Overpowering laundry smell

[EmpressOfTheSofa]

What would cause this? Is my SIL just using epic amounts of washing powder or something?

BIL has just been round and even though I was in a different room it’s all I could smell (which prompted me to post this now). And it’s lingered after he’s gone.

SIL is fond of handing down clothes and I’ve found they still smell of her/them after they’ve been washed. Christmas presents even smell of them. It’s in everything. The kids call it the ‘Auntie X smell’.

I mean, it’s not the most unpleasant thing to smell of but it is irritating. I don’t visit them except once in a blue moon but their house obviously smells overpowering as well.

I would never ever say anything (and my house probably smells weird to them, we have dogs) but but AIBU to think she must be doing something extra with her laundry routine to get this level of lingering aroma?

(oh and just to head off any remarks; it’s definitely SIL who does 100% of housework in their set up, it’s not me being sexist and assuming).

She will be using vast amounts of fabric conditioner.

Matching washing powder/liquid plus fabric conditioner plus those scented bead things plus tumble dryer sheets plus fabric conditioner diluted and sprayed around the house as air freshener.

This

I find that with things passed down to us. And anything that my exh has washed.

I think it’s loads of softener/ conditioner that do

I use Ecover products because they don’t have that strong, artificial smell.

Still it’s kind of people to pass stuff done - I just give it a good wash first.

Do you think they know they smell so overpowering? It’s got worse over the years so I expect she’s gone noseblind and started putting more in to compensate.

It must be the scent layering that PP mentioned. I've watched TikTok videos of people restocking and they're all using scent boosters etc. I've no idea what the point of them is. Obviously to boost scent, but why?!

Why indeed.

I find it odd.

She's probably using tons of conditioner. YANBU; I can't stand it and never put any in. It's bad for the environment as well, I believe.

I have the same thing with my MiL. She often washes a few of DD’s clothes because she looks after her two days a week. I then re wash them because even even a toddler sized T-shirt will scent an entire room. Feel bad about doing it.

A lot of people use too much fabric conditioner and most smell awful. I only use the ones with a very mild smell, usually saying sensitive or pure.
Lots of charity shop clothes have that horrible scent and some don't wash out even after several washes and being left to dry outdoors.
I guess these people are the same ones that thing air spray and plug ins are good.

I've noticed lots of laundry powders say they have extra scent added or its concentrated... really annoys me as I'd prefer an unscented one.

It’s probably those scent booster things. I bought a baby blanket off Etsy and had to return it because despite two washes in my machine it still stank of perfume. The seller claimed it was just her detergent but I couldn’t fathom using the blanket on a newborn!

Because I am in love with one scent booster. I walked past a colleague who asked what perfume I had one as it was a lovely clean scent. I didn’t have any perfume or body spray on but I had used scent boosters.

My mum uses horrible automatic air freshener things that spray every half hour, her house smells strongly of it, any times from her house also smell strongly (mine you it’s not as bad as MIL’s house which smells of damp as she never opens a window and you come away smelling slightly musty.

There are certain wash powders and fabric conditioners that I find overpowering, wether they are overused or not. This was when I used to try out different stuff.

I now only use a certain brand of powder and ditto conditioner, I like that particular smell but to me it fades quickly. I will take my own pillow with me sometimes when staying over at relatives houses, to avoid the (sometimes) strong smell of other peoples laundry. I know the problem is me not them.

Like taste, I think smells can be very individual. Do the rest of your family notice it as much as you do?

I love the smell of laundry and don't mind it smelling strong, just smells clean and homely to me. I use scent booster beads and also often use wax melts that scened like laundry.

some people put fabric conditioner om the back of their radiators to fragrance their rooms

The worst smell of all must be febreeze imo. I opened a jumper I'd bought from Vinted yesterday and had to put it straight in the wash, it absolutely honked of artificial scent.

I have long thought that some laundry detergent and fabric conditioner combinations can cause a massively enhanced fragrance - as if the chemicals boost each other's effect.

I have a friend who was like @EmpressOfTheSofa's SIL - there was always an incredibly strong laundry fragrance in her house and on her clothes - not unpleasant, but just strong.

It's better than a BO scent 😀

So does anyone know an effective way to get rid of this overpowering smell? I've had a few things from Vinted that I've washed but still stink of the previous owners fabric conditioner etc.

@CleanBedding your user name and post reminded me of my first boyfriend.

He never changed his bedsheets (not even yearly!) and he would just spray fabreeze all over them - I’ll never forget the yellow/grey look of what we’re once white sheets!!!
He fabreezed his clothes, rather than wash them, too!

It’s the laundry equivalent of those little tree car air fresheners and plug in home air fresheners. Artificial, overpowering but obviously loved by some or they wouldn’t be sold.

I read somewhere that fabric softener is the biggest contributor to indoor pollution. It exacerbates exzema too…..my DS used to get it quite badly behind his knees and it cleared up immediately after I switched to Ecover fabric softener. I don’t bother with it at all these days though.

Not sure if it’s because I’m autistic but I can become a bit frantic from these kinds of smells. Fine with perfume but fabric conditioner and air fresheners really make me feel uncomfortable.

Have you tried a vinegar wash (a cup of vinegar in the washing machine instead of powder/liquid)? That might do it.

I don't use conditioner (slight aside, I don't know what it's for) but used the Ariel washing tabs and dear god you could smell it a mile off. Threw them away in the end after having to rewash all the bedding as we couldn't sleep in it.