Do you think it would be ok if I added a few drops of Eucalyptus oil instead of lavender oil?

Its is considered an insect repellant and i have some here...whereas I'd have to go out and buy lavender oil :-D

You could make up a small sample and try it, however you may not know the long range effects of it.

Hopefully someone will know the answer for sure!

Good luck,

My vote would be to go for it. Keep in mind that the heat of ironing will remove most of the scent.

I never bother scenting my starch, doesn't seem worth it to me.

Oh - I wasn't doing it for the scent -but I've read here about bugs being attracted to cornstarch. I mean - I live in Australia so I'm not even sure the same thing applies here but I don't want bugs in my quilts:)

I wouldn't be bothered doing it for the scent either...

I think you would have to make sure it disperses with water.

I wasn't clear, sorry.

The scent of eucalyptus (or lavender or cedar or other essential oil reputed bug repellants) is what repels the bugs. If there isn't any scent or not enough left, it won't work.

Oh - okay - thanks MsEithne

i still don't get the whole- add oil to my starch...i don't want any oils getting on my fabrics- am so careful to make sure machine oil is blotted- and not going to get on the fabrics- and some of you are adding oil on purpose???for an odor???
i just do not understand this at all- and it seems so (counter productive) seems like an oil would keep the starch from doing its job- have a weird effect on it-
just me i'm sure- it just seems so strange that anyone would do that
i try to find products that do not stink (no perfumes added-you never know who may be allergic) pre-wash everything to get rid of any chemicals-odors---i don't get it

the insect problem may happen if you store your starched items for long periods, for instance you are not supposed to starch your table linens before you put them away for the season. If you starch fabric when you quilt, it all washes out so you would not have 'bugs in your quilts', or left over starch either! I'm thinking that if you don't have an insect problem with other fabric items currently in your home, you probabaly won't have them when you starch your quilting fabric. I agree with ckcowl, I would be more worried about introducing oil into the fabric.

The poison is in the dose. One drop of oil in a quart of solution that will be spread over several thousand square inches of fabric is probably less oil than your own fingers leave, the vaporised oil in the atmosphere (if you have a kitchen in the same building as your sewing room), etc.

Also, most essential "oils" aren't actually chemically oils, they are alcohols, which explains why so many of them are highly volatile.

Keep in mind that almost all laundry products do have some perfume in them, even the ones labelled "unscented." And they are ALL composed of chemicals.