Does anyone know the secret to long lasting, lovely smelling washing?

[strawberrisc]

Just that really. I’ve copied everything my Mum does - particularly for bedding and it works for a bit but my bedding never keeps the lovely smell for more than a night!

Don’t we just go nose blind?
Kind of like when we spray perfume, after a while we can’t smell it on ourselves, but other people still can.

What is lovely smell?
I don't like perfumes so they count as a stink to me.

Drying outdoors works for me. We don't have fabric conditioner.

To me a “lovely smell” is something like when you burn a “fresh linen” or “cotton” Yankee candle. Not an overpowering scent but a strong smell if that makes sense?

I know what you mean about going nose blind but when I sleep over in Mum’s I can still smell it the next day!

Lenor unstoppables in the drum and a capful of zoflora in with the power / detergent.

Air drying. Outdoors.

(Unless your neighbours have wood burners)

I use Daz powder in a cardboard box, then hang outside.

Cheap as chips and smells lovely, like the old days, when there wasnt much choice and less plastic

I only use lenor fabric softener and it lasts a good while but I do find I have to change to a different scent every month or so because I can’t smell it anymore. Maybe it’s nose blindness.

Persil powder and either fairy or comfort fabric conditioner. Ironing and not storing too long between uses.

My winter clothes still smell lovely from packed away last spring! Pink Surf and blue Lenor.

Pink surf lasts really well and is locelyv

Tumble dryer sheets

I've recently discovered Lenor Unstoppables - my washing smells amazing.

I use fairy non-bio liquid, fairy fabric conditioner and a capful of Unstoppables in my wash.
I always use the tumble dryer too (don't have a washing line in my garden) so I use 1 or 2 tumble dryer sheets, depending on the size of the load.
My favourite is the Comfort Blue Skies (?).

I think I've finally cracked it, my laundry has never smelt better.

Also, every few months I switch between Fairy fabric conditioner and Comfort Pure - the smells are subtly different (the Comfort smells like a newborn baby ) and it makes the world of difference.

I’ve a headache just thinking about that, Cows

Make sure your washing machine is clean and not harbouring any grot or sludge. Clean soap drawer and door seals thoroughly, Then do at least one maintenance wash by washing towels at 90 degrees with powder not liquid. I've also heard of people doing a maintenance wash with washing soda.

Drying outside where possible. BTW Zoflora is flammable so I wouldn’t recommend washing your clothes in it

Definitely keep your washing machine clean.
I have to take the drawer out of money regularly and clean the bit above it where the water comes out with a nail brush.
Air drying also makes a difference.

Fairy fabric conditioner.

Agree with clean washing machine. I use Tesco’s own powder in the box and a few drops of essential oil (instead of FC) and I can smell the freshness on my sheets for a week. After a week they’re washed again.

It's random whether my washing smells nice or not. Sometimes it's the dryer that brings out the fabric conditioner smell, sometimes the dryer makes it smell of hot air. Drying outside sometimes smells beautiful, sometimes it smells of nothing/wind. Sometimes hanging up inside keeps the smell and sometimes it disappears! I've tried loads of combos of FC and unstoppables etc and can't find what works consistently.

What about giving it a spritz of pillow spray? I’ve got a nice one from Neal’s Yard - I just spray a little bit on my pillow and the top of the duvet from time to time.

There's something about mum's washing isn't there?

My beloved mum died in 2016 bless her heart, but I tell you that woman could have opened a laundry and there would be queue around the block.

Even as a kid growing up, people would actually comment on our washing. Our garden rang alongside a railway bridge and the gleaming white cotton sheets would be fluttering in a row - and all she had back then was an old twin tub and Daz.

My mum could keep whites white forever - no greys or beiges as mine always end up. She could get stains out of anything and iron like an champion - never on an ironing board but on a folded towel on the worktop. And yes it all smelled glorious.

As far as I know, she never used anything special, and no fabric conditioner although she lived in a very soft water area, so even a tiny bit of detergent would foam up into loads of suds. She swore by Ariel as her go to washing powder - she even cleaned all her cups with it - they too were gleaming white always.

Washing was always dried outdoors, and when wet on a pulley line under the lean to so it always smelled fresh.

Another vote for unstoppables, I tend to bulk buy them when they're on offer in Asda (The smaller bottles have offers on but the big ones don't )

People actually add Zoflora to their washing machine!? I've heard it all now. I wouldn't add it, purely because of the nasty chemical smell it has, the smell of Zoflora hits the back of my throat and make me gag though

There are probably plenty of ways, it's just a question of finding what suits you. Drying outside if you live in a windy clean air position. I don't dry outside at all and used to use bold lavender powder which kept the scent well. It sort of released it with movement.

Also had things stored for ages with scent still there and getting released. In a kind of way although I'd not tried it, I think not drying outside helped with the bold keeping scent in.

The reason I stopped using it was because I got bored with it, mainly the using powder aspect. Not sure if they do a liquid, or if it's as good as the powder.