Archive for the 'Lavender' Category
Getting the laundry done for the week is something that I wait to do during the weekend. I try to buy clothes that do not wrinkle because I absolutely hate to iron. However, there are times when I am forced to iron some clothing; usually the cotton and rayon fabrics, which have a tendency to wrinkle. Since I don’t like to wear synthetic fabric, I opt for cottons and blends of fabrics which I can hang up right after pulling them out of the dryer and, hope that they will stay wrinkle-free. I am not always so lucky. So, I end up ironing some outfits once per month or maybe every five to six weeks. Instead of using chemical sprays to freshen my clothing, I make my own lavender water and spritz it onto my clothes immediately before ironing.
Randall Koll,author of the book, The Organized Home: Design Solutions for Clutter-Free Living, (Quarry Books), advises, “The lavender water lifts our spirits and gives us a moment of quiet reflection in today’s chaotic world.” He is so right – my world is so chaotic, that it actually takes me several hours to clear my mind and realize that I am away from the world of work after I return home for the weekend. Also, a Japanese study found that the linalool in the scent of this pleasant herb actually prompts the body to produce calming compounds.
To make your own lavender linen water, steep two handfuls of dieid lavender in 2 cups of boiling water and strain into a bottle. Apply before ironing. I do this because it makes the grueling process of ironing much more bearable and I love to have wonderful smelling clothes; it is not only soothing, but it is organic and very inexpensive.
Oh, one more thing; you should hang cedar wood in your laundry room as well as in your clothes closets. Cedar keeps textile-damaging moths and other insects away. You can also spray your laundry room periodically with cedar spray.
Be Aware – Use Laundry Fresheners with Care! Choose Lavender & Essential Oils Instead
Before you use air fresheners, please read this article. Scented home-care products emit a variety of dangerous compounds, according to a University of Washington study. Environmentalist engineer Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D., reviewed 25 popular air fresheners, laundry detergents and other scented products and found that each emits an average of 17 chemicals; 25 per cent of which have been determined to be toxic or hazardous under federal law.
Dr. Steinemann has announced that “none of the chemicals were listed on product labels.” And, since these products (unlike personal care products) aren’t required to list ingredients, Steinemann analyzed them herself. “Be careful if you buy products with fragrance because there’s no way to know what’s in them,” she warns.
A good alternative is to use essential oils. To scent the air, refresh a potpourri with your favorite aroma or use a small diffuser. For laundry, dampen a washcloth, add a few drops of essential oil and toss into the dryer. I use incense to freshen my house. Oil diffusers are good too, and safer, because you don’t have to use a flame for fear of fire. For my laundry, in my dryer, I have been using lavender
and bergamot essential oils and my clothes come out of the dryer smelling fresh and clean. Thank you Dr. Steinemann. It’s what we don’t know that can harm us.