When I shared my “secret” for making my house smell nice, I received several requests here and on Instagram to share the exact lavender products I use. Well, I aim to please, so here are the products I use in our home…
Actually, before I show you the specific products, I’m going to make a request. I have learned that, for some reason, discussions about cleaning products can get heated. This is just one of those things that you learn after 10 years of blogging! I think the reason is how we chose the products we use for cleaning, laundry, and bathing can be heavily informed by our convictions about the environment and health. If someone is using a product we feel is wrong or bad for general health or the environment, we can get opinionated and verbal about it, because it doesn’t align with something that important to us.
So, let me just say that I get that, but I’m asking you to give me the benefit of the doubt here. I’m not trying to make any statements about health or the environment. I’m just using products I like because of how they perform and how they smell. I’ve used many different lavender products over the years and I’m sure I will try many new ones that I find along the way, but these are my favorites at the moment. I have comments section, though, so you can share the products you like and why you like them, but do it kindly.
I actually laughed as I was writing that disclaimer because it feels a little silly, but I’ve had my comment section blow up before over cleaning products!
So, here we go…
For cleaning, I mostly use Mrs. Meyers Lavender products. I use the glass cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, and surface scrub. I usually order these products from Grove Collaborative or Amazon.
I also use Mrs. Meyers Lavender Dish Soap for washing dishes…
…and for making a soapy water mix. I fill the bottle to the top with water and then add about a tablespoon of dish soap. I use this mix to clean my Hanstone Quartz kitchen counters.
I use Young Living Lavender Essential Oils in the water of my steam mop (I have the old version of THIS ONE), so the room smells nice and fresh after being mopped and not like wet, dirty steam mop. Just a few drops added to the water will do it.
I also put a few drops of this lavender oil in a dispenser filled with baby oil to wash oil paint off my hands. I don’t diffuse oils a lot, but I will diffuse lavender oil sometimes or put a drop of it here and there to make something smell nice.
For laundry, I use Lavender Gain. I have a bottle of Mrs. Meyers Lavender Detergent as well to use on more delicate clothing or for when my mom visits since she’s sensitive to scents.
I also add a small palmful of Down Unstopables in Lavender (actually, I just realized this one says “Lush”, but I usually get the lavender one)…
And I get this lavender fabric softener from Costco…
I also use lavender dryer sheets, but I took them out of the box, so I don’t remember which brand it is!
I have to admit that I love great-smelling laundry. My mom has always been sensitive to scents, so we had unscented everything growing up and I think this is the rebellion against that! My laundry will have a scent!! (Except when my mom is visiting.)
For hand soap, I absolutely love Grove Collaborative’s Lavender & Thyme handsoap. It has the best smell, especially for a kitchen sink, but I use it everywhere.
I also have a bottle of in each bathroom. It took a while for my boys to understand that this was a room freshener, not a cleaner for their sinks!
And, for personal use, Jeff and I are both hooked on . It’s great for sore muscles and makes your skin so soft.
…and we use …
Just as I was writing this post, I thought of one more thing! Jeff gets dried, cracked hands in the winter, so he uses lavender-scented No-Crack Hand Cream.
And, I use lavender sachets in my wardrobe…
In our last house, I even had lavender planted on either side of the steps and you would brush past them as you approached the front door. I would clip them before the blooms started to fade and dried them out to use in sachets and give as gifts.
You would think with lavender on lavender on lavender that the smell of lavender would bowl you over as soon as you walk in the door, but it really doesn’t. It’s just a subtle clean scent that most people probably don’t even notice. But it’s my favorite scent and I notice when I pull the warm clothes out of the dryer or as I’m making the bed, cleaning the bathrooms, soaking in the bath, or washing the dishes. It makes all of those necessary tasks a little more enjoyable.
To me, lavender smells like home.
I once worked at a greenhouse that grew lavender to sell as potted plants. Every once in a while the Lavender needed haircuts. The smell was lovely and just like you say – clean smelling.
What a lovely idea to keep a cohesive scent through your product choices.
I live in England so a lot of those products are not available in the UK but I will be visiting my new grandson in Wisconsin soon and may be able to pick a few up then.
