Tuesday, April 13, 2010

so fresh, so clean

I had a bomb dropped on me last week, friends.
Come June 1st: I'm being laid off. A pretty stale piece of news but --in this uncertain economy-- not all that uncommon, I'm afraid. At least I've got this place and some lovely spring weather to keep me occupied during my limbo. That's my best attempt at a silver lining for now, anyway.

Since I've been a little down in the dumps, I've abandoned my kitchen almost entirely. I have been doing quite a bit of cleaning, though. I'm no neat freak but, sometimes giving the abode a good clean is a great de-stressor and makes me feel accomplished-- how about you?


 As I cleaned, I successfully tested some DIY linen water that I'd been dying to make since I'd seen it in last summer's issue of GreenCraft. I think this would be a quick and useful project for those of you in the midst of spring cleaning.

Linen water is a great way to keep your home smelling fresh-- without any harsh chemicals or over-bearing scents. More importantly, you can make your own with simple ingredients and recycle a used spray bottle in the process. Its great for spritzing anywhere that could use a bit of freshening: bed sheets, blankets, curtains, gym bags, upholstered furniture, carpet & rugs, pet areas, laundry hampers or even in your car. Just be sure that the components of the linen water won't alter or damage your fabric before using.




DIY Linen Water


{from GreenCraft Magazine, Summer 2009}

Materials:
  • 2 1/2 cups mineral water
  • 5 ml. essential oil of your choice
  • 1/8 cup vodka
  • a used spray bottle, washed and dried
  • printable labels (optional)
1. Combine the vodka and essential oil.

2. Add mineral water to the vodka-oil mixture, and pour into a clean spray bottle.

3. Spritz at will!


I recommend citrus fruits for your essential oil (lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc.) because they exude a freshness that I just love but, if there is another scent you'd prefer, go for it.

Also, I made some labels for mine on printer-friendly sticker sheets. Creature Comforts has a variety of cute *free* options right here, for personal use only please.

Now that I think about it, you could even dress this project up as part of a gift basket for a thoughtful housewarming gift or maybe a simple Mother's Day present. Give the gift of freshness :-)
x

3 comments:

  1. vodka is for drinking lol sorry to hear about your job. I am sure that you will bounce in to a new one in no time. - Linda

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  2. ha! I can't drink vodka anymore so I gotta find some way to use it up :) thank you Linda

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  3. Hi! I'm loving your blog! Okay..I've got the vodka covered. ;) but, silly question..what kind of mineral water did you use? Like Pellegrino??

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