Ridiculously Easy DIY Eucalyptus Linen Spray
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Remember that time I had unreasonable zero waste guilt over buying eucalyptus in a plastic sleeve? I’m not done giving that story a positive spin and giving you ways to upcycle your eucalyptus floral arrangements before you compost them.
What can I say, I’m a turn-lemons-to-limoncello sorta lady. (Cheers, y’all!)
Or in this case a turn-your-eucalyptus-into-a-compostable-wreath-and-then-linen-spray sorta lady.
Linen spray? You ask, skeptically. Linen spray, I say emphatically.
Trust me on this one. Eucalyptus linen spray is that missing piece of your bedtime routine you didn’t know you needed. It’s like a spa, if sleeping so hard you drool on yourself wasn’t generally frowned upon in most spas.
It’s not in the pictures, but I’ve labeled mine “Treat Yoself To Some Eucalyptus Linen Spray”. You deserve this.
Ok but wait, how did we get here? Look, I’m a workaholic. Frankly, that means I historically have had a terrible time sleeping. (More on my conscious adoption of slow-living rituals soon.) And the down side to line drying your clothes is that they smell first like the outdoors (which I do love) but then lose that scent quickly.
And one of the things eucalyptus for sure has going for it is a strong scent. I love eucalyptus because of its color, the shape of the leaves, but most of all for the scent. Eucalyptus oil is reported to have health benefits ranging from treating muscle soreness and sinus congestion to healing cold sores and reducing asthma symptoms, but what interests me most is the links between eucalyptus and stress reduction.
After I made my Compostable DIY Eucalyptus Wreath, I joked to a friend that I wanted to belly flop into a giant bed of eucalyptus.
And then I froze and thought, BUT WAIT. COULDN’T I?! Yes, yes I could. And so can you, dear friend. Go on and live that best life.
Easy DIY Eucalyptus Linen Spray
What You’ll Need For Eucalyptus Linen Spray
Two small mason jars with lids
Rubbing alcohol (vodka is allegedly an alternative but I think it just smells like someone spilled a cheap cocktail in your bed)
Sprigs of fresh eucalyptus
Kitchen sieve or cheesecloth
Scissors (optional)
How To Make Eucalyptus Linen Spray
Reese’s Notes- Two things to know about your eucalyptus: 1) it is sticky AF so you may want to wear gloves or use scissors, but you’ll want to wash those scissors quite thoroughly before storing and 2) your linen spray is going to start out clear and then turn a rich amber color. This is normal. It has NOT stained my sheets, but remember the goal is to mist the air a couple feet OVER your sheets, not blast them directly.
Strip leaves from stems. Compost the stems (or throw behind a bush to decompose).
Tear or snip leaves into fine pieces. This step allows the leaves to release all that eucalyptus goodness into your final eucalyptus linen spray. If you’re really feeling spunky, you can even bruise or muddle the leaves in the jar to extract even more essence from your leaves.
Put torn eucalyptus leaves into your mason jar (I ended up packing that jar as full as I could get it - I used about a tightly packed cup for mine). Fill with water until the bottom of the rim, as pictured below.
Top with several tablespoons of rubbing alcohol. This will both help your spray evaporate quickly and will keep any bacteria and mold at bay. How much rubbing alcohol you add does not have to be an exact science, but I like to add about 4 tablespoons.
Shake vigorously and let infuse for 3 days out of direct sunlight.
Strain eucalyptus linen spray into other mason through kitchen sieve to remove leaves. Compost leaves. This mason jar is likely where you’ll store your additional eucalyptus linen spray until you need to refill your spray bottle.
Fill spray bottle with strained eucalyptus spray using your kitchen funnel to prevent spillage.
Liberally air over linens, sheets, and pillows as desired.
Enjoy the best sleep of your life.
I’m so addicted to my eucalyptus linen spray. I don’t know if it’s the therapeutic effects of eucalyptus on stress or the effect of clearing your sinus passages but I do know that spritzing my linen spray over my bed before face planting in my pillow is one of the best parts of my day. It’s cheaper than a spa treatment, it’s natural, it’s an easy way to stretch the life of your floral arrangements.
Remember folks: refuse, reduce, recycle, and reuse!
Looking for more easy ways to use up your eucalyptus before tossing it in the compost? Going Zero Waste has a beautiful post on the benefits of an aromatic shower with eucalyptus.