How to Freshen Your Home with Lavender

Co-authored by Julie Brow-Polanco

Last Updated: September 26, 2023

Lavender is a light, pleasant scent. Freshening your home with this scent can help relax you and chase away other odors. You can freshen your home with lavender by making air fresheners or deodorizing sprays, placing sachets and potpourri, or using it when you vacuum. You can also purchase lavender scented items, like candles and room sprays.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Lavender Oil

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1
Make a reed diffuser. Reed diffusers use reed or bamboo skewers to spread aromas around the room. Buy a reed diffuser bottle and reeds or bamboo skewers. Place water in the reed diffuser bottle. Add two tablespoons of vodka and then lavender essential oil. Place 12 drops of oil in each ¼ cup (60 mL) of water. Mix together.
- Place the reeds into the essential oil mixture. Let it soak into the reeds. Then put the reeds upside down with the other end in the solution.
- Flip the reeds each week.
2
Make lavender scented deodorizing spray. Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with 12 drops of lavender essential oil in a bowl. Pour the baking soda mixture into an empty spray bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water. Shake to mix together.
- Spray around your house to deodorize and give your house a pleasant lavender smell.
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3
Make lavender gel air fresheners. Gather lavender essential oil, powdered gelatin, salt, food coloring, and heat proof jars. Boil one cup (240 mL) of water on the stove. Pour one ounce (28 g) of gelatin in the boiling water and mix together until it dissolves. Add one tablespoon of salt (14 g) and one cup (240 mL) of cold water to the mixture and stir. Take off the heat.
- Put 12 to 20 drops of lavender essential oil in the jar. Then, add any food coloring. Purple is a common color for lavender-scented items.
- Pour the hot gelatin mixture into the jar. Stir until mixed together. Let it cool uncovered.
- This gel air freshener should last around a month before it starts to mold.
4
Sprinkle your mattress with a lavender mixture. Lavender is soothing and can help you sleep. Plus it smells great. You can mix a baking soda and lavender oil mixture to place on your mattress. Mix ½ cup (114 g) of baking soda with 12 drops of lavender oil. Sprinkle this on the mattress and let it sit for a few hours.
- Vacuum up the powder before you put the sheets back on.
5
Make a lavender-scented carpet freshener. You can use lavender to freshen up your carpet when you vacuum. Try making a lavender-scented carpet powder by mixing 12 drops of lavender oil with ½ cup (114 g) of baking soda. Sprinkle this over your carpet an hour or so before vacuuming.
- You can also try adding lavender oil to cotton balls. Drop two to three cotton balls in the vacuum bag to spread the scent of lavender.
Make a room scent by dropping a few drops of lavender essential oil on the light bulbs in any room. Make sure to do this when the light is off. When you turn on the light bulb, it will heat the essential oil and disperse the scent.
Clothes that stay in drawers and closets can get musty and stale. To help with this, put lavender oil on cotton balls or sachets.^{[1]
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Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist

Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.} Place them in each of your drawers and in your closet. This will help freshen the clothes.
If you have a humidifier or diffuser, you can spread the scent of lavender through your home with it.^{[2]
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Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist

Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.} Drop up to 10 drops of lavender oil into the water. Turn it on and let it disperse the scent through the room.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Dried or Fresh Lavender

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1
Boil lavender on the stove to make room scents. Lavender water room scents can make your house smell fresher and like lavender. You can use dried lavender or lavender essential oil. Place water and the dried lavender or lavender oil in a pot. Bring the pot to a boil on the stove. Then lower the temperature so the mixture simmers. This will disperse the smell through your house.^{[3]
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- You can add other scents to the lavender, like lemon balm, vanilla extract, or thyme.
- Store the water in a jar in the refrigerator. You can usually heat two to three times before you need to toss them out.
- If the lavender scent isn’t strong enough, just add more lavender or more drops of the oil.
^{[4]
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Expert Source

Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist

Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.} If you have access to fresh lavender, you can set it around your home to freshen up and leave a pleasant smell. Place cut pieces of fresh lavender in bowls around the rooms in your home.
^{[5]
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Expert Source

Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist

Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.} Place dry lavender in small bags or scraps of cloth. Then, you can place these sachets around your home, including drawers and closets. If the smell of dry lavender isn’t strong enough, you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil.
4
Sprinkle lavender petals on carpet and furniture. About an hour before you vacuum, you can spread lavender flower buds around the carpet and on furniture. Let it sit and spread the fragrance. When you vacuum it up, you will leave behind the lavender smell.
- The lavender petals should be small enough to go into your vacuum. If not, sweep up the larger petals and vacuum the rest.
5
Make air freshener with dried lavender. You can also use dried lavender to make air freshener. Mix the same amount of dried lavender with baking soda in a jar. Shake it together. Then, place three drops of lavender oil into the mixture and shake. Add three drops at a time until you have added 24 drops.^{[6]
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- Place the jar uncovered in a room and enjoy the scent.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Buying Lavender Scented Products

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^{[7]
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Expert Source

Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist

Expert Interview. 12 April 2022.} Almost every candle company has a lavender scented candle. Many have candles that mix lavender with other scents. You can buy candles and set them out around your home. When you burn them, it will make your home smell like lavender.
Many companies sell lavender scented room spray. Some are deodorizing, while others are just supposed to add a pleasant aroma. Some sprays combine the smell of lavender with other scents. You can find these sprays at any store that sells room sprays.
Many major retailers also sell potpourri and sachet bags filled with lavender-scented potpourri. Some are made with dried lavender while others are made with lavender oil. You can place these bags around your house to give it a fresh smell.

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How do I use lavender oil as an air freshener?

Julie Brow-Polanco
Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist
Julie Brow-Polanco is a Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist with more than 11 years of experience. She is an expert on natural remedies and specializes in using them to support whole-body wellness, particularly immune, digestive, nervous, and reproductive health. Julie earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Dominican University, a Master Herbalist Certification from The School of Natural Healing, and a Certificate of Aromatherapy from the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy. Julie is a member of the American Herbalist Guild and a Certified Aromatherapist through the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy.

Julie Brow-Polanco

Master Herbalist & Certified Aromatherapist

Expert Answer

A diffuser is usually a great idea. Just add cold tap water in the container, until you reach the fill line, and add from 5 to 20 drops of lavender essential oil, depending on the size of the diffuser or the desired effect.

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