Home made ways to make washing smell nice

[doyouknowwhatimean]

Several family members have really sensitive skin that hates scented washing powder and fabric conditioner. So Ive used for years the unscented Ecover and am happy ish with it.

However clothes smell a tiny bit damp, especially if I don't get them out of the washing machine ASAP.

Does anyone use anything natural to fragrance their washing? Could I put some essential oils into the washing liquid and that would be OK?

I've put some diluted hair conditioner in the fabric softener compartment so will see how that goes but don't want to bugger up the machine!

Hanging the washing outside is the best way to make it smell nice.

Totally agree just been raining solidly for past 12 years! Think that's why I'm noticing the damp smell as usually try and peg out.

It sounds like your washing machine needs cleaning. Get some cleaner for it and run it on an empty 60 and clean the door, rim and powder drawer.

I wouldn't use essential oils. That will likely just gunk up your machine and might be reacted to anyway.

White vinegar in the fabric softener compartment, and making sure the machine is vv clean as Delilah says (I tend to do a 60 degree wash fairly regularly with things like face cloths, bedding, cleaning cloths, and any clothes which are holding onto a damp or BO smell, and then I do a 95 degree wash with the machine empty with some anti-limescale stuff in it about 2-3 times a year) and then getting clothes out ASAP when they are done is important.

The vinegar I actually find is the best thing ever for helping clothes smell fresh, it kills germs, kills some mildew I think too and helps reduce limescale in your machine. You could try different brands of powder too, though it sounds like you already have tried this.

What helps me get clothes out ASAP from the washing machine is using the "delay start" feature so I know I'll be around, and not busy, when it finishes.

The other thing you can do is if your washing machine has a rinse hold function, use this if you're not sure if you'll be free when it finishes. Rinse hold keeps the clothes in a tub of water until you're ready to come and press the button again and then it will do the final rinse and spin which takes about 10 minutes. This prevents it from getting mildewy.

A bit of a nuclear option, but I also found that getting a tumble dryer was my best thing ever - when I had to hang washing up, I'd often procrastinate emptying because I knew I'd have to stand for 20-30 mins potentially taking the old washing off and then hanging the new washing up. Whereas putting clothes into the tumble dryer means (at worst) open the door, pull all the contents into a clean washing basket, then fill with the wet washing, empty fluff/water trays and turn on. So I don't procrastinate on this and my washing doesn't sit around damp for hours.

If you don't have a TD the two strategies for trying to get it out and hung up ASAP help - and I used to sort of plan my washing around a "wash day routine" where I'd put one load in first thing in the morning, then cue up a ~1h podcast and when that load finished, do this in order while listening:

Collect new load
Remove old load
Fill new load, start wash on shortest full wash (~60-90 mins)
Carry wet washing to airer
Take down old, dry washing into piles
Hang up new, wet washing
Put dry clothes away
Fetch second load from washing machine, hang up

Lastly make sure the airer is a good design - not one of the "stacked up Xs" because the washing will drape over each other and not get proper airflow. Tower airer, balcony airer (either sold in Argos and Ikea) are good designs. Tower takes up less floor space. Locate in the warmest room and/or with best air flow. Dehumidifier or extra heating in that room while drying can help.

If you like scents but your family can't handle them, you might be able to use something like Lenor Unstoppables in a load with only your clothing, pillowcase, towel etc. They are vv good at long lasting scent, but are apparently also the most reactive class of allergen, so may be no use if you have small DC that are still in a very cuddly phase.

Thanks bertiebotts! Food for thought.

It's me that's the worst I'm afraid and don't really like the Lenor artificial smells anyway. If I put that on my pillow I'd have face reactions.

I have a tumble drier and lake land heated airer I just wanted stuff to smell nice when I couldn't peg out.

The rinse hold idea is a good one as stops the washing hanging around if I'm on a call of whatever. Thanks 😊

I have used white vinegar instead of fab conditioner in the past for towels, however I've just got a new washer and it specifically says in the book not to use vinegar as it affects the seals.( Obviously pipe seals not sea seals!)

I find tumble drying gives the best smell aside from drying outside TBH. It's to do with how long it sits around wet, I think.

I never use fabric conditioner, but I like the dettol sanitiser. They used to do a non-fragranced version but I’ve found that very hard to get hold of recently. The cotton fresh version is nice though and not a heavy fragrance.