There is nothing better than to come to a load of laundry that feels crispy and smells like mildew despite being freshly washed. But during autumn and winter, damp conditions and limited outdoor drying make it harder to achieve that crisp, line-dried aroma.
Ideally, freshly washed clothes would carry the soothing scent of lilies, lavender, or vanilla without any extra effort. However, in reality, detergents often fall short of delivering that lasting freshness, especially as the weather turns cooler and wetter. Clothes may end up smelling musty or taking longer to dry, which can dull the clean scent.
According to experts, there is a way to get fresh-smelling laundry and it requires the UK households to stop doing one common thing.
Experts from Which? revealed that contrary to the belief, using a fabric softener can “make your clothes smell worse over time”.
They explained: “It may sound counterintuitive, but repeatedly adding fabric conditioner to your washes can actually make your clothes smell worse over time.
“This is because it leaves a residue on fabrics that gradually builds up, which in turn makes it harder for detergent to penetrate (and therefore thoroughly clean) your clothes.
“It can also essentially ‘trap’ odours in your clothes by creating a coating over the top of them, making them much trickier to shift for good.”
The experts have also advised against using the essential oils in your washing machine to make your laundry smell better.
They said: “Some people advise mixing a few drops of an essential oil with a liquid detergent, or combining a drop or two with water and adding it directly to the detergent drawer. Others suggest mixing five to 10 drops with a cup of water and pouring into a spray bottle to use on damp clothing after washing.
“But essential oils are flammable, so it’s not a great idea to apply them in any concentration to the clothes you wear. And they should certainly never be used in a tumble dryer.
“Essential oils can also cause skin irritation, and as they’re oils, they can stain some delicate fabrics.”