Le Blanc in my opinion makes the best linen sprays. I think you would need to order off Amazon as I've never saw it it stores. There are different scents to choose from.

Just a thought here but many people have sensitivities to synthetic perfumes in detergent. But if you use a linen spray that's made with real essential oils than unless the person is allergic to that plant they should be fine. For instance my cousin has a sensitivity to lavender scented Gain detergent but real lavender from essential oils she fine with.

Forgot... lavender would be lovely..what better earthy fragrance in a cabin setting and relaxes the body.

I have used a linen spray for years that is just lavender essential oil mixed with water and alcohol. It is supposed to be relaxing and I think it’s lovely. I mix it myself, but you can buy it also. I’d make sure it’s real essential oil — the imitation smells awful.

Look at the GrabGreen room & fabric sprays. They use all natural ingredients.

I am one who would not welcome any imposed odor on the bed where I lay my head. I have been a guest at the homes of others where they use perfumed products and it just stays with me and permeates everything that I wear or bring in to their home. Being a person with manners, I do not make an issue of it. But, it is inescapable and I absolutely dislike it.

If it is mildew or mold odors that you are smelling, maybe you should address the root cause of it.

Your description of them that they "feel a bit stale" is very vague and maybe it is just your perception.

When you have been away from your home for a while and you reenter, you are likely to be aware of the inherent odor that is there. Every home has an odor that is unique to that home, due to the products that are used, the food that is cooked and whatever activities you have going on, whether there are dogs, the type of furniture, the types of finishes on the furniture, the materials that are used, etc. When you are there you just become nose blind to the odor. When you go away for some time and return, you are likely to notice it.

Maybe that is what you are detecting with your nose---the inherent odor in the cabin.

I can take an item that has come from someone's home and I can do a blind sniff and tell you which of the homes it came from. In most cases, it is not an offensive odor, but a personal odor. The exception is in those homes that are permeated with artificial smells such as strong laundry chemicals, candles and those wicking things and those god awful things that plug into the wall. I will find that thing and unplug it. Of course, I will put it back when I leave.

Some people really are dirty and stinky, but most that I encounter are not.

There are so many artificial and imposed smells that we encounter everywhere.

I, for one, would not welcome them on the pillow or bed sheets.

I also don't like scent on my bedding except the very rare occasion.

I suggest Annette if you decide to linen spray the sheets don't do the pillowcases.

Also define stale.

Hey y’all. Thanks for the responses, for some reason I didn’t get an email alert that there were posts so I didn’t check back soon enough.

So when I leave I set the ac to 76. I realized that my husband just shuts the whole thing off when he’s been up there. So this may be why I was sensing a a stale odor. I tend to do a quick floor wipe down with vinegar spray which usually does the trick but I want a bit of scent somewhere so would like to spray a bit on the bedspread. I don’t generally want scent on my pillows either so would skip that.

I do have an assortment of essential oils I got for making lotion bars so will look into making my own spray.

You can also check out Melaleuca. I use their products because we have skin issues in our family and they are a natural company.

I make the beds the day I’m expecting company. Otherwise, linen are washed and stored in a cedar chest. I agree with you that even when clean, bed linens may feel/smell stale in between visits. If, as a guest, I smell perfume, it makes me think somebody’s trying to mask something so don’t really appreciate it and I don’t use it either. I do have a couple of lavender sprays but forget to use them.

As an alternative to sprays..a few sprigs of real lavender tied with a piece of hemp or something on top of the pillows would be lovely.

I'm with Wednesday - I would only be a guest in your cabin once if the bedding was sprayed with anything (including essential oils).

Our lake cabin gets closed up for weeks at a time (no AC), so the whole place smells stale until we get the windows open. We don't make the beds until we arrive.

Yes, wash bedding and store in space type bags. Make beds up before friends come up or let them make up the bed! I don't keep sheets on beds we are not using.

I'm allergic to lots of scents. Tossed out all my DH's after shaves and deodrants years ago! Everything is unscented.

I have had to leave many venues because of perfumes, after shaves or fabric softeners! Even had to leave one of my kids college graduations, that was sad.

Gave up on church years ago!

Down with stinky stuff!

What if you made the bed, but left the pillowcases off until you arrived. You could throw them in the dryer for a few minutes before putting them on.

