When it comes to your washing, caring for and preserving your favorite sheets, towels and textiles skip the harsh chemicals in the grocery aisle and try something Mother Nature would approve.

Lavender

This aromatic herb is great for infusing your linens with calming scents, but it is also a natural bug repellant. Make a simple sachet of lavender to keep in your linen closet or simply sprinkle dried lavender between folded sheets to ward off moths.

Lemons

The citric acid in lemons acts as a great bleaching agent. Try dabbing spots and stains with a Q-tip dipped in lemon juice, then leave the item in the sun to help speed up the process. However, keep a close eye on the time, as the acid on the lemon can be powerful enough to degrade delicate antique linens. For a milder approach, add a ½ of lemon juice to a laundry load to help boost the whitening power of your detergent.

Salt

Salt is a great scrubbing agent. Pair it with lemon juice to help scrub out stubborn stains.

Rosemary

Use in the same manner as lavender to deodorize linens and ward away bugs.

Vinegar

Create a prewash or laundry soak with 1 cup of white vinegar in a bucket of hot water for up to one hour. Wring out and wash as usual for a brighter, whiter wash. It’s also great when you need an extra-strong deodorizer.

Baking Soda

Create a paste with one part baking soda and one part water, and use an old toothbrush to pre-treat caked-in stains.