A Basic DIY Linen Spray Recipe + How To Customize It For Your Mood

Scented linen sprays can be useful for refreshing clothes between launderings, masking odors on cloth furniture, and reviving stale air. And considering they're basically just shelf-stable water that smells good, they're super easy to DIY.

While you can absolutely buy a premade linen spray, you'll want to be mindful of its ingredients.

Scented sprays can bring potentially harmful compounds like benzene1, formaldehyde2, toluene, m,p-xylene1, and phthalates into your home, so if you are going with store-bought, read the brand's materials carefully and look for transparent blends that explain what ingredients are being used and why. For example, many brands list essential oils' specific compounds, so you can better identify any potential irritant—this is a good thing and can help users understand if the product is right for them.

Making your own blend is a good way to ensure you're avoiding ingredients you don't feel comfortable with and not accidentally spraying your home up and down with something that could disrupt hormones or aggravate allergies.

If you prefer an alcohol-free recipe, you can ditch the vodka and witch hazel and just use essential oils and water.

Now for the fun part: crafting your scent! The sky's really the limit here, and you can stick with one or two essential oils or experiment with a more elaborate, layered blend.

The one caveat is that since this spray will be coming in contact with your skin, essential oil authority and founder of Osmia Organics Sarah Villafranco recommends avoiding oils that are minty (spearmint, peppermint) or hot (cinnamon, thyme), as they may cause irritation.

"The best oils for cleaning and refreshing—without staining fabric—are lavender and lemon," says Cohen. "Both have antibacterial, disinfecting properties and clean and refreshing smells. Lemon can also be a powerful stain remover."

Villafranco says that this is the blend she's used the most over the years, and it was on heavy rotation at bedtime when her kids were little. Lavender's relaxing qualities are well known, and cedrol, a compound in cedar essential oils, has also had calming effects6 in animal trials.

When spraying clothes or fabrics, you'll want to use essential oils that are light in color.

Your headboard, sheets, body towels, soft furnishings, and clothing are all fair game with a DIY linen spray—but Villafranco recommends spraying with a gentle touch and avoiding the parts of clothes that brush up against sensitive skin areas and could cause aggravation. Avoid those collars and hoods!

Pillow and linen sprays are popular products produced by both beauty and home-care brands alike. These little numbers can be used in a variety of ways, including in your shower, prior to meditation, or to set the mood for restorative rest. Many natural and clean brands make delightful formulas that use responsible ingredients that you can feel comfortable with.

When shopping for one, the first step is to look at the fragrance ingredients (typically essential oils). Of course, avoid any notes that cause you irritation—for example some love florals, while others find them too pungent. From there, you can check out the other ingredients used; these are things like emulsifiers and preservatives. There are many good options on the market, like sodium benzoate, citric acid, and potassium sorbate for preservatives and Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate and Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate for emulsifiers. (Don't let the long names scare you!) Finally, many brands also list out the essential oil compounds, per new regulations in some states; these are things like linalool and benzyl alcohol.