I use a linen spray called Fabric and Room Freshener. I get the Italian linen fragrance. It is very soft smell and does not linger.

I agree with kathyg. Down with stinky stuff, and that includes all of those strong detergent and fabric softener smells. UGH!!!! I am "of an age" and we never had those things when I was growing up. Clean is clean, not smelling Mountain Oyster Fresh. ( If you don't know what a mountain oyster is or how it might smell, ask Siri. )

Now days it seems that everything that we use (and, we use a LOT) has some awful odor to it, from our dish soap to all hair and grooming products and cleaning solutions.

Allergies are not the problem for me. It is just that they are pervasive odors that permeate EVERYTHING.

My daughter's family uses these strong laundry products and when I put my grandson's clothes into my own wash, the entire load of laundry smells like that one shirt or PJs. It is so unnaturally pervasive! Unreal!

And, take a walk on a Sunday evening when so many of your neighbors dyer vents are blowing out air when they are getting the laundry taken care of to start the week. It is like a cloud of miasmic vapors!

I would not advocate adding anything else to the mix of aesthetically toxic vapors in the already overly scented world. All of that stuff ends up in the waste water that ends up in our waterways and in our atmosphere. One can envision a world where all the waters have begun to smell Springtime Rain Fresh. Just where does one suppose all of that stuff goes? It cannot be washed "away". That is a mythical and wishful place where all the bad and excess stuff goes to disappear. It no more exist than do little people living under toad stools or monsters under the bed.

The only winners here are the obscenely wealthy profiteers who make vast fortunes from convincing millions of people that they need to make these artificial scents an integral part of their realities.

Annette, I will bet that your cabin is already clean and welcoming.

I would love to make the beds when I get there, but arrival day is generally chaotic. We own our own business so scheduling these getaways is a balancing act. I only have so much time for cleaning and such so have to use that time at the end once all the guests have left. I have about 8 beds to make which would really set me behind.

I think the idea of leaving the pillowcases off and tossing them in the dryer for a few minutes to air out before putting on the bed is a good solution.

I’m still going to make some linen spray for myself to try. It seems like a quick and fun project.

My FIL washes linens and stores in location we all know and we make our own beds. We’re all family. I don’t guess it’d be good hosting to let people, not family, to make their own beds. 8 beds would be a lot to do on the day prior.

You know you could lightly mist just the overhang of the bed topper and or the drapes. Remember if pets are involved many essential oils are dangerous and some toxic.

I love linen spray...and I make my own. I use it on the sofa, the sheets, everywhere and I've had no issues with my pets (and I have a bird)...

Spray bottle, couple tablespoons of vodka (not the good kind!), add however many drops of oil you want, depending on how strong you want it. Shake, top up with water...

You can mix your own oils (lavender and vanilla for sheets, for example) for custom scents.

Easy peasy.

Penny I wad told about the essential oils from my vet and a vet at the animal hospital.

Linen spray is very, very dilute, mamap. Essential oils at full strength should be avoided if your dog or cat is likely to have direct exposure to them.

I doubt Annette will be having a dog walk on her guests beds ( which is not even direct exposure to undiluted oil).

This is information from the animal poison control people...

As always, ymmv and use your own common sense, etc, etc.

Lavender is a nice enough smell, but not on the bed.

I find the odor of vanilla to be objectionable. I aim to be a gracious guest, but if all smelled of vanilla, it would be trying.

In times past people found pleasant scents to be a welcome relief from the smells of life. Bathing and wearing clean clothes was only for the very wealthy and many people lived in close quarters with their animals. Cleanliness was scarce and a pleasant odor was relief.

Now it is almost the complete opposite. It is the scents that are pervasive, but not really needed as cleanliness is more easily attainable.

Generally when vets are warning about essential oils they are referring to full strength applied or inhaled. I will be diluting with vodka, water and an emulsifier. I was a vet tech in my previous life, and currently own a dog kennel and training center. My vet, who is also a homeopathic vet gave me a list of oils that are dog safe a while back when I mentioned using a diffuser in the kennel to calm anxious dogs at bedtime. I’m pretty sure I can find some scents on that list that will create a pleasant linen spray.

How about a few open boxes of baking soda in each room, if there’s carpeting or rugs sprinkle baking soda on those when departing and vacuum on arrival. Activated charcoal to absorb. Masking the odor isn’t ideal.