The aroma of clean linen is so popular that it’s frequently included in lotions, candles, and essential oils. As your laundry should smell just out of the dryer, it is linked to a clean, crisp, and fresh scent. However, occasionally linens and clothing don’t smell clean at all or come out smelling more musty than fresh.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to achieve that new aroma. If you’re wondering how to make laundry smell good without using scented laundry soap and how to keep clothing feeling fresh between washes, the expert advice below will help.
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Ways to Make Your Laundry Smell Better
Your washing machine should be cleaned and deodorized
You need to clean more than just your clothes. Regular cleaning and maintenance are also necessary for your washing machine. As a result of water, grime, and detergent accumulation, washing machines may eventually begin to smell musty after many loads of laundry.
Use a hot, water-only cycle (no clothes) and add one quart of bleach or one to two cups of white vinegar to your washing machine to help get rid of the stink. Next, if your machine has a “Clean Washer” or “Sanitize” cycle, use it; if not, use the longest cycle available. By doing this, any accumulation may be removed, and the possibility of scents transferring to clothing is decreased.
Remember to clean the rubber gasket that lines the entrance of your front-loading machine. The gasket can retain debris, soap scum, and stagnant water, which can cause odor, even if it helps stop water from flowing out throughout a cycle. Pull the rubber gasket back and use a moist cloth and white vinegar to wipe it.
Wash Smaller Loads
Your laundry’s level of cleanliness and odor may also be influenced by the number of your loads. Families can save money on water bills by running full loads of laundry, but it’s crucial to avoid packing your machine to capacity because this might reduce the wash’s efficacy and leave behind odors.
In a similar vein, using too much detergent might also hinder the best possible cleaning for your laundry. “Finding the perfect balance of load size and detergent dose will help keep your clothes looking clean and smelling fresh.” “[Using too much detergent] can create so many suds that it is difficult to rinse and prevents an effective clean.”
Quickly take the wet laundry out of the washer
It’s likely that we’ve all occasionally forgotten that there was clothing in the washing machine. However, musty scents and smells can quickly develop if damp clothes and linens are left out for an extended period of time.
To help you stay on track, set a timer or reminder on your phone for a few minutes before the conclusion of your cycle.
Hang Your Clothes Outdoors
A little fresh air can help with a lot of things, including nasty laundry odors. You’d be astonished at how much a light wind and sunshine can do to speed up the process of getting rid of odors and improving the fragrance of washing. The first odor can be eliminated by hanging odor-affected clothing, like that from campfire smoke, outdoors on a clothesline or simply on the back of a chair in the breeze for a few hours.
Washing clothes with strong odors, such as smoking, with a high-quality detergent that offers both a deep clean and an enhanced fresh scent is recommended. Try soaking the clothing in detergent or an oxygen booster for at least an hour if the smoke odor doesn’t go away, and then wash it normally.
Pre-Treat Stains and Smelly Clothes to Remove Odors
Before you put them in the laundry, some items of clothing require a bit more care. Try turning the garment inside out and pre-treating the region with a premium detergent that contains stain-fighting enzymes if your clothing has any additional odorous areas, such as the underarms, where deodorant accumulation can cause discoloration and a musty odor.
Before washing as usual, just apply enough liquid detergent to the area, rub it in with your hands or an old toothbrush, and let it sit there for at least ten minutes. This should help your laundry look bright and fresh and get rid of musty odors. For further odor-fighting, you can also include a soaking phase.
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