Deodorants, Colognes are Perfumes all great and every man should have at least one of each, however one man's journey into the world of scents should definitely not stop there.
I know how most of us guys dislike ironing tremendously, but nothing beats a crisp freshly washed and ironed shirt or set of bed linens. If you think only your mom or the dry cleaner hold the secrets to these you couldn't be more wrong.
Linen Water
Since ancient times, people have used plants like lavender, rosemary, tansy for imparting their homes and clothes with a fresh scent. They freshened their linens by placing fragrant sachets, herbs, and flowers in drawers and closets and fragrance was brought into the homes by hanging garlands of lavender and mint.
With just a simple recipe you can freshen up your clothes and linens, and if you are not very sensitive to essential oils, you can even be used to freshen and uplift your home.
If you ask yourself what do I do with this linen water, the answer is simple. After taking your clothes or linen out from the dryer just spray some onto them and iron as per usual. The heat will not only set the fragrance in but also make ironing a more pleasurable activity.
While the proportions are not set in stone, linen water is made out of three main ingredients: water, alcohol and one or more essential oils (definitely experiment combinations of two or more if you're more adventurous)
Here's a list of the common Essential Oils that can be used in Linen Water (courtesy of Wikipedia)
As you can see, the choices are quite varied and opposed to most recipes that you can find online, which use Lavender, I like fragrances that are a little more spicy and strong. My favourite oils that I use in linen water are: allspice, almond, nutmeg oil, cedar(masks the smell of wool from adult moths), peppermint (especially for linens) and Rose (shirts)
BEST retailer for essential oils is Snow Drift Farms; they even offer free samples for all of their essential oils
Linen Water 1
2 1/2 cups mineral water
5 ml essential oils, of your own choice (approx 100 drops)
1/8 cup vodka
- add the essential oil to the alcohol then mix with the water
- use in a spray bottle for best results
2/3 cup mineral water
1/4 cup (50 ml) alcohol
1 1/2 ml (30 drops) lavender true essential oils
1 ml (20 drops) palmarosa essential oil
1/2 ml (10 drops ) rosewood essential oil
- same as Linen Water 1
1 teaspoon (100 drops) Bulgarian lavender essential oil
6 oz. cyclomethicone (a mixture of Cyclopentasiloxane & Cyclohexasiloxane; dries very quickly; does not stain)
Pour essential oils and cyclomethicone into a bottle, cap and shake. Spray on dry linens before ironing or use as a fabric freshener (no need to iron and makes for a much better alternative to Febreze).
4 tbsp. of fresh rosemary
2 cups of water
- chop the rosemary and place it in a saucepan with the water.
- bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes
- allow to cool and strain. discard the rosemary leaves.
- add water up to 2 cups and decant into a large spray bottle.
- works the same way with fresh rose and jasmine flowers or other herbs
Tips:
- use distilled water as tap water contains chlorine which destroys the essential oils
- inexpensive vodka works the same as more expensive one; go for the highest proof
- linen water works best for cotton garments and linens. If you would like to use it on any synthetics, make sure to test it for stains on an inconspicuous part first.
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