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Make a Lavender Air Freshener
by The Editors of Yankee Magazine
"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 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 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.
- 2 teaspoons lavender flowers
- ½ teaspoon mace
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon saffron
- ¼ 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
Excerpt from 1,001 Old-Time Household Hints—brought to you by Skyhorse Publishing
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