Do you like strongly scented laundry?

[Cadela]

I cannot wear clothes unless they smell really strongly of the washing powder. I think it’s a throwback to being a student and putting deodorant over mildew stained clothes 😅

It makes me twitchy if I can’t smell detergent! Please tell me I’m not completely mad

I hate it! I use just a bit of detergent and no softener. I'm happiest when the clothes just smell of fresh air from the line.

Yes I love it! I even change up my fabric softener so I can smell the new one for the first wash - after that my.nose gets used to it and I can't smell it anymore.

Was a total revelation to me that lots of people seem to not like it at all. I saw a thread a while ago about it. People must hate how I smell!

I am so so sorry you have to deal with this. Your life is massively limited for you over something completely unnecessary. I have a milder fragrance allergy and that is bad enough. There are certain places I can't go, and staying away anywhere is almost impossible, my fear is that it gets worse (which it can) at which point it becomes seriously life limiting. More education and lobbying needs to be done on this. Businesses could be doing much more.

Yes, have used fabric softener since the '70s. I actually don't like the smell of things dried outside, makes me feel a bit sick.
I am of a generation where a lot of people smoked and so fabric softener scent really felt worth it.
There is a fair bit of snobbery on Mumsnet against these products but I don't care, thankfully!
@solsticelove do you have any links to research about such products being endocrine disruptors? Sorry I am sceptical about such claims without evidence to back them up, especially as a lot of ads feature kids, which they would surely avoid if there was proof of good evidence of harm

@fedupdontknowwheretoputmyself

”associate strong fragrance smells with the sort of people who keep xl bullies 🙈 there's a street in my village that absolutely stinks of plug in air fresheners and Lenor scent boosters 🤢“

🤣🤣🤣🤣

I associate strong smelling clothes with the same type of person. I get migraines and asthma from artificial scent so give anyone wearing clothes stinking of that a wide berth. The chemicals found in artificial fragrances include phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors, and carcinogenic. I can’t imagine why you would voluntarily cloak yourself in the stuff.

I use unscented ecover and vinegar in the conditioner drawer which works as a conditioner and also neutralises odours.

No. I have a poor sense of smell, but I can still detect fabric softener and it's horrible.

There is a fair bit of snobbery on Mumsnet against these products but I don't care, thankfully!

I don't think it's snobbery. The hard up can't afford them.

@Pudmyboy have to say smokers who use strong fabric softeners, smell of smoke and fabric softener 😂

There is a lot of research out, just look up medical and science journals for studies. This guardian article is a good start point to look at the issues;

amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/23/fragrance-perfume-personal-cleaning-products-health-issues

Me too. Why would anyone want to smell of Surf or Persil? Yuk.

I associate strong fragrance smells with the sort of people who keep xl bullies
I’m an ex teacher and alway used to feel sorry for the kids whose uniforms stank of very strong fragrance
I find it really inconsiderate when ppl smell of it at work
Some instances of Mumsnet snobbery (in my opinion)

I'd hate to be able to smell my laundry. I'd hope any chemicals had been rinsed and gone.

I do like the smell of sheets dried in the sun though.

No, if it is something you know about please provide evidence, don't tell me to look for the evidence. Newspaper article in the Guardian isn't good evidence either.

Strong laundry detergent and scented conditioner trigger my asthma. I get wheezy when next door hang their washing on the line and the smell wafts over.

I'm not sure why things are so highly scented now. Maybe to hide residual body odour in fabric due to lower wash temperatures.

I mean the sort of snobbery where people are scornful of anyone using the products, (though one poster made a comment about cheap products from B&M)

@Pudmyboy If you read the article they have links embedded in the article to studies. If you can’t be bothered to look up easy to find information, then you can’t be that interested and I’m not that bothered if you want to wear toxic fragrances or not.

It’s just not something I will personally use and I avoid being near people who use artificial scents.

I detest fragranced laundry, I have a friend who dries hers on the radiators and her house reeks of it.

I wouldn't use the word in that way myself. I see snobbery more as looking down on a poorer social class. If you can afford to spend money on scent boosters and strong smelling branded products then you aren't poor. I think it's more reverse snobbery at things people with money buy.

I am always mistrustful of people who want others to find evidence for their point of view. The Guardian is not a credible resource on my opinion. If the evidence is easy to find, the links should be easy to provide.

No, a lot of artificial scents trigger or worsen migraines for me.

I am mistrustful of people who demand peer reviewed studies in a chat thread over something that has been widely reported on over the years. It's just a chat.

This was definitely why my Mum used fabric softener too. My Nan smokes like a trooper and we’d come home stinking of smoke. I’ve inherited the fabric softener habit. I remember I’d left clothes over Nan’s once and she washed and ironed them, brought them over to Mum’s. They smelt clean but there was a cigarette smoke smell to them too.

Christ 😂 asked for that one didn’t I. I don’t own an xl bully.

Dont any of your wear scented things at all then? Just swanning about smelling of fresh air?

Unscented all the way

I actually don't like the smell of things dried outside, makes me feel a bit sick.

Me too!! I thought I was the only one. I honestly can't bear the smell of line-dried linen, it's hard to describe but it just turns my stomach. I occasionally get a similar smell from DH's clothes after he's been a run. It's a weird sickly kind of smell. Urgh. I never, ever actually smell it outside though.

Personally I like a very subtle hint of a plain detergenty smell, which I get from a basic laundry powder and no fabric conditioner.

Like a PP mentioned, one of the DC's has a friend whose clothes always smells very strongly of a specific detergent and it is unfortunately really unpleasant.

I love it when I go by someone’s house and they have nicely scented laundry out