How do you get landry to smell good?

[rainyday]

How do you get your laundry to smell really fresh and NICE? We always use unscented detergent (a tiny amount), and it bothers me that I can't ever get our laundry to smell good. I've tried using lavender oil in the wash, but by the time it gets out of the dryer, the scent is completely gone. The only scent that seems to withstand the dryer for me is tea tree oil, but that's not really the fresh scent I'd like for laundry (a bit too medicinal for my sheets, you know?). Does anyone have any tricks they use?

[jessjgh1]

I'd like to know too. I've just switched to baking soda and vinegar and sometimes add a litlle essential oil, but my towels are still not picking up much scent at all- and not fluffy either.

Jessica

[Sharlla]

I've been putting tangerine oil/tea tree oil in with my clothes when I wash them

[pampered_mom]

I would also suggest adding an EO to the wash. I put vinegar in my rinse cycle so I usually just add the EO there to.

[Starflower]

I've been using Ecover liquid which has lavendar (bought the one with a scent by mistake but it doesn't seem to bother us so I got it again.). I also put about a 1/2 T Borax in each load.

If you use vinegar, try putting it into the rinse cycle. But it might take out the smell of other things you put into the wash. It will probably smell a little vinegary when wet but dissapates upon drying (at least in a dryer).

I'm very partial to Borax though and sometimes use it on it's own - my grandma used it on her towels and I like that smell on my towels because it brings up good memories.

Good luck with your

[ASusan]

Originally Posted by Starflower

I've been using Ecover liquid which has lavendar (bought the one with a scent by mistake but it doesn't seem to bother us so I got it again.). I also put about a 1/2 T Borax in each load.

1/2 tablespoon? I use at least a 1/2 cup...maybe more. All I need is 1/2 T, in the wash?

Originally Posted by Starflower

I'm very partial to Borax though and sometimes use it on it's own - my grandma used it on her towels and I like that smell on my towels because it brings up good memories.

Borax has a smell?

Are we using the same borax? I thought I had a VERY sensitive nose, but I never noticed that borax has a smell...

[Conteuse]

I really like using unscented detergent on my clothes and then hanging them outside for a few hours. They don't pick up much of a "scent," per se, but they do pick up a delightfully crisp freshness that lasts for days even when they're folded in the closet. they smell like the great outdoors, and it's wonderful!

(Here in New England there's an added bonus; in the autumn, there's a faint scent of wood smoke in the air, and sometimes the clothes even pick that up! Love the scents of autumn, I do indeed.)

[rainyday]

I LOVE hanging clothes and especially sheets out to dry, but we have very wet, rainy, gray winters, so that's not much of an option for the next several months here, unfortunately. And isn't that wood smoke scent in the air wonderful at this time of year? I love autumn.

Has anyone figured out a way to get lavender EO scent to survive the dryer?

[JLav]

I use Simple Green (put it in with the detergent) with my towels...it's the only way I've been able to get them to come out completely clean smelling. I use baking soda in the wash too.

[rainyday]

Ooh, I'll have to try a little Simple Green.

I've also wondered about Dr. Bronner's. Does anyone use that?

[JLav]

I've also heard wonderful things about Charlie's Soap. It's supposed to get clothes super clean without leaving any fragrance...just a nice clean smell!

[MonP'titBoudain]

I don't know if this would work, but you can always try Maybe instead of putting the eo in with the wash put a couple drops on a clean rag and toss that into the dryer. If you have an old lingerie bag you could stick it in there so you don't run the risk of getting the oils back onto your clean clothes. It seems like the heat would help spread the scent.

just a thought.

[mgilleran@earth-co]

Originally Posted by MonP'titBoudain

I don't know if this would work, but you can always try Maybe instead of putting the eo in with the wash put a couple drops on a clean rag and toss that into the dryer. If you have an old lingerie bag you could stick it in there so you don't run the risk of getting the oils back onto your clean clothes. It seems like the heat would help spread the scent.

just a thought.

I have tried this, & the EOs evaporate from teh heat. There is no smell on the laundry still. Someone else suggested that I not put the EO rag in until the clothes are almost dry. That way they won't have as much time to evaporate. But I haven't tried this yet.

[granolamomma]

TTO kinda sticks around our laundry too, which is ok, except I agree it's not the most pleasant eo I have. I wonder why that will last but not lavendar or others?

[NullSet]

Okay, I'm slightly using this thread to answer my own question (sorry!: ). Only because I'm still trying to figure out the whole laundry thing and you were asking about lavender oil in particular. I don't own a dryer, so if I put lavender oil in with the wash, will it smell good? You said it dissipates in the dryer. Does that mean if it is hung to dry it retains the scent? Thanks and sorry for using your thread for my own purposes!