Thank you for the article x
Method make a lavender cleaning spray in the UK. If you have one near, a TK Maxx or Homesense usually have lavender scented things for cleaning or body and you can pick some things up quite cheap. Lavender scented candles too.
I love the smell of lavender too. I’ve heard that a drop of lavender essential oil in mascara can be good, but it might change the consistency so don’t test it on an expensive brand!
I use the Method Lavender glass cleaner, it is cheap and smells divine
I get several of these products from Grove which does ship to the U.K. and I believe Dr. Teal’s products are available online for international shipping, although I would think that similar products would be available in the U.K.
Lavender is my favorite scent, also, and I have used the Young Living Lavender oil now for many, many years. Because I, like your mom, can’t handle strong fragrances, I use Dr. Bronners Hemp Lavender Pure‑Castile Liquid Soap for cleaning, and I also dilute it and put it in foaming pumps for hand soap. It has a lovely scent without being too strong. I also put a couple of drops of the lavender essential oil on my vacuum cleaner bag to make the house smell nice when vacuuming.
Thanks for sharing. It’s a delicious scent and always welcome in my home. I use several of Mrs Meyers products, my husband likes the dish soap ( maybe a little too much ) it disappears kinda fast. You could add lavender essential oil to (no name) large containers of Epsom salts with the same results and a lot less $$.
Marilla, thank you for sharing. I love the smell of lavender, but because I have allergic asthma, strong scents can really cause me distress. I never thought about lavender being a potential problem until I was gifted a (fancy, expensive) pump type hand soap. I have used the lavender un-stoppables with no problem. I’ll look for the Dr. Bronners soap.
I do all of the lavender things, too. They say that our smell sense has the best memory, so I am hoping that when my grandchildren smell lavender, it will bring them good thoughts and memories of their grandparents’ house.
I too am tickled over your disclaimer, not that you wrote it BUT because people really do have moral
“How do you dos” over cleaning products!!!! I also use the Gain lavender! Thank you for sharing your
Other products. I am a little relieved you didn’t mention the wool dryer balls. As hard as I have tried to use them, they just don’t work for me. I could submerge them in essential oils and they still just smell like wet wool to me, and I always feel like I’m chasing them about?. But I do acknowledge they work wonderfully for others!!!
I didn’t know about the Gain, but i will now, thank y’all.
I also love lavender, although I only use scented things made with actual plants and not artificial scents. I’m very sensitive to smells too, and I think it’s nice that you change it up for your mom’s visits.
I would add that if you haven’t read up on Gary Young, you might do your research and make sure you feel comfortable with his company. I love oils, but I do not support his brand.
I think you hit that tone perfectly Amanda. A positive way of disagreeing and providing info, just the way it was called for.
Thank you, Victoria!
Donald Gary Young is dead and therefore no longer owns the company.
Yep, I can understand that. I have some dear friends who sell YLO and they are the ones I support.
The Wikipedia article was quite interesting. Thank you, Amanda.
Thanks for sharing! I really appreciate you taking the time to do this. I was one of the people asking about your cleaning products/routine previously. I know your home smells lovely. I think I’ve seen some of these products but wasn’t sure how they worked. Now I will try them. Do you use both together – the liquid fabric softener & dryer sheets? Thanks for everything you do!
Yes, I use the fabric softener in the wash and the dryer sheets in the dryer.
I love all things lavender as well and I would like to try some of the products you have featured. I do use Gain lavender detergent and have found no other brands I like better. I also love the idea of putting some lavender oil in a steam mop for a bit of freshness.
One lavender product I use is Scentsy fresh lavender in my bathrooms. I have tried many of their scents and this by far is my favorite. It smells fresh, clean and light.
Just a quick note that essential oils can be harmful for pets, so it is good to do some research before using them in a cleaning routine.
I’m not at all an expert, but my quick search indicates that lavendar oil is okay for dogs but toxic for cats.
I grow lavender profusely in my garden, use it all over the house for cleaning and scent purposes and I have four cats that live inside and outside of my house. While lavender may be toxic for cats, mine have never tried to ingest it in any way. I use lavender essential oil as well and they have never come to any harm because of it.
