10 Surefire Ways to Make Your Laundry Smell Good (They Work Every Time!)

updated Aug 29, 2024
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Even if doing the laundry is your most dreaded chore, taking a whiff of your clean clothes might almost make it worth it. That fresh laundry smell doesn’t always have to come from a scented detergent — there are several ways to make sure your clothes and linens stay fresh so your weekly laundry days can be a bit more pleasant. 

If you’ve struggled to find out how to make laundry smell good, or you’re just looking for new methods to add fragrance or neutralize odors, I’ve combined my tried-and-true tips with Daniel Feliciano’s, cofounder and CEO of Clotheslyne, for the ultimate guide in maintaining fresh laundry. 

Here are our tips on how to make laundry smell good.

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1. Clean your washing machine.

Similar to a dishwasher, you may think of a washing machine as an appliance that cleans and not necessarily one that you clean. Regularly cleaning your washing machine, however, is one of the best ways to ensure your clothes don’t retain a mildewy smell. I use OxiClean Washing Machine Cleaner with Odor Blasters or the Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner to wash the drum once a month, along with a multipurpose spray to clean exterior parts like the control panel knobs, dispensers, gasket, and around the lid. 

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2. Don’t underestimate fabric softener.

For Feliciano, fabric softener is a simple and surefire way to add a slightly stronger fragrance to your clothes. In addition to having a great smell, fabric softener can leave your clothes and linens feeling fluffy and lightweight. “Fabric softeners are a great way to make your laundry smell good since they contain fragrances that stick to clothing fibers,” he says. “Add the recommended amount of liquid fabric softener to the dispenser in the washing machine or during the rinse cycle.”

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3. Use laundry detergent with fragrance.

If fabric softener isn’t for you, laundry detergent with fragrance is another solution for making your laundry smell good. While there are plenty of options to choose from, I love switching between Gain Laundry Detergent when I want a strong and fresh scent that will last for weeks and Cleancult Liquid Laundry Detergent in the scent Juniper Sandalwood when I’m looking for a plant-based formula with a slightly sweet and slightly earthy fragrance. 

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4. Use vinegar. 

The cleaning power of vinegar is time-tested and trusted, and there’s no difference when it comes to using it for your washing machine and laundry. Feliciano recommends running an empty hot water cycle with two cups of white vinegar to clean your washing machine on its own or adding half a cup to the rinse cycle with your laundry. “Vinegar removes built-up residue and kills odor-causing bacteria in your washing machine, preventing mildew odors from clinging to the laundered clothing,” Feliciano says. “It’s best to use vinegar with particularly smelly laundry, and not on a regular basis, and never combine it with bleach.”

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5. Don’t let wet clothes sit in the dryer.

If you’ve ever forgotten to turn on the dryer after loading it with your damp laundry, you’re familiar with that musty smell that feels impossible to get rid of even after you’ve washed it again. Although I’m pretty good at remembering to turn on the dryer, my husband is a bit more forgetful. Setting an alarm or reminder on your phone, Google Home, or Alexa can be a good trick, but a simple magnet (that’s actually meant for the dishwasher) that signals whether things are “clean” or “dirty” seems to be a more useful and visual way for my husband. 

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6. Keep your workout clothes separate. 

Workout clothes and athletic wear notoriously retain strong odors, especially when they sit in your hamper for a week. If you’re unable to wash your workout clothes right away or every day, opt for a mesh bag to keep them separate from your other laundry to avoid transferring odors. I also recommend keeping these items in the empty washing machine and away from your other clothes so they’re ready to be washed once laundry day rolls around.

7. Add essential oil drops to wool dryer balls.

Although dryer sheets are a quick, disposable, and effective way to reduce static and add some fragrance to your laundry, wool dryer balls are a more eco-friendly option that works just as well. Best of all, they’re great for adding your preferred scent using natural essential oils to keep laundry smelling good. 

“To use this method, add up to five drops of your favorite essential oil to three to five wool dryer balls,” says Feliciano. “Adjust the drops based on how strong of a scent you want and if you have a larger load, you may need more wool dryer balls.”

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8. Add baking soda to a load.

Aside from vinegar, baking soda is an excellent household ingredient that can work wonders when it comes to neutralizing odors. Feliciano recommends adding a half cup to a regular load along with your regular detergent or adding a half cup of baking soda on an empty hot water cycle to freshen up your washing machine and keep smells to a minimum. 

“You can also presoak clothes in half a cup of baking soda per gallon of water as a way to neutralize odors, balance pH levels, and even remove stains,” he says.

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9. Pretreat tough stains. 

Several stains, including sweat and food stains, can make your laundry smell. To avoid this, it’s best to pretreat stains immediately. Baking soda is an efficient option for pretreatment, but I typically like to use OxiClean Stain Remover Spray for extra tough stains or Nellie’s Wow Stick since both can sit on stains for a couple of days — a helpful solutions for anyone who can’t do laundry daily. 

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10. Use scent boosters. 

Scent boosters are recognizable for their pleasant fragrance options and tiny bead shape. Feliciano recommends Downy Unstopables In Wash Scent Booster Beads for a stronger and more long-lasting scent. If you only want to neutralize odors without adding extra fragrance and still have clean laundry, a biodegradable formula such as Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Booster is a laundry room essential.