How to Distill Lavender Water at Home

The distinctive scent of lavender helps repel moths when used in closets.

The fresh, clean scent of lavender flowers has been popular throughout the centuries as an aromatic perfume, as a mild antiseptic and as a home deodorizer. Distilled lavender water is gentle but pungent, and can be used to spray on linens, as a hair rinse, to scent bath water or even in cooking. It's best to distill lavender water using fresh flowers, but dried flowers can still produce good results if you allow the flower to "brew" for a longer time.

Things You'll Need

• Lavender flowers
• Ceramic bowl
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 2 cups distilled water
• Amber-colored glass bottle with stopper
• Funnel

Instructions

1. Crush the lavender flowers in your hand to help release the essential oils; then place in a bowl.

2. Add about a 1/2 cup of vodka to the bowl.

3. Add 2 cups of distilled water to the bowl. Mix with your hand.

4. Pour the mixture, flowers and all, into the amber-colored bottle, using the funnel.

5. Cap the bottle and shake well to mix.

6. Place the bottle in a dark area, such as a closet, for two to three weeks. Shake the bottle a few times per day to keep the mixture from seperating.

7. Remove the bottle and use lavender water as desired.

References

• The Jane Austen Centre: English Lavender Water
• Botanicals.com: Lavenders

Resources

• The Household Cyclopedia of General Information; Lavender Water Recipe; 1881