Disinfecting and Uplifting Herb Blends for Quarantine

Previously I shared a disinfecting herbal cleaning spray you can make with herbs, but I also like herb scents in the house and I thought maybe I could use a combination of herbs to scent the house and disinfect the air around me. 

For more information on any of the herbs discussed in this post, I suggest looking at our A to Z Herbs page which features links to learning posts containing details of all the herbs here as well as others we have posted on previously.

Disinfecting Herbs

You need a selection of herbs that have disinfecting properties and fresh herbs are best.  I got all of these in the produce department of my fruit market.  Your grocery should have at least a few of these.  You can use whatever you can get.  It is still Winter here, okay Spring, but the plants have done nothing yet, so I could not harvest from the garden.

I did use a combination of fresh and dry herbs, as finding fresh lavender in winter is almost impossible, but the scent from even dry lavender is still nice and aromatic.

Disinfecting Herb Bundles

Lavender

Thyme

Sage

Mint

Rosemary

Dill

Take a sprig or two and bundle them together with a rubber band.  Hang the herbs and allow then to air dry.  The scent will waft through the air adding disinfecting properties.

I started with the lavender that was dry giving stiffness and the thyme which has very small stems. 

I added in the rosemary whose woody stem gave support to the mint, sage and dill I added to finish each bundle.

I placed the bundles on a hanger so I could just hang it in the office or from the hall railing to let the scent spread.

Uplifting Herbs

Sometimes when cooped up in quarantine you want to lift your mood.  The seriousness of all this pandemic discussion can make it hard to be optimistic. So the scent of uplifting herbs can make all the difference.

This blend of herbs focuses on citrus and its uplifting effect on the mind. I was able to find my favorite black stem peppermint and used dried lemongrass and dried roses.

For this bundle I cut the peel off a grapefruit in long strips.  Since I am not eating it, it did not matter if I cut into the pith (white part) under the skin (which is bitter) so I could make sure I got a couple nice long pieces. That were strong enough to keep their shape during the drying process.

Uplifting Herb Bundles

Geranium

Rose

Lemon

Peppermint

Rosemary

Grapefruit

Then using a rubber band bundle the herbs together into a decorative presentation.  Tie with pretty ribbon or raffia and hang in a nice prominent place to allow the scents to spread through the room.  Someplace where you will touch or bump the bundle is even better.

I used dried lemon grass, because the bulb is available in winter, but the fronds are not. I had some long pieces, so I pulled them up from the bottom to make a loop on each side to become the base for my bundle.

Then I added the herbs.  The geranium are my scented geraniums which I bring in every winter.  The stems are thin and soft from the lack of light so a base to place them on really helps then hang better.

I added the rosemary, mint, and some oregano (which is a wonderful germ fighter.) The dried roses just did not look right so I did not end up using them, but you can get a rose or two from the floral shop and add great color to this bundle. I had some fun with the grapefruit peel wrapping it in and around the other herbs.

I think I like my second bundle better than my first. One I hung on the back door, so every time we slide the door the scent is released.  The other I hung in my new home office (this is a work from home quarantine you know.)

As these bundles dry the scent will be released and act on my environment and they will be nice decorations in my home, even as the scent fades during the hot summer months.

No one said we had to have a stuffy house if we were quarantined, so grab some fresh or dried herbs and freshen your space!