Love Of Lavender Linen Water

I'm not a fussy housekeeper, but I have a thing about bed linens.  I want them to be pretty, feel great and smell heavenly.

Here's where the lavender linen water comes into play. ~

When you grow up in a big family, you live with mismatched sheets that sometimes are so thin you can see through them. At least, that's what I remember. I distinctly remember putting my knee through one on the double bed my sister and I shared  She tells me it only happened once, but it must have been a horribly scarring experience, because I splurge on bedding today and even iron my sheets.

I know some of you are gasping, but it's rather relaxing to iron flat fabric. In fact, that's the only kind of ironing I like to do. I'll gladly iron all your pillow cases, sheets, tea towels and tablecloths; just don't hand me a man's dress shirt to do! I put the linen water right in the water reservoir of the iron and the steam pushes the scent into the fibres.

Even if you can't see yourself ever ironing your bedsheets, you can have all the advantages of a classic French lavender linen water with a little spray bottle.

Lavender is the best natural sleep aid you can find and essential, to my way of thinking, for children's beds. My grandson suffered from night terrors, those dreams you can't be awakened from, and a native woman told me to spray his bedding with lavender water before he went to bed each night. It became a game for him to spray his bed with 'ghost buster magic' before he went to bed and the nightmares disappeared. 

In the linen closet, it keeps everything smelling fresh and is a natural deterrent to moths and other insects. 

I think Lothantique makes the finest lavender linen water but it is rather pricey at $20+ for a quart size bottle. Not to worry, you can easily make it yourself for pennies a jar. There is a little initial outlay but the supplies will last you for eons.

You need a vial of lavender essential oil (available at health food stores and aromatherapy counters), distilled water and alcohol. As we all know oil and water don't mix and the alcohol acts as a binding agent and also allows the mixture to dry faster on fabric.

The recipe is so simple!

To four cups of distilled water (this stops minerals from being deposited on your fabric, iron or steamer),

Add 25 drops of lavender essential oil

Add 1/4 cup of clear alcohol (you can use vodka, witch hazel or rubbing alcohol)

Spritz it on draperies, furniture, pet beds (great for deterring fleas), bath towels, and bedding. A few squirts from a spray bottle works as well as a room freshener aerosol.  

I did a little winter gloom chasing retail therapy this week at my local Salvation Army Thrift Store and found some beautiful linens that were brand new. ~

The tablecloth was $3 and a set of six matching napkins was another $3. A linen towel was $1. ~

Look at the detail! I wonder why they never were used? It seems such a shame to me. ~

A little run through the laundry and some ironing with my homemade linen water (I keep it in a Lothantique bottle I saved) and the tablecloth is ready for dinner.

Or, more likely to become a favourite cat sleeping spot in this house. Cats really love the scent of lavender!

I'm sharing this with - The HomeAcre Hop