The weather has changed where I live and line drying laundry outside just isn't an option any more. Usually we opt for natural unscented laundry but every once in a while, when we need to store off season clothing or sheets for a longer period of time, our laundry needs a little extra boost in the scent department. Click through the jump to find 5 ideas for how to get your laundry smelling extra fresh without any of those chemical softeners.
1 Lavender Water. Put some lavender water into a spray bottle and give your laundry a quick spritz before throwing it into the washer. Just enough scent will remain after drying to keep it smelling fresh for a long time. Don’t love lavender? Try your favorite essential oil, rose water would also smell very clean.
2 Citrus Oils. Mix one cup baking soda, one half cup borax with one cup white vinegar and 20 drops of lemon or orange citrus oil. Add this mixture to your bottle of laundry detergent and use as normal.
3 Peppermint Laundry Soap. Try Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap for clean and fresh smelling laundry without the all of the chemicals that usually come with a scented detergent.
4 Re-usable Lavender Dryer Bags. 3-4 use dryer bags are easy to toss in and make for nice smelling clothes. We’ve reviewed Trader Joe’s bags here.
5 Vanilla scented wool dryer balls. Using the wool dryer balls you already have add a small amount of vanilla essential oil before every other cycle to kick up the fresh scent.
Related Posts:
• 5 Homemade DIY Natural Fabric Softeners
• 10 Reasons to Line Dry Laundry
(Image: greenkozi licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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Why do clean clothes need a scent at all? We unscented laundry detergent (7th gen) and unscented reusable dryer sheets (method or 7th Gen). They work well!
Need to watch lavendar oil as is implicated in feminization in young boys...
You are joking, right?
About the feminization in young boys????
I can't stand scented laundry thanks to my allergies. I use homemade laundry soap & vinegar as fabric softener. My nose has never been happier.
I put a splash (about 1/2 teaspoon) of lavender oil in my fabric softener dispenser then fill the rest of the space with plain water. That way my washing gets an almost final rinse and it smells great.
I guess I am lucky that I can hang outside all year round, but for energy efficiency I prefer not to use my dryer and instead hang in the garage if its raining. Using my "lavender water mix" helps prevent that musty smell that wet washing can acquire when the air is really humid.
Late to comment, but @1607, it's true that studies have found young/baby boys who are exposed to a lot of lavender are more likely to grow excess breast tissue and show other signs of an estrogen imbalance.