Recipe 2: Clothing Spray
For fabric, you want alcohol as your base. Oil disperses more evenly through alcohol than water, and the alcohol evaporates leaving the oil behind in the fibers.
Makes 2 oz. Use on clothing, socks, shoes. Reapply after washing.
Ingredients
- 2 oz grain alcohol (Everclear) or isopropyl if that's what you have
- 15 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
- 10 drops geranium essential oil
- 5 drops garlic essential oil
How to make it
- Add essential oils to the bottle first.
- Fill with alcohol.
- Shake well and let sit a few minutes before spraying.
- Spray on pants, socks, shoes, hat brim.
- Test a hidden spot on light fabric first, some oils will stain.
The garlic smell is strong right after spraying. It fades within a few minutes once the alcohol evaporates. It does not linger on you the way garlic from food does.
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Why Grain Alcohol Over Isopropyl
Grain alcohol is about 95% alcohol versus isopropyl's 70%, so the oils disperse more completely through it and evaporate more cleanly, leaving a more even oil residue on the fabric. Isopropyl works fine if that's what you have on hand, but grain alcohol gives slightly better coverage.