Weird but important issue!

[GiveAProperDogABone]

Our washing machine broke down. Husband took washing to work with him. Did washing there with Ariel pods, took washing home smelt amazing! So we got washing machine fixed and bought some pods.. Did a washing.. Not a trace of that beautiful smell! Same temperature (40), tumble dryer used both times. What could possibly be making the difference?!

I just washed one item in a 9kg washing machine and it didn't smell as good as a load washed in work machine, so it's not overloading.

Maybe your machine is bigger than the one at work, on the ariel box it says to use 2 tabs in 7kg or over machines. Is the machine at work smaller?

Do they have a water softener at work? We had a salesman come round to try and sell one to us and the difference in the water is amazing. Sadly it was £££ but j keep asking DH if we could get one, saves us constantly descaling everything!

I know you say his work is local, but my work is 8 miles away and our water at home is far softer than the water at work (at home we've never descaled anything and always use the minimum amount of powder, don't need salt in the dishwasher etc, while at work, everything that the water touches is scaled up despite descaling being on the maintenance team's regular task list).

Don't know about fragranced washing, because we have to use super delicate unperfumed products due to DPs sensitive skin.

Twirly Our water is naturally soft and I agree that the difference is amazing.

Any time I stay anywhere with hard water, I realise how lucky I am and think 'no way could I live like this'

I bet once you costed up the cost of descaling chemicals, reduced appliance lifetime (our washing machines and dishwashers average 13-14 years each, I bet yours don't) and lower use of washing powder, dishwasher salt, toiletries and cleaning products, that £££ for a water softner won't be as eyewatering as first thought.

@BarbaraofSeville I'm so jealous! When I tasted the soft water the difference was huge! Not to mention washing my hands in soft water, it's so much nicer than the stuff coming out of my taps! Yes it's first world problems but you hit the nail on the head on appliances, our washing machines probably last around 5 years (I'm sure our dish washer is on it's way out) and we've gone through a lot kettles as they build up with so much limescale and that's despite descaling them!

Could it be a hard water /soft water thing? Since we moved to a very hard water area, our clothes never smell nice after washing.

Woops missed all the posts talking about hard and soft water.

If you really want your washing to smell gorgeous, mow the lawn and hang the washing outside!

It never smells nice to me if it's tumble dried. And now I no longer have a tumble drier, so it's fresh air all the way!

Most of the smell in washed clothes is from fabric conditioner. Which one did he use at work?