It is just my experience for what it is worth. Cats do not seem to be interested in it.
I love all your recommendations/ideas as I am also a lavender fan. The only exception to your list would be that instead of dryer sheets, I use woolen dryer balls, yes that’s what they are called, a littler bigger than a tennis ball and you can buy them in Amazon. They have no fragrance, although I suppose a few drops of oil would work, are organic and the agitation of the balls in the dryer keep the clothes from tangling. I occasionally pull a woolen ball out of a sleeve and have a good laugh. They are better for the environment than dryer sheets and are certainly more fun, especially when you are chasing them around the floor, haha. They also will last forever. I consider them a major find and have been using them for years.
I love my wool dryer balls! They last a long time, I think I have been using mine for at least 3 years.
Thank you! I was one who asked for this info, too.
What a great post! Thanks, Marian. Do you have any recommendations on what to use on upholstery…like my couch? I do not have slipcovers, and want to make it smell great. Thank you for any help. Deb
I have the same question, Deborah!
I do not have any lavender-scented products, but dousing the sofa in baking soda, letting it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuuming it up helps with freshness.
Thanks for sharing these! I’ve been looking forward to adding some of these to my home!
I love the Mrs Meyers products. I order mine from their web page. I use both the dish soap and all purpose cleaner and vary the scents by season.
Lilac is my all time favorite for spring and summer and I like the apple cider and also the orange clove for winter and fall. Their basil room freshener is also
very nice. I do use diffusers in a couple rooms and enjoy lavender and various citrus essential oils.
I have been using nog diffusers for almost ten years and couldn’t imagine life without them.
So funny your husband and boys use lavender too! I personally prefer unscented laundry (other than sheets/towels) because I like to wear scent and don’t want my clothing to clash with my perfume or lotion. My husband prefers for his clothing to not smell either LOL. I use alot of Mrs Meyers products and I do love the Dr. Teals epsom salts but I am not crazy over lavender. I love the eucalyptus/mint combo and peppermint is one of my favorite Mrs. Meyers scents! I also love her lilac and the honeysuckle.
I mail ordered Dr. Teals Body Wash. It is strong coming out of the bottle
but goes away. You will probably chuckle at this idea. I use the lavender
spray inside my garbage can and then inside the plastic bag liner. As you
know the lavender spray is very strong and does the trick.
Thank you for all of your ideas and suggestions. I hope that Gain comes
in the little pods which I find very convenient.
If you ever go to the South of France the fields of lavender are magnificent.
One more thing. Trader Joe’s sells lavender sachets in gigundo tea bag type
pkgs. I stuff one in my upright bag less cannister vacuum. I just fish
it out when I empty the container and reuse it. I also put a sachet in a
small cotton change purse and zip it closed and secure it with a safety pin and
keep it in my dryer. I don’t like to use dryer sheets especially with towels because I think it makes them less
absorbent.
I am currently in Avignon, France and just spent a small fortune on lavender and lavender products!!!!
I should consider layering it throughout my home as you do. Thanks for this post!
Love Mrs. Myers lavender!
No wonder nothing seems to faze you, Miss Mustard Seed! Lavender upon lavender upon lavender sounds like something I need for my own house….maybe it will have a calming effect on all the males in my house, ha! Thanks for all the products, I will try these out over the summer months now that school is out.
I recently found Dove hand soap (foaming) and body wash in lavender- divine!
I also use the lavender Scentsy additive for my wash.
It is divine!!
Lavender is such a wonderful clean scent!
Thanks for sharing!
I will definitely try the essential oil trick in my steam mop and my vacuum bags! With two cats and a dog, that vacuum can smell less than fresh!
On another note, as an aspiring oil painter, I am thoroughly enjoying your journey. I even went to a four day workshop in New Harmony Indiana that was beyond delightful!
Thank you for sharing these products. I found a few I can’t wait to try!
I truly love your blog. You cover so many amazing “home” areas … it is a pleasure to follow you. 🙂
I have made “sock balls” for my dryer out of old rolled up white socks. I have put drops of essential oil on them. When I was trying to rid my house of mice, I used a mint spray everywhere and now am hooked on the smell. I use vinegar in my washer rinse cycle and add a few drops to that. The whole laundry smells fantastic.
