My washing never smells nice! What do you use?

[MamFran]

I use persil bio liquid and comfort pure fabric conditioner. But I never get that ‘ahh these clothes smell so nice’ feeling.
they don’t smell unpleasant or anything and they are all clean but I want to be able to say oh that smells so nice!
any recommendations on what to use ? My kids don’t have sensitive skin or anything and are older now so feel I don’t have to stick with the gentle stuff

I wear perfume if I want to smell of anything other than myself (soap, shampoo etc notwithstanding) and conditioned clothes would just clash with whatever scent I wanted to wear.

Fabric conditioner is terrible stuff. It makes fabric less absorbant/breathable and dingy. I literally used to work at Procter and Gamble in the laundry products lab. Nobody who worked there would actually use the stuff.

But I do like fresh smelling clothes.

I put a cap full of Zoflora or Fabulosa in the conditioner drawer. Makes it smell nice. Also good if I'm not going to be home to empty the machine for a few hours because it cuts down on mildew.

Same, hate the artificial softner smell mingling with perfume.

I use smol and have always been told I smell nice.

I normally use Persil non bio and do an extra rinse as I hate the smell of washing detergent on clothes. Sometimes I feel sick if I'm in a lift with someone who uses fairy. When I used to buy clothes on ebay everyone seemed to use it neat on their clothes.
I recently used a Dr Beckerman laundry sheet on my bedding and I had to rewash it as it was too close to my nose I couldn't sleep. A friend of mine uses tons of comfort in the wash.

I use surf. The pink one.
But tbh what makes it smell nice is hanging it to dry outside. There is a huge difference in smell between clothes we've hung outside and those we've tumble dried.

Fairy pods and softener for us and line dry. If they're on offer I'll buy the fairy scent booster too.

Is it your washing machine that smells, I used a washing machine cleaner every so often as it can sometimes make my washing smell yuk

fuckin hate the smell of lenor comfort unstoablles etc. on the bus yesterday and the women beside my clothes stank of fabric conditioner. makes me feel sick. only use persil non bio in wash no fabric conditioner whatsoever. line dry when can. every so often clean washing machine out and use dettolt laundry cleaner every so often. oh use calgon too as in a limey water area. if you wnat to smell nice splash out on chanel perfume

I use Tesco laundry liquid & white vinegar. My washing always smells fresh.

Washing powder is where it’s at. Loads cheaper, washes better (a Miele engineer told me this!) and smells loads stronger.

Those of you that use fabric conditioner , are you bothered that most brands use animal fat as a softening component ?
Once I knew it put me off , so if I do use it I use the Ecover brand as it's the only one I know that does not use it.
I also think it probably goes some way in clogging up the pipes .

Omg I tried that Tallow and Ash sample set and holy moly my clothes smell AMAZING

@FatLarrysBanned could you send me the discount?

I’m watching this because I’m the same. I have a new washing machine, I line dry everything, I don’t live near a main road so no pollution smells. My washing is clean, but it doesn’t have that lovely just washed smell.

I don’t want the fragrance of fabric conditioner, which I find a bit sickly. I want my washing to smell like the cupboard I keep the washing powder in. Can’t explain it any better than that.

I suspect old fashioned washing powders had more detergent in them and we probably used too much of it. And I think modern washing machines rinse and spin better. But beyond that I’m stumped.

Nothing can compare with solar and windpower.

Drying time is more important than products.

Nothing will smell good if left to dry for days indoors in a damp space.

Whether tumble dried or line dried will always smell better than washing that has taken 2 or 3 days to dry.

Also use a hot wash when you can, it kills the bugs that multiply on clothes, and the bugs that produce smelly armpit odour.

I find the total opposite of this. By the time they’ve been outside and either blown in the wind or had sun belting on them, they lose some (often all) of the softener scent and just smell of “outside”.

it’s more convenient, but h hate line dried clothes. Smells much better on an airer in the house!

Most powders have bleach in them, even the ones that profess to be for coloured clothes. So just be careful else all you’ll do is slowly fade your clothes 😬

Depends if you like the heavily scented synthetic fragrances in many products.

Mostly they are horrible.

I only use a plain powder detergent and no smelly stuff.

I love the smell of line dried clothes- but I live surrounded by forest.

That is how you nicely let someone know it smells too much.

I use Persil pods and previously used Comfort Blue but our clothes were smelling stale (machine only 12 months old). I’ve now started using the blue Tesco own brand softener and for the first time in years our clothes smell of fabric softener and not musty.

I'm obsessed with Halo
Antibacterial and anti fungal, non bio, can use it on a 30 degree wash. I don't use anything else at the moment. Lightly scented. Hard to find in shops though.

www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/halo-sports-laundry-liquid-1l-25-washes-

Manufacturer:
www.soapboxtrading.co.uk

I have a theory that manufacturers have reduced/changed the perfume in their detergents to encourage people to buy more products such as fabric conditioner and laundry scent.

Theres a HG product that I’ve tried which really freshens off-smelling clothes without being overpowering.

Agree fabric conditioner is actually bad for fabric.

I use bio d, unfragranced, laundry liquid, conditioner, soapnuts, and do use white vinegar for softener, why do your clothes need to smell?
i hâte over smelling laundry no need