Turn your flowers into the ultimate multi-purpose spray…

Don’t Dump It! What to Do With Leftover Flowers + Simmer Pot Water (And Why It’s an Excuse to Buy Flowers Every Week!

Let’s be honest — fresh flowers make a house feel alive. They soften the space, lift your mood, and instantly make everyday life feel a little more intentional. But once the blooms start to fade, most of us toss them without a second thought.

What if those flowers still had a purpose?

This simmer pot made with roses, eucalyptus, oregano, and sage is a perfect example of how leftover flowers and herbs can become something useful — not just pretty. It’s also a great excuse to keep weekly flowers in your home, especially when they’re replacing chemical-heavy cleaning products and artificial fragrances.

🌹 Why Use Leftover Flowers at All?

Fresh flowers don’t stop being valuable just because they’re past their “vase moment.” When simmered, they release gentle plant compounds that can be repurposed for cleaning, refreshing, and grounding daily routines.

If weekly flowers:

• Boost your mood

• Replace synthetic sprays

• Help you clean more naturally

Then honestly? They’re practical.

7 Ways to Use Leftover Simmer Pot Water (Made From Flowers + Herbs)

1. Natural Cleaning Spray (Flower Water > Chemicals)

Strain the cooled water and pour it into a spray bottle. Use it on counters, sinks, and bathroom surfaces.

Benefits:
✔ Reduces reliance on harsh cleaners
✔ Leaves a soft, herbal scent
✔ Makes cleaning feel calmer and less clinical

Your simmer pot water (with eucalyptus, sage, and oregano) can help discourage bugs, but it’s not a pesticide or a guaranteed bug forcefield.

Here’s the honest breakdown 👇

🌿 Why It Can Help

Several of the plants I used are naturally insect-repelling:

• Eucalyptus: Commonly used to deter mosquitoes, flies, and ants due to its strong scent

• Sage: Traditionally burned or used to repel insects and freshen spaces

• Oregano: Contains aromatic compounds that insects tend to avoid

• Roses: Not repellent on their own, but they soften the blend and make it pleasant for humans

When these are simmered, the water captures some of those aromatic compounds.

🐜 What It’s Good For

Using the leftover water as a spray can help:

• Discourage flies near windows and doors

• Make ants less interested in surfaces they’ve been traveling on

• Reduce lingering “food smells” that attract bugs

• Freshen trash areas, pet zones, and entryways

Think deterrent, not exterminator.

🚫 What It Won’t Do

• It won’t kill insects

• It won’t replace professional pest control

• It won’t stop a full infestation

If bugs are already established, this helps manage and discourage, not eliminate.

🧴 How to Use It for Bugs (Best Results)

• Strain and cool the water

• Pour into a spray bottle

• Spray:

  • Door thresholds

  • Window sills

  • Trash cans

  • Under sinks

  • Baseboards (lightly)

Reapply every 1–2 days, since it’s natural and fades faster than chemical sprays.

🌱 The Bigger Win

Even mild bug deterrence is a bonus when:

• You’re reducing chemical cleaners

• You’re scenting your home naturally

• You’re using leftover flowers instead of wasting them

It fits perfectly into a low-tox, intentional home — not a fear-based, over-sanitized one.

This alone justifies buying flowers weekly.

2. Floor Wash for a “Clean House” Feel Without the Fumes

Add the simmer pot water to a bucket of warm water and mop floors or wipe surfaces.

Benefits:
✔ Gentle, plant-based cleansing
✔ Smells like a calm home, not a factory
✔ Safe-feeling around kids and pets (surface use only)

3. Linen & Pillow Mist (Soft Life Approved)

Dilute the water 1:1 with distilled water and lightly mist pillows, blankets, or curtains.

Benefits:
✔ Encourages relaxation
✔ Turns your bedroom into a retreat
✔ Helps you wind down naturally

4. Herbal Steam Ritual (Comfort, Not Cure)

Pour warm liquid into a bowl, cover your head with a towel, and breathe slowly.

Benefits:
✔ Encourages deep breathing
✔ Helps release tension
✔ Feels nurturing during stressful weeks

This is about comfort, not fixing anything.

5. Closet, Shoe & Car Refresh Spray

Lightly mist fabric spaces that collect stale smells.

Benefits:
✔ Naturally freshens without artificial fragrance
✔ Reduces odor buildup
✔ Keeps ignored spaces feeling cared for

6. Garden Watering (Return It to the Earth)

Dilute heavily and use on outdoor plants or soil.

Benefits:
✔ Prevents waste
✔ Honors the plant life you enjoyed
✔ Feels like closing the loop

7. End-of-Day Hand or Foot Rinse

Use the cooled water as a symbolic rinse after a long day.

Benefits:
✔ Marks a mental transition from busy to rest
✔ Grounds the nervous system
✔ Adds meaning to routine moments

A Note on Storage & Safety

• External use only

• Store in the fridge and use within 2–3 days

• Freeze leftovers into cubes for future cleaning use

The Real Takeaway

Weekly flowers don’t have to be indulgent. When they replace air fresheners, cleaning sprays, and synthetic scents, they become functional. They support your mood and your home — and that’s a win.

Sometimes self-care looks like a bouquet that keeps working long after the petals start to fade.