The Royal Treatment For Your Bed
As seen on the Sonoran Living program.

Here are a few easy and luxurious ways to pamper yourself and your loved ones at bedtime. There is nothing quite like getting into a nice fresh bed. Here are a few things you can do that will make your bed almost as fresh as when you get into bed just after the sheets have been washed and warmed in the dryer.

Silky Lavender Linen Powder

This recipe calls for a fine clay powder, but you can substitute and use all cornstarch instead of the clay if you like. Lavender is a nice essential oil to use on our bed because it relaxes and calms the nerves. Also, it has quite an impressive ability to fight germs!

When you are making up your bed, sprinkle the powder lightly over the bottom sheet. The powder dusting will show if you have dark sheets, but usually by the next morning the powder seems to disappear or get lighter. When you slide into bed, you will notice the sheets feel extra silky and smooth.

Ingredients:

½ cup	corn starch
3/8 cup	fine white cosmetic clay* (or use more cornstarch)
1/8 cup	baking soda
1 tsp	lavender essential oil

Bottles with shaker holes such as a spice bottle or a “dusting” shaker for cooking like what is used for powdered sugar dusting – make sure the bottle has a tight fitting lid.
Labels.

* Fine white clay can be found at most good herb stores (such as Desert Sage in Chandler or The Herb Stop in Phoenix).

** One teaspoon equals about 100 drops.

Method:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl, adding the essential oil last. Mix briefly with a whisk. Put powder in a sifter to blend the essential oils into the powder quickly, or spend some time blending it well with your fingers and/or whisk until well blended. This may take five or more minutes, so have a seat and relax while doing it!

Pour into shaker bottles and label.

To Use:

Lightly dust the bottom bed sheet before the bed is made up. Store powder with lid closed.

Lavender Rose Mist

This mist is perfect for the bed and pillows. The lavender is calming and relaxing and the rose is a classic scent for love. What a nice combination to go to bed with. This mist may also be used as a room spray.

Ingredients:

3 oz	filtered water
1 oz	rose water (find at a Middle Eastern grocery or possibly at an herb store)
40-50 drops	lavender essential oil

4 oz bottle with fine mist sprayer.
Labels.

Method:
Put all ingredients into 4 oz bottle and shake well. Label.

To Use:

Spray pillows and bed before retiring for the evening. May also be sprayed throughout the house as a room mist.

Lavender Dryer Sheets

Wow, these are great! Instead of using those synthetically scented dryer sheets, make your own scent with pure essential oils. Your sheets (and clothes) will smell wonderful after this treatment.

My dear friend Sherry says that just before she puts on new bed sheets, if she is pulling clean ones out of the closet, she will first throw them into the dryer with another dryer sheet for about 10 minutes. This makes them “just washed fresh” and free from folded creases, too!

Ingredients:
Base essential oil blend:

	½ part lavender essential oil
	½ part benzoin essential oil * (absolute resin)
	small dropper bottle

Unscented dryer sheets (I use Bounce Free but any good quality brand will do).
Airtight container to store scented dryer sheets.

* Though not absolutely necessary, using benzoin with the lavender will help “hold” the sent in the fabric for it is a “fixative”.

Method:
Make base essential oil by mixing the two oils in equal amounts into a small dropper bottle. Shake well. Label.

Take 10 - 15 dryer sheets out of the box and put 4 –5 drops of essential oil base on each one. Put into an airtight container that you can easily get your hand into to take one out at a time as needed for the dryer.

To Use:

Use as you would a normal dryer sheet. The airtight container will help hold the scent in the dryer sheets instead of just dissipating out into the room and leaving the dryer sheet less scented. Leave the additional essential oil base that you have left with the unscented dryer sheets to easily make more are you need them.

Enjoy!