
Do You Have to Use Distilled Water for Linen Spray?
I recommend using distilled water for DIY cleaning recipes. Minerals in tap water can cause stains.
The microbes in water thrive with more minerals salt found in tap water. However, these organisms can still live in distilled water.
You will still need a preservative if you use water to make a DIY linen spray recipe.
How to Preserve Linen Spray DIY
Since this DIY linen spray recipe is mostly water, it will only last for about a week.
Here are some ways to extend the shelf life:
- Replace half of the water with a high proof vodka (120 proof or higher).
- Add Geogard ECT as a natural preservative. Use this only if you use water to make your recipe for linen spray.
- Store your DIY linen spray with essential oils in the fridge. This will help the spray last for 1 to 2 weeks.
Can I Use Polysorbate 80 in Room Spray?
Yes, you can use polysorbate 80 in a homemade linen spray recipe. The oil and water don't mix in this recipe, so you'll need to shake it before using.
However, adding polysorbate 80 or Natural Solubizer can combine the oils and water. Follow the recommended usage for the emulsifier that you use.
Can I Spray Essential Oils on Fabric?
Generally, yes you can use a homemade linen spray with essential oils. Always do a spot test in a hidden area for furniture.
Some essential oils are darker in color, and they can leave spots on lighter fabrics.
Can You Use Linen Spray as Perfume?
No, you can not use this homemade linen spray as a perfume. You would use a lower concentration of essential oils on your skin. (Use a dilution chart to know what percent to use.)
To use on your body, try this moisturizing body oil spray recipe, this dry oil perfume spray recipe, or this body spray recipe with essential oils.
How Do You Use Linen Spray?
Here are some ways to use your DIY linen spray with essential oils:
- Spray on couch, chair, or other fabric furniture to remove stale odors.
- Spray on clothes to freshen them before wearing.
- Spray curtains to freshen between washes.
- Spray on carpet to freshen it.
Always test this homemade linen spray with essential oils in a hidden spot before using on fabrics. It may stain certain types of fabric.
Essential Oils for Homemade Linen Spray
I used a blend of tea tree oil, Clean and Fresh, and thyme. Both tea tree oil and thyme essential oils can reduce microbes on surfaces and in the air.
Clean and Fresh is a blend of fir needle, neroli, lemon, and grapefruit. It helps freshen fabric and the air, and it also has an uplifting scent.
You can also use one of the following blends to make a recipe for linen spray.
- Bo Be Gone
- Defender
- Citrus Burst
- 3 drops lavender, 3 drops tangerine, 2 drops eucalyptus
- 4 drops lemon, 2 drops peppermint, 1 drop spearmint
- 1 drop lemon, 1 drop tea tree, 1 drop sweet orange
- Make a DIY Thieves oil recipe
You can also learn how to make your own blends with my essential oil blending worksheets.
Natural Linen Spray Recipe Ingredients
You will need the following to make this linen spray recipe:
- 2 ounces distilled water (or 1 ounce distilled water and 1 ounce high proof vodka)
- 15 drops tea tree oil
- 15 drops Clean and Fresh essential oil blend
- 2 drops thyme essential oil
- Natural Solubizer (optional)
- 12 drops Geogard ETC (optional)
- 2 ounce spray bottle
How Do You Make Linen Spray With Essential Oils?
Step #1
If you are using natural solubizer, place essential oils in a small bowl or into the bottle. Add equal number of drops of natural solubizer. Add one drop at a time and stir. Add more drops until the mixture becomes clear up to 10 drops of solubizer per drop of essential oil.
Step #2
Slowly add distilled water or alcohol and water. If you are adding Geogard ETC, add it now.
Step #3
Place the cap on the bottle and shake gently.
If you added the natural solubizer, the mixture will stayed mixed. However, you will have to shake before using if you did not add a solubizer.
The shelf life is 2-3 months with Geogard ETC. Otherwise, use within a week or store in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.
For more ways to make your home smell good naturally, check out these posts:
- Baking Soda Air Freshener
- DIY Hanging Air Freshener
- DIY Gel Air Freshener With Essential Oils
- How to Make Essential Oil Reed Diffuser
- DIY Aroma Stones
- How to Make a Tassel Diffuser
- How to Make Wax Brittle
Now you know how to make a homemade linen spray and how to use it. If you want to make this with this with the Simply Earth box, use code EVERYTHINGPRETTYFREE when you sign up for a free $40 gift card!
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DIY Linen Spray With Essential Oils
materials:
- 2 ounces distilled water (or 1 ounce distilled water and 1 ounce high proof vodka)
- 15 drops tea tree oil
- 15 drops Clean and Fresh essential oil blend
- 2 drops thyme essential oil
- Natural Solubizer (optional)
- 12 drops Geogard ETC (optional)
- 2 ounce spray bottle
tools:
- Funnel
- Measuring cups
steps:
- If you are using natural solubizer, place essential oils in a small bowl or into the bottle. Add equal number of drops of natural solubizer. Add one drop at a time and stir. Add more drops until the mixture becomes clear up to 10 drops of solubizer per drop of essential oil.
- Slowly add distilled water or alcohol and water. If you are adding Geogard ETC, add it now.
- Place the cap on the bottle and shake gently.
NOTES:
If you added the natural solubizer, the mixture will stayed mixed. However, you will have to shake before using if you did not add a solubizer.
The shelf life is 2-3 months with Geogard ETC. Otherwise, use within a week or store in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.