How can I make my clothes smell like detergent? Can someone help me out. After I'm done washing my clothes I can smell the detergent. When I am done drying them I don't smell anything. I use concentrated detergent. I also use dryer sheets. Can someone help me. I want my laundry to keep the smell of my detergent.
By headache from Miami, FL
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
There appear to be two schools of thought on this subject. One school of thought is that it would be nice if wardrobe and bedding had an appealing scent that was overtly noticeable.
The other school of thought is that an appealing scent is one that smells either nuetral or noticeably fresh and clean but not "perfumey".
The one suggestion that I liked best was to hang clothes outside so that they can be "kissed by the Sun" I know for a fact that this makes clotes smell wonderful, but it's not a smell that you can bottle and apply in mega-doses.
These two schools of thought could be categorized as the "Organic" school and the "Better Living Through Chemistry" school.
My personal school of thought is somewhere in between, based on the fact that that both organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry is really one and the same and that one is not necessarily "better" than the other, but with inorganic chemistry it is possible to overdo a good thing.
Someone mentioned Borax and Baking soda. Both elements are pretty basic, but they preform important functions. Borax is sodium tetraborate while baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Both are salts, but baking soda is an alkali which neutralizes acids while Borax is a natural fungicide and is used in the pest control industry to kill both fungus and Termites and is also a powerful fire retardant.
Through chemistry, these two elements will give clothing a "fresh, clean" smell but just as a head's up, your body needs to smell good if you want your clothes to smell good, and don't ever overdo perfumes or colognes.
I hate it when people give off a cloud of fumes from literally 50 paces distance and generates a cloud that is ten feet high and wafts it's way through the atmosphere all the way from the next aisle over in the supermarket.
Yes, you CAN overdo a good thing.
Well I'm sorta of an expert when it comes to good smelling clothes all that i do is always make my loads medium don't stuff them with clothes add 1 thing of detergent and when it comes time to put the softener put 2 to 3 caps of softener let it soak with softener for at least 2 hours but for best results leave it 3 to 4 hours soaking then when you dry your clothes add 2 sheets of good dryer sheets. Believe me everyone will smell you!
Please stop using fabric softeners - they contain 9 different hazardous chemicals which can either cause problems with your Central Nervous System and/or are carcinogenic. These are extremely hazardous chemicals folks! Alpha-Terpineol, Benzyl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Camphor, Chloroform, Ethyl Acetate, Limonene, Linalool, Pentane. I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity from being exposed to chemicals in our environment and fabric softener is the worst. If I come in contact with it, it makes me terribly sick for days. Protect yourself and your family. You will eventually get sick if you continue using fabric softener as well as making people around you sick.
PLEASE NOTE: anything that has fragrances, perfume, cologne, household cleaners, fabric softener will be absorbed through your skin and eventually make you ill. There are other alternatives you can use with a little research.
I used to have this issue, too. While the detergent's scent is important, it's the fabric softener that releases scent throughout the day, which is what you're looking for, right? Using a liquid softener (in a downy ball is easiest) that smells terrific will give you that all-day, freshly-laundered scent. You could try dryer sheets if you prefer, but the liquid is better, especially if you're using a generic brand.
Final tip: do not over-dry your clothes! When clothes stay in the dryer longer than they need to, they can smell 'hot' and that sort of industrial, appliance-y smell is yucky. Hope this helps!
What I do is to buy the same dryer sheets as my detergent or the liquid fabric softener. I use Gain and love the smell. I buy the liquid softener of the same and sometimes the dryer sheets and my clothes smell terrific.
You do realize that if you can smell the detergent, etc that it means that you still have the chemicals from the detergent or the softener still in your clothing. And that you are smelling chemicals. Although it smells good, it's bad for your health. I read about people using 2 or 3 times the amount, not good. In addition to the smell it means the chemicals are up against your skin.
I am the opposite, I use unscented detergent and unscented dryer sheets. Hate to be shopping and smell that soap smell on people passing by. Yuk.
And I hate when people in the neighborhood throw in a bunch of dryer sheets and cheap flower smell is all over the neighborhood via their dryer vents. Air polution at its worst.
Most of the detergent and dryer smells are very fake and strong. Sort of like those rest room deodorizers. I would rather smell like a nice perfume or have a guy smell like a light after shave or like nothing at all than smell like a lilac or jasmine dryer sheet!
I almost forgot never I mean never over dry your clothing ever and my choice is.
Detergent - gain,tide,ariel or surf
softener - downy,gain or suavitel
dryer sheets - downy, ounce or gain and always have the same smell for all three products.
Please People!
The best laundry smell is fresh air.
These waxy long lasting fragrance carriers are ruining your clothes, and the fragrances are sickening. They contain toxic untested chemicals.
Many people are highly sensitive to these fragrances and carriers. Please stay downwind and well away from me when you choose to smell like a laundrymat.
Thank you.
Wonderful feedback. I read this post because i also thoroughly enjoy the smell of freshly-laundered clothes and linen and want it to last! I will follow up on the suggestions to use liquid softener, and detergent of the same brand. I'm curious. Would anyone happen to know of natural products which would leave a pleasant, lingering scent on clothing? Realistically, a lot of people live in apartment buildings and cannot dry their clothes on a clothesline.
All of these were great suggestions I can not wait to try these!!! As for everyone lecturing about chemicals; it is each persons own choice how they live their life. You really shouldn't tell people what to do, people can make their own decisions. I think fabric softener is a very, very small issue we have to deal with in this day and age!
I can't wait to try this! I have tried what I feel like is everything to get the scent to last! As for those lecturing about chemicals and so on, no one asked about the health hazards it's not polite to tell others how to live their lives. Everything in this world has negative effects and if you live your life being so worried about everything you'll never enjoy life! So I would suggests keeping lectures to yourself unless asked for.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