Add me to the list of people allergic to artificial fragrance and therefore in love with essential oils. Lavender EO and dried buds have so many uses around the home, I bring them out whenever possible.
Unfortunately, experts warn that essential oils are dangerous in the laundry room, because they present a fire hazard. Further details are available by searching the Aromaweb site.
Just a tip that you find helpful :
I use the plain Epsom salts and add my own lavender oil for bathing . I buy the plain Epsom salt at Costco & it is quite a bit LESS expensive than the one with lavender oil already in it .
This allows me to use a whole bag in my deep tub ❣️ Also …. the lavender salts have extra ingredients ?♀️ for some reason . So I like to go with the pure salt & pure oil .
Thanks for all the other great lavender ideas ?!
Lavender is my absolute favorite! I put it in my lotion bars, bath salts, rollerballs, cleaning products and I’ll put several drops on a cotton ball and stick in the vacuum to make the house smell amazing when I sweep.
I love this post and all the great suggestions. This week I had a plumber come out to install a garbage disposal. He told me to NEVER use those premixed plastic pods for dishwasher or washing machines. He said they never fully dissolve, and build up in the pipes eventually clogging them. He mentioned the scented dryer foam sheets which over time will rust the drum and also build up a strange coating inside the dryer interior. He related a story about himself developing a skin allergy, which he battled for several years. He finally went to a dermatologist; and the first thing the Dr. asked was, do you use commercial scented dryer sheets? If you do, stop using them immediately. and only soften your clothes in water! Then thoroughly clean the inside of your dryer with a mild soap and water mixture. Guess what, no more skin rashes! He says his wife sometimes soaks a dishcloth in a pail of water with scented oil, which she will put in the dryer with wet clothes or sheets. I asked him, where his next appointment was taking him and he mentioned another house in the rural area I live in. He said, I’m re-plumbing some of their lines after the septic company finishes. Those plastic pods like (Tide) just cost these poor folks around $ 22,000, for septic leach line failure! Wow! Who knew the catastrophe those plastic pods could wreak! Hope this cautionary note, helps anyone with skin rashes and septic systems.
Scented products in the home are issues for some of us. After an time when I suffered from near-anayphylactic giant hives, an allergist surmised that I was reacting to an unknown component in soaps and laundry products, possibly a scent ingredient or chemicals in drier sheets or fabric softeners. I no longer used scented laundry products, eliminated laundry softening products, and I have to watch when I use a new bath soap or skin product. I still have episodes of irritation but no longer serious reactions. (My family doctor had never seen anything like it and was contemplating an Epi-pen prescription at one point.)
It would be lovely to scent my clothes and linens with lavender.
I keep thinking about your last post on making your house smell good… and I so wish I could do the same in my house… but my husband can’t stand the smell of lavender! It’s so disheartening because I love lavender and am so limited to where I can actually use it!
But you’ve given me pause about how many different scents I tend to bring into our house, and so I shall be far more picky about what scent and how many of them from now on!
I’d like to add that while I can’t wear wool next to my skin and can’t stand the smell of wet wool, etc., the wool dryer balls don’t bother me one bit! They really don’t smell (at least the brand I have), and they do a great job of fluffing the laundry (and yes, sometimes one gets lost inside a small opening in the clothes). If you read at all about conventional dryer sheets or even liquid fabric softener, you will be unhappy with what you find out about their ingredients, their effects on the environment and potentially on our health, and even on what they do to the clothes you use them on (they lessen their ability to absorb and coat the fabric).
I had just gone without dryer sheets or other fabric softener after I learned about what they are made of, etc., but I decided to try the wool dryer balls, and we love them, even my husband! If you wear a lot of synthetics, you will still get some static, but in general, they do a great job at low cost and no harm.
My grandson insists on a little lavender oil on the bottoms of his feet some nights before bedtime when he’s extra tired. He says it makes him relax and sleep better. He’s four and a half!
My husband is a beekeeper and occasionally gets stung. He says lavender oil helps with the itching.
