How to use dried lavender as air freshener

Preserving your dried lavender is actually quite a simple process. Light exposure will eventually de-colorize your dried lavender after about 1 year, but here are some tips on how you can preserve that amazing scent for as long as possible. I’ve had a bunch of lavender since my wedding back in 2007 and I can still get hints of the scent after all of these years!

You want to make sure you store your dried lavender in the appropriate conditions. Zip lock bags or airtight containers or packaging are the best way to store your dried lavender. Also make sure to store it away from light, heat, and humidity. This will help to preserve the fragrance of your lavender and avoid mold. You’ll know when your lavender has gone moldy because it has an almost horsey smell to it.

These are just a few easy ways to preserve your dried lavender, but if you have more questions about preserving your dried lavender or you have questions about fresh lavender for sale and where to buy it please contact us at McKinley Lavender Farm today!

“In the Middle Ages, the laundress was called the lavender,” says Lorraine Kiefer, herbal expert and owner of Triple Oaks Nursery, in Franklinville, New Jersey. The name reflected the use of lavender to scent linen and laundry. “If you sprinkle lavender on your carpet or couch before vacuuming, it will be a beautiful lavender air freshener,” Lorraine adds. “If you sprinkle lavender oil on furniture, under cushions, or on carpets, it will rid your home of that doggy smell. And cats will refuse to sit in a spot sprayed with lavender oil.”

Here is a homespun lavender air freshener recipe based on one in the handwritten Hartel Family Receipt Book (1810) that you can still use today to keep your home smelling lovely. Dab this mixture on a cotton ball or a piece of cloth to scent drawers, closets, and rooms. You can adjust the quantities of herbs and spices in this mixture to your liking.

Make a Lavender Air Freshener

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LAVENDER AIR FRESHENER INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons lavender flowers
• 1/2 teaspoon mace
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pint spirits (rubbing alcohol)
• 2 teaspoons camphor oil*

Combine all the ingredients except the camphor oil and let the mixture stand in a glass jar (it may be covered, but leave it unsealed so the alcohol can evaporate) for 10 days in a moderately warm place. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and add the camphor oil, following the directions on the camphor packaging closely. Dip cotton balls and/or cloth into the mixture to make lovely sachets. When the sachets lose their scent, make up a new batch.

Lavender has even more uses, Lorraine notes. “Lavender is wonderful when added to a bath, too. Put some lavender into an old clean sock with some Epsom salts or baking soda and add to a tub of warm water for a wonderful bath.”

* Camphor oil is toxic in large doses. Always consult a dilution guide before using.

Have you ever made a homemade lavender air freshener?

Excerpt from 1,001 Old-Time Household Hints from Skyhorse Publishing. This post was first published in 2011 and has been updated. 

The scent of lavender has been proven to lift people’s spirits by fighting depression, can relax the mind after a grueling day, and can even help soothe body aches and pains. When used in our homes, lavender can enhance our moods and make life more enjoyable. There are many ways to use the power of lavender and incorporate that power into our daily lives. These gorgeous purple flowers can be dried and used either in stalk form or through the dried buds of its flowers. You can also purchase lavender essential oil for a highly concentrated source that will give a tremendous amount of aromatherapy with using only a few drops of the oil.

Dried lavender on the stalks can be used to create gorgeous wreaths or a dried flower arrangement. Wreaths with solid lavender all around make a dramatic purple accent to any room while adding a fragrant scent that lasts for months. If the stalks need refreshing, a little spray from an atomizer filled with lavender essential oil is the perfect solution.

If you either want to tone down the lavender scent in your wreath or don’t have a lot of purple in your décor, you can always use a few sprigs here and there to add a touch of purple and a hint of fragrance to your setting.

A dried flower arrangement is the perfect place to add lavender. Again, you can intensify the impact of the color and scent of this flower by filling a vase or basket with just lavender. A few stalks here and there can be used to add pizzazz to an existing arrangement. The bathroom and bedroom are great areas for dried lavender because, respectively, it hides odors and brings relaxation. This is why when you go to the spa or to a massage therapist they always use lavender to enhance the ambiance for their clients.

Essential oils are simply the scented components of the lavender flower that have been added to a liquid for easy application; this is usually oil, but can also be in an alcohol-based liquid such as cologne. Oils are wonderful because they hold the scent for a longer time when applied to the skin or to sachet or fabric. Dating back to ancient times, lavender has been used in soaps and laundry to soften skin and give fragrance to clothing. You can purchase essential oils from a perfumery shop, natural foods store, or online.

Here are some tips for adding the scent of dried lavender to anywhere in your home:

Moisten a cotton ball with a few drops of lavender oil and add it to your vacuum cleaner canister or bag. It will fill your entire home with its wonderful scent!

Spray or drop some essential oil onto a washcloth and throw it in with your laundry in the dryer.

Place a shallow dish filled with lavender buds next to your bed to help induce sleepiness at night.

Add a dried flower arrangement or wreath anywhere in your home where you want to enjoy the light, continuous fragrance of lavender.

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