Does anyone know how to extract the oils from mint plants to use in a fragrance warmer? You know, one of those little electric pots that you pour secented oils in. I love the smell of mint in the summer. I always put it in my flower arrangements.

Trust me, it costs way more than it's worth to do on the scale you're talking about doing it.  You'd be better off just boiling or steeping the leaves and enjoying it that way.

 

To distill the oils, you need a boiler with a tight lid, a hose leading to a condenser to knock the steam down and let the oils gather in a collection vessel.  Seems like it gets heated twice, but I don't remember.  Anyway, it ends up looking like one of the old stills or a chemistry experiment gone wrong.  Fascinating as it may sound, it's just not practical.  From a wheel barrow full of mint, you may get an ounce or two.  Something like that.  It's just amazing what the ratio is.  After thinking about that, it kind of makes that little bottle of essential oil seem kind of cheap.

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Chris Behrens
Pendleton, SC, USA
USDA Cold Zone 7/AHS Heat Zone 7
Send me email, not PM's

Yeah, I guess you're right. I've put the leaves in my warmer, but they sour in a short time. My favorite way to enjoy the smell is put a pretty bowl full of crushed leaves on a table near a ceiling fan or in front of the air conditioner. Makes the whole house smell 10 degrees cooler!

In the good old days, it was traditional to grow a mint patch near the front door.  Whenever company was expected, or even when they showed up unexpectedly, someone would take the broom and go beat the mint.  The fresh smell filled the air and sort of covered the smells of the house as they weren't as well kept in those days.  True story.  I think I heard that on a PBS show sometime.  Not sure.  When I built my small house a few years ago, one of the first things I did was to get some mint and try to get it started near the front door.  Not necessarily for the same reason, but just to be traditional. 
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Chris Behrens
Pendleton, SC, USA
USDA Cold Zone 7/AHS Heat Zone 7
Send me email, not PM's

I have crushed mint leaves and rubbed the oil on my face and arms, not so I'd smell like mint but it keeps gnats and mosquitos away.