I’m going to try the Lavender Gain. I love for my laundry to have some kind of scent!
I have 2 bushels of lavender I would like to dry some of it to use in making my own sachets. Was wondering what is the best way to do that.
You are so correct about Mrs Meyers lavender products. I discovered Mrs Meyers products about 12 years ago. They changed my life. I couldn’t imagine going back to regular laundry detergent. The glorious smell of lavender on clean clothes, towels and linens just lifts one’s spirits. The window spray, dishwasher pods and hand soaps also add to the clean lavender scent of our home. I also now purchase all of these through Grove Collaborative who was introduced to me through your blog. Many Thanks!
Marian – added bonus? Lavender used – lotions, cleaners, candles, dryer sheets – whatever – around you when you are outside will keep the mosquitos away – much healthier way than putting chemicals on our skin.
I like your idea of cohesiveness scent in your home too – I have always loved lavender – maybe once I wittle down on alllll my stash of candles and sprays I will copy cat this – ty for sharing the wheres and how-tos.
I love the Mrs. Meyer’s products too…it does give me pleasure to stand back and smell how wonderful the room is after I clean! I buy the concentrate bottles of their cleaner…and mix my own counter top spray and all-purpose cleaner. My favorite scents are geranium and lavender. I order straight from Mrs. Meyer’s on-line.
I too love lavender! I actually have four more plants of it to put in the backyard and have a coupke near the front door. Thanks for this product list. We use that body soap as well. If you have a Trader Joes near you, try their lavender dryer bags. You can use them 5 to 10 times and they make everything smell so wonderful.
Love all the good ideas!
I make my own room spray by combining spring water, alcohol or vodka, and lavender essential oil in a spray bottle ( exact proportions can be found with a bit of Googling).
I use it to freshen up my shower curtain, towels, slip covers, bedding, purse linings, and my car interior. I would be cautious about using it around an open flame, just because of the alcohol.
I am also a convert to wool dryer balls, and love the Seventh Generation dish washing soap!
Love love love!! I use Grove Collaborative and YLO also. Lavender is my scent also. I would love to run through lavender fields!
I, too, enjoy the fresh scent of lavender through out my home. I have used several of the products you mention. I especially like lavender scented laundry products. Each year I harvest lots of lavender from my garden. I strip the dried flowers off the stems to make my own bath products for myself and to give as gifts. You can fine lots of recipes on line to make lavender talc-free dusting powder, soap, bath bombs, bath salts, foot soaks, wands, sachets, sleep pillows, room diffusers, etc . This year I made two lavender topiaries for my dining room table. First I sprayed two round Styrofoam balls with lavender paint, brushed tacky glue on them, then rolled them in a bowl of lavender flowers. Stuck green painted dowels in each one, and planted them in Styrofoam stuffed white-washed pots. I covered the Styrofoam with dried moss…so easy.
Thanks for the list. Just one add, I use Yardley English Lavender liquid soap in my bathroom. It has been around for years. A true pure lavender scent. You can still find it on Amazon.
Tell me why you use glass spray bottles rather than plastic.
Thanks.
I was looking for American Made household cleaners and learned about Meyers products. It’s good to know that so many people like them too!
Marian, I absolutely love Le Blanc dryer sachets! I order the verbena scent from amazon but it also comes in lavender. I’ve used these on my towels for years!
I love Mrs. Meyer’s products, but while I love the look and smell of fresh/dried lavender plants, I do not like the smell of the “fake” lavender in products. (And don’t get me started on the taste of lavender … yuck! LOL!) HOWEVER, that said, I absolutely LOVE Mrs. Meyer’s lemon verbena scent! I’m using many of those products in our home now. They make the house smell so fresh and clean!
I’m sorry that I’m late commenting, but I have something to add: Yardley English Lavender bar soap. I place the bars amongst my sheets and towels in the linen closet. Leaves a wonderful, long lasting scent in the closet and a lovely scent on linens.
I work at a Lavender farm in Ga. it has become my favorite scent as well as using for medicinal purposes.
I just tried the lavender scents. I LOVE the Meyer products. The dog didn’t like it some much when I washed his bed though ?