Lavender Vanilla Mint Coop Refresh Spray for your Coop and Home

Recently I was inspired by an Herbal Coop Freshening Spray shared by Jennifer at 1840 Farm.  I set out to try her recipe but couldn't find any Lavender Dawn dish detergent, so I ended up improvising and creating my own recipe for a pleasant smelling spray that could be used in between cleanings to keep our coop not only smelling nice but also help repel rodents, insects and calm our laying hens naturally.

Ingredients-

Handful of fresh mint

Handful of fresh lavender leaves and flowers

 Bottle of white vinegar (feel free to substitute vodka - yes vodka!)
Vanilla bean, split and cut in half

Two canning jars

Spray bottle

Divide the herbs between the two canning jars, crushing them with your fingers as you add each sprig to release the oils. Drop half a vanilla bean into each jar, then add white vinegar (or vodka) to completely cover, leaving at least 1/4" headroom in each jar.  

Screw the lids on securely and  then set the jars in your pantry, in a cupboard or on the kitchen counter to 'age' for 3-4 weeks. Shake the jars every few days to reinvigorate the contents.   The mixture should start to turn a greenish-brown color and smell fragrant.

When the vinegar smell has mostly dissipated, the spray is ready to use. Strain the contents and then pour into a spray bottle to use full strength - or slightly dilute with a bit of water if desired.  Spray in your coop as needed.

~About the ingredients~

White vinegar is a natural disinfectant. It has antibacterial properties, kills mold and is also an ant repellent.  (Apple cider vinegar, while great for adding to your chickens water and drinking yourself for all its health benefits, shouldn't be used here - only white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will attract fruit flies.)

Note: You can substitute vodka for the white vinegar. Vodka is an all natural cleaning agent that kills insects instead of merely repelling them. It is also antibacterial and kills mold and mildew, and is odorless.

Lavender is a naturally calming stress reliever, increases blood circulation, is highly aromatic, and also an insecticide.  The aroma is highly beneficial to settle laying or sitting hens.

Mint is a natural rodent repellent.

Vanilla is a natural fly and mosquito repellent.

I started using vodka (buying the largest, cheapest bottle I could find at the liquor store) and much prefer it to the vinegar because the vodka is odorless. In fact, the spray smells so nice that I use it in our home as well as the coop.

A few months ago I shared my Orange Peel White Vinegar Coop Cleaner [click here for the recipe]. 

It's a wonderful, effective cleaner that costs pennies to make and is completely safe to use around your chickens. I use this cleaner in our home as well, the citrus oils make a wonderful de-greaser. Used as a Coop Cleaner in conjunction with the Lavender Mint Coop Refresh Spray, the combination will keep your coop (and home) should smelling lovely!

Note: This spray is NOT a substitute for regular cleaning of your coop and at the slightest whiff of ammonia, all soiled coop bedding should all be removed and replaced with fresh bedding.

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